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    With just 50 days to go, the world stands on the brink of football’s most anticipated spectacle - the FIFA World Cup 2026™. This milestone represents more than a countdown; it signals a rare opportunity for discerning clients, corporate leaders, and high-net-worth individuals to secure privileged access to football’s biggest global event. On Location, appointed by FIFA as the Official Hospitality Provider of the tournament, is proud to affirm that Integral has been appointed as the Exclusive Sales Agent in Nigeria for the official hospitality programme. Through this exclusive mandate, Integral offers official, ticket-inclusive hospitality packages designed to elevate every moment of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. From premium seating and private suites to exceptional culinary experiences, world-class service, and sophisticated lounge environments, each offering is curated for those who value access, comfort, and distinction. Whether hosting high-value clients, strengthening strategic relationships, or simply experiencing the tournament at an elite level, these hospitality experiences provide the ultimate platform to engage, entertain, and inspire. With only 50 days remaining, availability across hospitality packages is expected to be extremely limited, with global demand already accelerating. While there may be offers of unauthorized ticket-inclusive hospitality packages on unofficial platforms, On Location is the only official hospitality provider of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and https://FIFAWorldCup26.Hospitality.FIFA.com/ is the only official hospitality sales page. Hospitality packages and tickets sourced from unofficial sales channels may not be valid. Authorized global sales agents are published and will be continually updated at https://FIFAWorldCup26.Hospitality.FIFA.com/. Integral invites its distinguished clientele to act decisively - secure your official FIFA World Cup 2026™ hospitality package today and guarantee your place at the heart of the action. Be match-ready. Be part of history. Moments like this won’t wait. To reserve your preferred package, including shared lounges or private suites connect with Integral via: www.IntegralSande.com or Call/WhatsApp: +2348093677272, +2348168039329
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    50 Days to FIFA World Cup 2026™ The Countdown is ON!

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    With just 50 days to go, the world stands on the brink of football’s most anticipated spectacle - the FIFA World Cup...
    Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) (www.CCBAGroup.com) has welcomed more than 60 emerging leaders from across its African markets into the Ascend Leaders in Training Programme, an 18‑month accelerated leadership journey designed to unleash talent and develop the continent’s next generation of business leaders. Running from March 2026 to August 2027, the programme offers young talent from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia a structured pathway into leadership roles within one of Africa’s most admired consumer goods companies. The initiative reflects CCBA’s commitment to unparalleled professional growth, providing an exciting journey of learning and development within a passionate, caring team. Drawn from diverse academic backgrounds - including business, engineering, supply chain, marketing and finance - participants will gain on‑the‑ground experience across key business functions such as Supply Chain, Commercial, Finance, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability (PACS), and People and Culture. While working in their home markets, they will also be part of a broader pan‑African learning community. “Whenever I enjoyed a Coke, I often wondered ‘Where does this come from? How is it made?’. Now I have the incredible opportunity to learn everything that goes into that small bottle of Coke,” said Lathitha Madyibi, a member of the Ascend cohort in South Africa. “My first week of the programme has been both exciting and eye-opening. Experiencing the environment firsthand has made me appreciate the scale and coordination behind CCBA’s operations. Seeing how different teams and functions work together to keep everything running smoothly has been particularly insightful.” added Dawit Yared, from the Ethiopia cohort. The Ascend programme provides rotational assignments, mentorship from experienced leaders, and exposure to real business challenges. Leaders in training will work on projects that drive business growth, build professional credibility, and strengthen their readiness for leadership roles. Those who successfully complete the programme may be considered for permanent positions with greater responsibility and long‑term career prospects within the CCBA group. “CCBA’s Ascend programme is designed to give emerging leaders the opportunity to learn fast, lead early, and make a meaningful impact,” said Natasa Prodanovic, CCBA Chief People and Culture Officer. She added, “At CCBA, we don’t simply offer them a job - we offer them a platform to grow, take ownership, and shape the future of the largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in Africa. This cohort reflects the talent, diversity and ambition that will define the next chapter of our organisation.”
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    Future business leaders kickstart their careers at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa

