Microsoft names managing director for its new Africa Development Centre site in Kenya. Jack Ngare will head Microsoft’s Africa Windows engineering team based in Nairobi, Kenya.
In May Microsoft announced a new milestone on the African continent. Launching a hundred million dollar investment which Microsoft believes will be at the forefront of building innovative solutions. The Africa Development Centre Microsoft also shared will serve as a centre of engineering for the world class African talent.
To lead these world class talents create solutions for local and global impact is Jack Ngare. Jack recently served as the managing director of Equitel, Finserve Africa Limited of Equity Group Holdings Limited. He has held various positions with experiences in emerging technology, management, financial services and telecommunications.
Four years ago, on the 29th of July 2015, Microsoft globally launched Windows 10. The latest version of its operating system(OS) for users of Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and Window 8 Mobile. Introducing a much more user friendly OS with innovations, features and security capabilities. Satya Nadella who had been named new Microsoft CEO in February 2014 opted for an unusual mode of announcement. Deciding to join in the Windows 10 launch fans celebrations in Kenya.
Satya citied Microsoft’s core mission as well as wanting to go meet Microsoft’s global user base as reason for the decision. Read the full interview here.
Watch Satya Nadella talk about why he was in Kenya
Satya Helps students upgrade PCs to Windows 10
Windows 10 Launch Party
Satya Nadella Joins Window 10 fans celebrations in Nairobi
“Growing up as a woman in Kenya, there was a lack of female role models within STEM for me to engage with and learn from” says Wanjira Kamwere, program lead of WISE4Afrika. An initiative by Microsoft to inspire women to take up careers in technology. Microsoft through its 4Afrika engine is partnering with Strathmore University, Kenya to extend the WISE Mentoring Program into Africa.
WISE4Afrika, Wanjira Kamwere says is a manifestation of Mentors across Borders. An initiative pioneered by women tech leaders at the Microsoft India Development Centre and Microsoft Kenya.
WISE Mentoring Program
Women in Software Engineering (WISE), is an idea by women engineers working at Microsoft India. These software engineers wanted to help women engineering students shape out successful careers in technology. After a successful program in India, Microsoft decided to scale the program up by taking it global. As empowering women in technology is a global issue.
Microsoft shares that 30 female students are receiving coaching from fellow female engineers and executives. Over nine months the students will recieve in-person and virtual training and coaching. Taking them through trainings on how to leverage AI and Machine Learning to build solutions. As well as learn to contribute to open source projects, participate in hackathons and submit proposals for papers and posters at conferences.
Wanjira Kamwere says that WISE4Afrika is currently running in only Strathmore University. However Microsoft hopes to follow an approach of starting small, learning, improving and then scaling the program to other African countries.
WISE Mentoring Program is one of the several initiatives by Microsoft in the region to encourage diversity and inclusion. Some others include the LEAP Hackathon program and Codess Kenya. “We are collectively supporting a culture where more women are attracted to careers in technology” she says.
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Microsoft’s Middle East and Africa(MEA) Multi-Country Cluster(MCC) was declared Top subsidiary Award winner for Small and Multi Countries Subsidiary Category for FY19. Announced at Microsoft Inspire and Microsoft Ready 2019 partner conference in Las Vegas.
Formed a year ago, the MEA MCC includes countries in Africa(minus South Africa and Egypt), Indian Ocean Islands, Levant and Pakistan. I remember when Ibrahim Youssry Microsoft General Manager MEA MCC visited Ghana to talk to Partners. The forum was to introduce the MCC and share Microsoft’s one core vision with partners.
Ibrahim Youssry joined top Microsoft executives including CEO Satya Nadella on stage for the recognition. Watch this in the video below.
In Rwanda Microsoft is supporting African Renewable Energy Distributor (ARED), a technology for social good company. That provides a one stop shop – mobile digital kiosk – platform offering digital services and connectivity to customers in Rwanda. ARED CEO, Henri Nyakarundi says “our solar kiosk platform revolutionizes the way distribution network is built”.
ARED recruits and trains women and people with disability to operate these kiosks to generate revenue by earning commissions. These vendors offer services like selling wifi, airtime, electricity prepaid, government services like Irembo and Rwanda Revenue Tax, etc.. The company understands that when low income people start business they don’t have the capital to do business. So they offer the vendors credit to sell these services and payback.
ARED has about 200 solar mobile digital kiosk and plans to have about 300 mobile digital kiosk around Rwanda soon.