Kenyan Wallstreet

This week, we break down banking sector results and how investors on the NSE reacted to the different counters. We also discuss the opportunity in DRC, which banks like Equity and KCB are looking into, and the hurdles like instability and poor infrastructure could affect businesses eyeing the market. We close the episode talking about activity in global markets, focusing on the OnlyFans' changes i...

In this episode, Mwakaneno Gakweli talks to Billy Owino on how Kenya's credit sector has evolved with the COVID-19 pandemic, and how best lending institutions, policymakers and credit reporting agencies can leverage data to improve lending post-COVID. We discuss the power of alternative data sources to build credit scores, and what building bespoke lending terms could improve access to loans for c...

In this episode, Mwakaneno Gakweli talks to Franziska Reh on why it is important to focus investment on founders, especially local founders and how that can make a large difference given their knowledge and experience in the market. We also discuss Uncap's investment strategy, leveraging ticket sizes between 10K - 50K USD to early-stage founders through a tech-enabled platform that helps build a p...

In this episode, Mwakaneno Gakweli talks to Rina Hicks, founder of Money-Wise and Valentine Njoroge, Co-Founder and CEO of Africa's Pocket , recounting their experiences in losing money through failed investments and how it informed them to build Investable , an online course that gives you the confidence to make an investment plan that empowers you to be in control of your financial security. Rin...

In this episode, the Hisa team looks at CIC's performance for the half-year ended June 2021, analyse how local investors on the NSE outpaced foreign investor activity for the first time in a long time and weigh in on how unrest in Afghanistan and the Middle East could affect global commodity prices.  Highlights:  CIC reported a net profit of KSh260 million for H1 ended June 2021. Gross w...

In this episode of We are Curious, the Hisa Team discusses how Ethiopia's Tigray war affects prospective investments in the country, following MTN's decision to pull out of the second licence bid. Could this affect Safaricom Ethiopia's prospects should the conflict stretch to 2022? We also question the incentives that should drive savings in Kenya, as the country battles with job losses thanks to...

In this episode, we inquire about the drivers behind Uchumi's rally and analyse Ormat's offer to reduce Kenya Power's electricity cost and improve its margins. We also break down Kenya Re's Revenue decline and the performance of various properties in Nairobi's real estate space.    

In this episode, Untapped Global Founder Jim Chu hosts Melvyn Lubega (CEO OF South Africa's First Unicorn, Go1), Toyin Bajomo (CEO of rising Nigerian eCommerce company BabyBliss), and Falgu Shah ( BizOps and Expansion at Paystack), breaking down the criteria for long term expansion plan across the continent. Jim and the panel discuss how the startups navigate challenges like local competition, bri...

In this episode, Winelife Founder and CEO Yoeal Haile talks to Mwakaneno Gakweli on his journey into entrepreneurship, reflecting on his learnings on navigating the startup ecosystem in Africa from his as a former MD of Aspira and Founder of Winelife. Yoeal tells the story behind founding Winelife, breaking down the opportunity in the lifestyle sector, challenges when navigating regulation and why...

Each episode of We Are Curious breaks down the week's events in policy and tech in Kenya, Africa and the world. In this episode, the Hisa team discusses the current NHIF cash crunch thanks to massive job losses, weighing whether it is justifiable for the insurer to review premiums every five years. We then talk about the CBK's move to lower capital requirements to back mortgages from 53% to 50%, a...

In this episode, CEO Moezz Mir shares with Mwakaneno Gakweli how the banking sector has supported businesses weather the pandemic through initiatives like restricting loans, and how new variants could shape similar initiatives in the future. We also discuss ways in which SBM has worked closely with its customers to drive recovery for both the bank and the clients and brainstorm on what it takes to...

In this episode, the Hisa team analyses the decline of NBV, which fell 8.6% Week on Week, showing exceptionally high volatility on the exchange. NBV, the 13th most traded stock, still holds a record YTD performance, rising 93% for the period. We also look at the negative impact of the pandemic that led to Centum's Ksh 1.37 billion loss and what the selling part of the Two Rivers Development stake...

