CNN International recently met the innovators leading the charge in Africa’s renewable energy revolution.

Renewable energy sources are increasingly being explored as a solution to power the continent. Erick Donasian Massawe, M-Kopa’s Director of Sales and Customer Retention, discusses the potential for Africa to become a key player in green energy, “The potential for Africa to become a leader in the energy trade is huge. Sub Saharan Africa alone represents more than 600 million people who don’t have access to energy, basic electricity, so if you think about that in terms of the market size it’s really big.”

Nairobi-based M-Kopa launched in 2010 with a vision to ensure everyone has access to high-powered energy, and they started by rolling out pay-as-you-go solar power across Kenya. Massawe speaks about the company, “Our mission is to finance progress, and really financing progress of our customers. And that is perhaps one of the most exciting parts about M-Kopa, because it is actually touching development aspects of every individual person here. So, as we offer them solar products, we are powering their lives, we are giving them access to power.”

Kenya is at the heart of the renewable energy revolution, as sustainable natural resources are increasingly being used to fuel business, industry, and the country’s entrepreneurial spirit. Chalker Kansteiner, founder and CEO of GridX Africa explains why Kenya is ideal for renewable energy companies, “I think Nairobi is emerging as a bit of a hub for the entire continent when it comes to tech start-ups and clean energy. So, in that way we’re surrounded by really amazing sort of peers in the space, and there’s a huge amount of demand for our business here. It’s a great jumping point to reach the rest of the continent. I think the opportunity to grow here is better than anywhere else.”

GridX Africa Project Manager George Mosomi talks about how solar power is changing lives across the country, “We have communities now being able to feed themselves through solar-powered irrigation. Communities able to power themselves through microgrids, the communities able to have a longer day through more security through solar-powered lights.”

The programme joins Mosomi as he conducts a site visit with Bernard Njoroge, one of Kenya’s most successful entrepreneurs and the Managing Director of the telecommunications company Adrian Kenya. Njoroge describes why he endeavours to use renewable energy, “The biggest thing in African companies, in manufacturing, is the source of the power. I must be able to use sustainable energy because it’s natural.”

Njoroge believes that entrepreneurs across Africa can use sustainable methods to empower and inspire others, “The most important thing is that, I believe, problems all over Africa will be solved by Africans.”

Inside Africa also looks at how hydroelectric energy is being used to power communities in Kenya. In Muranga County, John Magiro, founder of Magiro power, uses the flow of the river to harness kinetic energy and transforms it into electric energy utilising an innovative small-scale hydropower plant he designed and built himself. He discusses the impact on the local community, “Right now, I have connected about 608 households and it is around 2,500 people that are using Magiro Power.”

Growing up in Muranga County, Magiro says access to power was expensive and unstable. This inspired him to come up with this alternative supply of energy for his community, “I think on my side I can propose mainly focusing off renewable and green energy in Africa. Because even if you have energy and it is not renewable, I think you are not going somewhere. But if you have the clean and renewable and affordable energy, the continent of Africa will be impressed.”

Renewable energy is powering up and empowering communities across Africa. Mosomi sums up the continent’s innovative role, “I see this as a big opportunity for the rest of the world to learn from what’s happening in Africa.”

The country is back on lockdown, and while this is not new, it was somehow unexpected. Once again, people are stuck at home thanks to the seemingly perpetual grip coronavirus has across the globe. Luckily, over the past year, we have learned that evolving and bettering ourselves in times of adversity is the way to go. That said, staying at home doesn’t necessarily need to be a relegation of immobility and inaction – with your smartphone, you can remain productive, entertained, and happy during lockdown and self-quarantine.

The importance of staying connected with your loved ones, friends, peers, support groups, communities, positive developments is paramount, especially during these uncertain times. Since, for the better part of a decade, Digital Transformation has caused various disruptions across all sectors of the economy, being in quarantine offers an opportunity for everyone to do more with their smartphone.

Technology has made everything possible. It has expanded retail banking, brought to life machine learning, artificial intelligence, and enabled smart automation among other massively transformative technologies. This means that with devices such as a smartphone, you can easily adapt to the maelstrom of COVID-19 disruption during lockdowns and self-isolations. You can stream videos and play music on your mobile device, you can listen to podcasts, call friends, play games, shoot DIY videos, shop online, and so much more!

While this is entirely possible, you, however, need a powerful device. An all-around powerful device that makes your life during self-isolation seamless. One of the features to consider is battery life. The last thing you need is a device with a battery life that runs low when you are watching your favorite movie or talking with your friends. Thankfully, smartphone manufacturers have made significant innovations to bring you phones that make life more convenient. realme is one such manufacturer.

realme has a wide range of new smartphones with impressive battery life. Imagine the ton of activities you can achieve with a mammoth 6000mAh battery! No matter what happens during the day, your phone won’t run out of juice. That means you won’t have to think about the battery at all, and that is liberating. Your entire focus will be the work at hand, as it should be for maximum productivity.

Aside from boosting productivity, a longer battery life allows you to frequently collaborate via video chat with colleagues and friends in the industry as you work from home. This way, you can bounce ideas off coworkers easily, and discuss hot topics of the day to get other perspectives. And when the phone finally runs out of juice, with realme’s fast charging feature, you can have a full charge in less than an hour!

Coupled with huge 6.5-inch screens, higher refresh rates, powerful processors, and AI cameras, realme has ensured that you have everything you need to make every aspect of your life at home interesting. You can stream content in Ultra-HD, capture moments in detail, listen to good music with unmatched clarity, and run several apps without lagging your device.

