NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 24 – Handset maker Nokia is set to roll out its first mobile application that was produced by Kenyans in the local market.
Nokia’s Research and Development Economist Moses Sitati says the application comes after months of research and pilot projects.
“This is a first for the Nokia Research Centre (NRC). We’ve had smaller ones which we have not rolled out. We could engage in a research activity that leads to a dead end, but on the other hand, other research could have positive results,” Sitati said.
Sitati added that through the Nokia Research Centre, they are also working on other solutions that will be able to tap into the SME sector.
“Micro business is another area that we are looking into. We have around 99 percent of all new jobs in Africa coming out of small businesses. It’s the informal sector which is not taxed. There is a large opportunity there. Many people use their mobile phones in their businesses, so that’s a large potential for expanding into,” he added.
East Africa is becoming the centre of entrepreneurial growth with consumers pioneering the use of mobile payment systems like M-PESA, Zap, yuCash, MTN Money and Orange Money, which together have an estimated 12 million subscribers.
To support the efforts of developers across Africa, Nokia plans to host boot camps, and networking and training events across the region.