In this episode, the Hisa Team discusses the bear trend in Asian markets following the DiDi crackdown, events around the NBV stock and things driving the local stock market.  Highlights: The Chinese government is intensifying the fight against tech companies, alleging that they have misused their clients' data, running Chinese markets red. The low Chinese markets follow an earlier crackdown o...

In this episode, the Hisa team discusses startup funding in Kenya, exploring the skew towards foreign founders compared to native counterparts. We also talk about the bank of Uganda taking over mobile money regulation, how it will affect mobile money players and the potential partnerships it opens for banks and mobile money operators to develop new products. Finally, we close the episode by touchi...

In this episode, we talk to Andrew Bourne, Regional Manager for Africa at Zoho, on how best businesses can approach data privacy for their clients, which is an even more significant concern following the accelerated digital migration because of COVID-19. Some of the main points in this discussion include the importance of tracking tools like cookies and how businesses can responsibly handle data f...

In this episode, Ally Mwakaneno talks to Tania Ngima, Managing Director of DijITali at Digital Divide Data on how businesses can use the popularity, rural penetration, national footprint, and digital capabilities of cybercafes to drive product penetration in peri-urban populations, helping businesses validate their products and price point and test their distribution. Tania and Ally also discuss h...

In this episode, the Hisa team discusses how Safaricom's 3.27% uptick last week affected turnovers, dives into the Crown Paints rights issue, and what it will mean for the company and the global smartphone outlook with Xiaomi as the second-largest smartphone maker by market share.  Highlights : There was positive activity in all indices, with the All-share index gaining 17.5% YTD and 1.9% wee...

In this episode, 734Coffee Founder Manyang Reath Kher chats with Ally Mwakaneno on his experience building an African Coffee company in the US and the challenges of setting up export operations. He also shares his progress in setting 734Coffee back in South Sudan, the company's genesis and its coffee source, what the homecoming means for him and how it will benefit the people in the value chain am...

In this episode, Ally Mwakaneno chats with Vital Capital Managing Partner Nimrod Gerber on why it is crucial for investors to equally weigh the potential impact and the business case of a venture before investing. Nimrod talks about the different impact and finance metrics such as ESG and profitability, the relationship between profitability and impact sustainable businesses and how businesses can...

In this episode, the Hisa team and family discuss Richard Branson's launch into space and how it might affect Virgin Galactic Stocks. We also talk about the ongoing events with KRA announcing that it will auction Kenya Power Transformers, currently at the port for 7 years following unpaid dues, and detail the story behind risen indices in the last week.  Highlights:  CIC was the Top gain...

In this episode, Citibank Kenya CEO Martin Mugambi chats with Ally Mwakaneno on the role banks play in supporting businesses and the economy to recover from the pandemic through restructuring loans, extending credit down the supply chain through last-mile financing, and creating digital-first banking. Martin delves deeper into the role of digitization in changing how banks operate, touches on the...

In this episode, the Hisa team breaks down the World Bank Report on the Cost of Starting a Business, detailing where Kenya sits in the continent and why the relatively lower costs mean little to entrepreneurs if they still encounter high regulatory running costs. We further discuss the next step for parastatals following the IMF call to restructure state corporations and close the episode with a p...

In this episode, The Hisa Family discusses how privacy concerns about DiDi brought the transporting company in crosshairs with the Chinese regulators, detailing the difference in terms of how liberal and communist markets view privacy. They further discuss the silence in cryptocurrency activity after China's crackdown and how the new taxes on utilities like Airtime will affect businesses in Kenya....

In this episode of the Startup Show, Head of Special Projects at Sokowatch Kwehnui Tawah chats with Mwakaneno Gakweli on Sokowatch's experience in lending to underbanked Dukas within East Africa, detailing the importance of working capital credit, challenges in the space, and the role of data and emerging tech in creating customer-centric loan products for small scale retailer.  Audio Product...

Last week we had news of various taxes that are likely to affects markets this week. In this episode, we discuss the performance of various sectors on the NSE, analyse Centum's results and how the pandemic affected the real estate sector, and look at how the semiconductor shortage and TSMC's announcement give Apple and Intel first access to chips will mean for global markets.  Highlights:&nbs...