African Domain Names: Kenya

Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

103 Government of Kenya Websites Hacked Overnight by Indonesian Novice

Sunday, October 16, 2011

When are Kenyan Internet Entrepreneurs Coming of Age?

At face value, Kenya is doing quite well in the the internet sphere; lots of bandwidth, more choices in terms of broadband service providers, deeper penetration and an online population that now numbers 10 million by CCK estimates. Kenyan population is increasingly using the internet to facilitate the daily tasks of life. The online population mostly goes online to look for jobs, read newspapers and a few popular blogs, network on Facebook on Twitter and watch videos and other less savoury content.

Earlier in the millennium, a typical user could only spend a few minutes or at most two hours at the steep costs of access. Today, cheaper internet means means people can afford to spend more time online looking for information and products. But are Kenyans shopping online or they are just browsing looking for information ad infinitum? For the internet to create value in the country, the statistics must generate value. 10 million people online creates great value and an economic sense only when their presence leads to a vibrant online marketplace. They must be empowered to find relevant goods and services and also make purchases online and not just information.

Don't Just Offer Information, Offer good and Services
A typical user should be able to order their monthly shopping from the comfort of their house, pay bills via the internet, buy shoes over the web from an online catalogue and have them delivered in hours, buy phones online, order lunch online and have it delivered to an office on time, browse and buy offers on hotel booking, spa treatment, weekend getaways, hair treatment, salons and so on.

To do this, trust in the online space is important. Many Kenyans I meet do not trust using their credit cards on e-commerce websites beyond the few trusted websites like amazon, airline booking, hotel booking etc.Internet banking is rapidly catching up in Kenya but the costs must be checked to make it affordable for consumers. That's the basis for consumer internet.

I think internet entrepreneurs in Kenya should start launching real all rounded businesses where the website is just part of the larger business process. If you are going to build an online store, then invest in a store or warehouse, a motorcycle for delivery, a secure e-commerce platform, an advertising budget and then go all out on marketing. invest for the long term and not the short term.

What we currently have in Kenya are "content entrepreneurs". People are launching websites that offer content for free to users and then relying entirely on the mercy of Google Adsense for revenue. This is the simplest and least profitable model. It does not make you rich unless you are corporation that can churn out 30,000 unique articles every year. I don't even see many Kenyan internet investors involved in lead generation, a very profitable business in advanced internet economies like the United States. Kenyan Domain Registrars and ISPs should particularly exploit this niche. Kenyan companies, especially in insurance and banking sector should exploit lead generation and also develop affiliate programs tailored for the local market. Other opportunities include dropshipping.

Entrepreneurs must now reap from the infrastructure. I love what South Africans are doing online with their profitable e-commerce ventures including the popular Group Buying websites and deals websites. Sites like City Slicker, Daddy's Deals offer limited time deals on relevant products and services that consumers really need like offers on Spa treatment, massage, manicure, pedicure, jacuzzi/sauna time, weekend getaways, weekend flight offers etc.

It's not for the Kenyan consumer to change their shopping/purchasing habits; the onus is on the entrepreneur to offer relevant, compelling and trusted products and platform that consumers will find convenient and affordable. So the work is cut out for you the internet entrepreneurs of Kenya; offer value and relevance and the money will follow. As they say in this business, build and they will come.

If you own an e-commerce website, please post a link below and let us know what you offer the Kenyan market:

Email Us africadomainnames@gmail.com

Thursday, October 6, 2011

YouTube.CO.KE: YouTube Launches in Kenya

This is cool. Just a month after launching KBO.CO.KE, Google has now launched YouTube.co.ke. for Kenyan users. Kenyans are increasingly using YouTube to watch music videos, local political commentaries, news clips and thousands of content uploaded by Kenyans.

Users who visit the Youtube.co.ke Kenyan domain will immediately see the most popular videos in Kenya and local content that matches their interests.

Kenyans have long been good bloggers but the advent of mobile and increased broadband access has also facilitated the creation and rapid growth of video content. Kenyans now stream every facet of their life's experiences on Youtube, from football matches to accidents to brawls. YouTube has provided this new emerging tech hub a great channel for expression.

In fact according to Alexa, Youtube is the fifth most trafficked website by Kenya's 10 million internet users after Facebook, Google.com Google.co.ke and Yahoo.

The launch of YouTube.co.ke is therefore a big step forward for Google in meeting the pre-existing demand for video content in the Kenyan online marketplace. It's also a boost for local content in Kenya and for Kenya's .KE namespace. In June this year, Google signed a strategic partnership with KENIC to grow the number of .KE domain names being registered and help make the internet an integral part of the daily life for Kenyans. KBO.CO.KE and youtube.co.ke shows the huge steps Google is willing to take in its strategic vision of getting more Africans online and organizing information so that's it's most relevant to Africans. Google's strategic vision for Africa involves:

Reducing access as a barrier to all potential users
Making the Internet relevant and useful to Africans
Helping strengthen an Internet ecosystem in Africa that is vibrant, and sustainable and self-sufficient in the long-term

The launch of Youtube.co.ke and KBO.co.ke also comes after the launch of other programs like Google Baraza, an online space where Africans can ask questions and post answers to others; Google SMS Services to tap into the hundreds of millions of Africa who are on mobile; the launch of Umbono, a tech incubator in South Africa plus many more.

From Google blog:

We are very excited to announce the launch of http://www.youtube.co.ke, a Kenyan version of YouTube. The goal is to give Kenyans an easy way to discover local content and content producers. This means that when users visit the Kenyan domain, they will immediately see the most popular videos in Kenya and local content that matches their interests.

Alongside this launch, we have partnered with local broadcasters and producers to bring content ranging from KBC and NTV news segments to HomeBoyz produced Tinga Tinga Tales to a global audience. To find out more about partnering with YouTube, take a look at our partner resources.

If your internet is slow, try out YouTube Feather. This beta offering helps to ensure that those with low-speed Internet connections can play videos faster. We also have a Swahili version of YouTube that is easily accessible by scrolling to the bottom of the YouTube homepage, clicking “language” and choosing Kiswahili.

We’re very much looking forward to working with Kenyan users and partners to enrich the diversity of the YouTube community and bring more Kenyan content to the web.

Here is a mashup video that celebrates some of the current Kenyan content on YouTube:

Email Us africadomainnames@gmail.com