The necessity of leading a happy life during self-isolation cannot be emphasized enough, as we all need motivation and support to power through. And whether you need to spruce up your health, bring out your inner gamer, level up your learning, or amp up productivity, smartphones like realme will help you hit those goals conveniently. They are more than just power and large screens – they are your much-needed companions as social distancing and self-quarantine remain a priority.

Visit the realme website  https://www.realme.com/mea-en/ for more great features or follow @realmkenya on Instagram and @realme on facebook

About realme

realme is a technology brand officially established on May 4, 2018, by Sky Li. realme aspires to provide products with a comprehensive superior experience for the young, and realme is committed to being a trendsetting technology brand. It brings consumers products with trendsetting technologies, features and trendsetting experiences that are first applied in the price segment. realme’s global users have reached 50 million and its sales volume of AIoT audio products broke the record of 1 million in 2020. According to the statistics of Counterpoint global smartphone shipments in Q1 of 2020, the emerging smartphone brand realme still ranks 7th with a year-over-year growth rate of 157% which ranks the first in the world as well. As the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brand, realme stands firmly among the mainstream smartphone brands

After making its debut in the Kenyan smartphone market in 2020 with a record release of more than six gadgets in the market, realme now has eyes focused on bigger goals with a target to increase their sales by at least 30 percent in 2021.

This year, the smartphone brand will focus on continuously enriching its products and provide suitable young and trend-setting products to users in Kenya. It shall capitalize on the synchronization of our brand, terminal, and sales in order to achieve the said target

According to realme, the smartphone maker has plans for more releases this year that will be tailored towards the needs of Kenyan millennials in line with the current technological trends to give them both value for money and comfortability.

In four months, in 2020, realme released the realme C3, realme C11, realme C15, realme C12, realme 6, and realme 7i, realme band realme Buds Q, and realme Buds Air Neo, that leaned more on design, quality, fashion, trendsetting and appealing to Kenya’s younger generation.

“We have always provided products that are suitable for our target customers. Our strategy has always been to listen to our customers and deliver as per their needs and for 2021, we will not disappoint,” said Marketing lead at realme.

Having become the first brand in the world to hit 50 million units shipped during the third quarter of 2020, the smartphone maker says he has eyes fixed on wowing the market for 2021. Realme made inroads in Kenya and immediately gained popularity as a result of their pocket-friendly phones that sat well with the majority of Kenyans whose sources of income had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What should Kenyans expect? More smartphone products from realme will focus more on the promotion of cost-effective products such as the C Series.

Visit the realme website  https://www.realme.com/mea-en/ for more great features or follow @realmkenya on Instagram and @realme on facebook

Tuesday, January 12th 2021…The fastest world growing smartphone manufacturer realme has promised to sustain its growth in the Kenyan market with new product releases for this year as it targets to strengthen its roots in Kenya’s smartphone market share.

The company says as the year 2021 kicks off, it has placed in the pipeline smartphones tailored towards the needs of Kenyan millennials that will not only give them value for their money but give them a breakthrough hack in terms of technology.

In 2020, the smartphone maker took over the Kenyan market by storm by introducing new phones and other AIoT products in a span of four months including realme C3, realme C11, realme C15, realme C12, realme 6, and realme 7i, realme band realme Buds Q, and realme Buds Air Neo.

The phones introduced by realme in the Kenyan market during the year that just melted away became a hit for most Kenyan consumers given their affordability for their advanced features including mega batteries with some featuring a capacity as high as 6000mAh that charges faster and takes longer to discharge.

In terms of performance and sales the realme 6 from the number series was picked quite well in the market while the C3 bagged the coveted single-day sales champion award on Jumia during a flash sale campaign.

As 2020 was snailing on, realme, despite the economic challenges that the majority of Kenyans were facing, carried out campaigns like Black Friday and Christmas by offering amazing discounts on most of their phones including realme 7i, realme C15, and realme 6.

In 2020, the brand became the world’s fastest brand to hit 50 million shipments since its inception. Notably, 50 million units were shipped during the third quarter of 2020 with Kenya forming part of the destination.

In a bid to continue connecting with customers, realme has also extended its festive season offer to January which will see very purchase of the realme 7i come with free realme Buds Q while the realme 6 will come with a free realme band and the realme C15 will come with a customized pillow all available on all online and offline shops.

What are you looking for in a phone this New Year? Visit the realme website https://www.realme.com/mea-en/ for more great features or follow @realmkenya on Instagram and @realme on facebook.

On Nov. 11, individuals over most of the world can capture the planet, Mercury, passing over the sun. This uncommon occasion won’t be seen from Soil once more until 2032.

The littlest planet within the sun oriented framework is additionally the closest to our star, and sometimes it crosses before the sun’s shinning disk from our viewpoint here on Earth. Previously, this happened last in 2016, but after this up and coming travel, we’ll need to hold up another 13 long years to see another one.

Mercury will start its travel over the sun on Nov. 11 at 7:35 a.m. EST (1230 GMT), and the complete trip will generally take five and a half hours, finishing at 1:04 p.m. EST (1830 GMT), concurring to NASA.

The planet will see as a modest, travelling imperfection on the sun’s confront as Soil passes through Mercury’s little shadow. The transiting world will be so tiny that skywatchers will require extraordinary adaptive — telescopes or binoculars prepared with defensive sun oriented channels — to see it.

You can witness this entire phenomenon via the Space.com website where it will be lively webcast. Save the date, Nov. 11, 2019.