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    Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) (www.CCBAGroup.com) has welcomed more than 60 emerging leaders from across its African markets into the Ascend Leaders in...
    International payments platform LemFi allows over 2 million immigrants to easily send money across the globe LemFi uses AI within its robust credit service to enable ‘send now, pay later’ remittance, so people can ensure their families are supported when they need it most New product will help streamline nearly £10 billion worth of payments LemFi (https://LemFi.com), the leading AI-powered international payments platform dedicated to building financial products and services for immigrant communities, today announced the launch of Send Now, Pay Later (SNPL), a credit-powered remittance product that allows its UK customers to use their LemFi credit line to send money home to their families when they need it most. For the millions of immigrants in the UK who send nearly £10 billion back home annually (https://apo-opa.co/4ohJsCl), there is often a timing mismatch between unexpected expenses and local earning cycles. This can force them to delay pivotal transfers home or turn to unregulated, expensive credit solutions. Since traditional remittance providers typically require immediate payment, Send Now, Pay Later aims to address this critical pain point and provide vital service to customers who are new to the country and have a limited UK credit history. Powering SNPL is LemFi’s Ensemble AI model, which combines multiple data sources to inform credit decisions, including national credit bureaus, open banking data, and the company’s own remittance data, to help determine credit limits and repayment structures. This intelligent system also automatically adjusts depending on the individual customer’s journey and available data points, determining the required data points based on the customer’s circumstances and then offering risk-adjusted credit based on the available data. Ridwan Olalere, co-founder and CEO of LemFi, said: “The rise of Buy Now, Pay Later means people across the world can buy products and stagger the payments depending on their cash flow. But this has never been possible before with remittance, despite it being such a core part of the immigrant financial experience. With Send Now, Pay Later, we’re integrating credit directly into the remittance experience, ensuring financial support is never delayed by cash flow timing. It’s also a testament to our commitment to building a full-stack, AI-enabled financial ecosystem that understands and serves the unique challenges faced by global citizens.” How Send Now, Pay Later Works To access SNPL, LemFi customers are onboarded to LemFi Credit, which gives users access to credit lines ranging from £300 to £1,000, depending on their credit profile and assessment, which is enabled by leveraging open banking technology to evaluate eligibility. This makes it accessible even to recent immigrants who often lack extensive UK credit histories and are excluded from traditional finance services. In addition, LemFi’s platform can recognise international credit histories and employs alternative credit assessment methods that look beyond traditional UK financial records. This allows users to start with smaller credit limits and build their UK credit profile over time while accessing essential financial services. This is done through the company’s AI-driven decisioning engine that analyses a wide spectrum of data points, including open banking insights, bureau files, remittance history and patterns within LemFi, as well as international credit footprints. By training models across these diverse datasets, LemFi can predict affordability and repayment likelihood with greater accuracy than traditional scoring approaches while reducing bias that often excludes immigrants from mainstream credit, helping to solve the issue of “credit invisibility” through the application of artificial intelligence. Once onboarded, customers can access their credit limit to send money to any of the 30+ LemFi-supported destination countries. When choosing the SNPL option, LemFi immediately processes the transfer to the recipient while creating a deferred payment obligation for the sender. Bridging the Credit Divide Currently, immigrants face significant and widespread issues when it comes to trying to access credit and banking services more broadly. Approximately five million individuals in the UK are considered “credit invisible”, with immigrants from emerging countries disproportionately affected. Research indicates (https://apo-opa.co/3VT1bUt) that nine in 10 immigrants report that accessing credit has become more difficult in recent years, while 13% of migrants are excluded from banking services compared to just 3% of the general UK population. This exclusion creates a cascade of financial challenges that extend beyond simple access to credit. LemFi's approach to credit assessment specifically addresses these challenges. As well, SNPL will tackle friction points around timing and bank transfers. Its real-time / same-day transfers reduce the time taken by traditional banks by a third and provide a means for its users to support their community despite their cash flow. Global Expansion and Market Opportunities Following the UK launch, LemFi plans to expand the SNPL service to its other markets in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It currently supports over 2 million customers, enabling them to send money to over 30 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Since its founding, LemFi has supported over 2 million customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Europe. In January 2025, LemFi secured $53 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding to over $86M. Investors include Highland Europe, LeftLane Capital, Endeavor Capital, and Y-Combinator.
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    LemFi Launches Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered “Send Now, Pay Later” Service

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    International payments platform LemFi allows over 2 million immigrants to easily send money across the globe  LemFi...
    ‘We are committed to mutual success’ A quiet revolution is brewing in the fight against energy poverty and climate change, and its engine is an unexpected one: a microfinance loan. While major corporations pledge distant net-zero goals, one lender, Jawabu Biashara, is making a tangible impact today. By designing a specialized loan product for Biogas digestors, they are turning communities into active participants in the green economy. Business Insights Africa talked to Mr. Charles Njoroge, Managing Director, Jawabu Biashara, to understand their winning concept. How has Jawabu Biashara evolved from its early days to become a formidable player in the microfinance industry in Kenya? Seven years ago, specifically in Githurai, we stablished our first office that doubled as our head office. From that humble beginnings, today we operate in over 11 counties and we offer a buffet of financial solutions. Jawabu Biashara name defines our business mandate in Kenya, to be a solution to the very many micro-entrepreneurs who operate micro and small enterprises that dot every part of Kenya. We remain guided by our vision, to be a market leader and a partner of choice in the provision of innovative and profitable customer focused financial solutions in Kenya. This is a huge mandate, but one we are equal to the task. Our past, and indeed our future growth is anchored on charting an organization path that walks on innovation and partnerships. As an institution, we have built a team that believes in our bigger picture, if we are to deliver our brand promise of Finance, Empower and transform. This way we have been able to manage the challenges that come our way with confidence. We have also taken our business lessons along the way, and we remain hopeful the future can only be better. What are some of the proudest achievements of Jawabu Biashara over the years? Jawabu Biashara, like many other business corporates has had its good days and challenging days as well. Some of the achievements we have had, and many a times other institutions may have taken it for granted is to survive covid-19. From an institutional point of view this was the most difficult period in the life of Jawabu Biashara, yet when I look back, its the moment when resilience of the organization got tested. While some of our peers have struggled to raise themselves up, we have dusted ourselves, taken our lessons and moved on. Further, we have been able to retain staff, deliver scale, expanded to eleven counties over the period and executed more innovative solutions, giving Jawabu Biashara that inner drive to thrive despite the very many odds we find on our way. As MD, how have you worked to preserve Jawabu Biashara’s legacy while driving modernization? First, I have passion for what I do. I like what I do, and every day is an improvement of yesterday. The moment I listen to a customer say, how grateful he|she is for the funding support he received from Jawabu and shares his|her journey of success due to our intervention, that’s it for me. Further when certain facts confront me like - Over 90% of rural households in Kenya use firewood for cooking, they rely majorly on 3-stone cook stoves because they are cheap to assemble and operate, this resonates well with my past. You ask yourself, what can you do to change this? At the same time, you gather millions of Kenyans, especially women and children are exposed to harmful smoke from traditional cooking methods, then this speaks to you as well. Further, you gather that the long term health effects, which include respiratory illnesses are devastating rural families , with over 20,000 deaths attributed to indoor air pollution each year in Kenya – can something be done? This is where Jawabu Biashara comes in with its clean cooking solutions. We are able to remove households from harmful smoke and respiratory deaths through access to affordable credit for clean cooking. This brings to life why an institution like Jawabu exists. We work for a good bottom line, just like any one else, but we are proud to say we deliver impact, we deliver over 9 of the 17 UN SDGs ( sustainable development goals) and this fits well to our brand promise of Finance , Empower and Transform. Beyond this, its also very clear in the entire microfinance space, that you cannot wish away technology and digitization. The challenge though, is that it’s expensive. Finally, the question that bothers me and every other executive every minute of the day is – What can we do today to remain relevant not only today, but also tomorrow? Sustaining business relevance and understanding how to identify what matters, filtering out distractions, and connecting information or actions to objectives for better problem-solving and decision-making is the new norm in a fast paced industry like the one Jawabu Biashara is in. How do you ensure that the institution’s culture remains client-centric and innovative amid industry disruptions? Peter Drucker, an influential thinker and author on management talks of corporate culture as , "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Every business success or failure many a time is anchored on its corporate culture. Its usually very fragile and needs to be managed with utmost attention. Corporate culture defines a company's identity and indeed shapes the work environment. The secret though is how the institution engages with itself, the level of team engagement and team work and how the institution is aligned to the strategy as it monitors the market dynamism. This is a tough one for any corporate leader, but as slippery as it is, it’s the reason why agile entities thrive. From where I sit, it’s the reason I report to work every morning. What’s going on in the microfinance sector and what makes Jawabu stand out in Kenya’s crowded microfinance space? The Microfinance industry in Kenya is very competitive, innovative and ever evolving. I would imagine its fast paced abit more than many other sectors of the economy. At the same time, its an industry with many players some very strong from a bottom line point of view, foreign owned and many locally owned as well. It’s a very dynamic industry going through a lot of disruptions including regulation coupled with funding constraints. Its an industry that depicts what survival for the fittest is all about. But again, it’s also an industry that thrives through sheer hard work, Innovation, strategy and with a huge dose of trust from staff, customers, funders and regulator. Jawabu Biashara is a proactive lender who upholds innovation and genuinely seeks to deliver impact with its financial solutions. Beyond this we also give back to the community, by supporting their communally owned entities such as schools. What lessons can Jawabu Biashara share with younger entrepreneurs and businesspeople looking to build long-term success? Success is a journey and is not an abracadabra moment. Success does not happen overnight and requires focus and patience. There is huge potential for entrepreneurship in Kenya, but a bigger portion of them face many common business challenges such as limited access to capital, inadequate business management skills, lack of mentorship and also the education system may not be preparing many of them on what is ahead of them. Many of them get to entrepreneurship for lack of an alternative, especially formal work. Mentorship is what is urgently needed as it psychologically prepares someone for the heartaches of business and confers discipline that many new entrepreneurs majorly lack. Only, when this is sorted can we talk of access to capital. Access to capital resonates well with a psychologically prepared entrepreneur. But entrepreneurship needs boldness of action, taking calculated risk and that inner faith that success will happen, what come may. Quoting Vincent Van Gogh “ Fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient to keep them ashore”. Where do you see Jawabu Biashara in the next decade, especially with increasing competition and tech disruption? Our vision defines our longevity in the Kenyan market. Every day, in Jawabu we ask ourselves what are we doing to ensure we become the partner of choice to the customers that we serve and all the other stakeholders we work with. We are privy to the fact that competition will not cease and the earlier we accept it as a way of life, the better we respond to it. Technology disruptions will be the in-thing. Bigger players will come and distort the market to their advantage, but then in our own small way we shall disrupt the market in our own way. We shall ensure we deliver need based financial solutions, we shall anchor our future on business innovation and technology and we shall serve the customer with diligence. Are there plans for regional expansion, new product lines, or digital transformation to future-proof the institution? Absolutely! Scale and digital engagement fits very well to our strategic direction to not only offer branch-less expansion, but occasionally anchor some brick and mortar expansion based on an in-house expansion criteria. What has been the most rewarding aspect of leading Jawabu Biz? The progress Jawabu Biashara has made to date is phenomenal. We offer a buffet of financial solutions that meet our agenda of delivering customers need for social and economic transformation. Our business name, Jawabu in Kiswahili translates to “solution or an answer” and that’s what we strive to offer innovatively in the Kenyan market. Over the years, we have increased our outreach to eleven counties, we work with many farmers especially in SDG#7 – Affordable and clean energy. The clean cooking space, especially the roll out of Biodigestor credit has in many ways brought healthy cooking alternative to our customers, improved on forest cover protection and ensured there is uptake of organic farming via production of Bioslurry. Jawabu also has solutions that address SDG#6 – Clean water and sanitation, whose benefit include water storage, ensuring sustainable use of rain water and ensuring consistent water supply to families. What message do you have for clients, employees, and stakeholders who have been part of Jawabu Biashara’s journey? To all our stakeholders – Please know we value the partnership and you have a solid partner in Jawabu Biashara, At Jawabu Biashara we are committed to mutual success.
    News

    Jawabu Biashara CEO: ‘We are committed to mutual success’

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    A quiet revolution is brewing in the fight against energy poverty and climate change, and its engine is an unexpected one: a...
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    KHF STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT OUTBREAK OF CORONAVIRUS 2019-NCOV ACUTE RESPIRATORY...

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    Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF), a Private Sector a membership-based organization that serves as the Health Sector Board of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA)...
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    Nairobi to host 7th International Industrial Expo

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    The event which is in its seventh edition promises to propel Kenya's manufacturing sector to new heights, drawing industry leaders, government officials,...
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    Focus of the new venture – on site development of digital business models Call for Applications from founders and start-ups with an Africa focus...
    Dr. James Mwangi, Equity Group Holdings Managing Director and CEO with Lord Jonathan Marland, Chair of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (right) and Lord Hugo Swire, Deputy Chair of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (left). Dr. Mwangi was conferred the Freedom of the City of London, a prestigious honor recognizing his exceptional work in promoting inclusivity and creating equitable communities. The award dates back to the 12th century and has been conferred upon only a select couple of hundred individuals like Nelson Mandela, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Benjamin Franklin, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Lee Kuan Yew and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
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    DR. JAMES MWANGI RECEIVES HONOUR OF THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY...

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    Dr James Mwangi has been conferred the Freedom of the City of London, one of the world’s oldest and most respected civic honours.
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