Today’s Google Kenya event (#gkenya) is focused on getting small and medium businesses without means online. These are the drivers of the economy as they bear the brunch of the businesses contributing revenue to the government and also employing numerous Kenyans, around 5 million of them. Google is partnering with Safaricom, Equity Bank and Kenic to make the shift to online a smooth one.
Thus the formation of Getting Kenyan Businesses Online (GKBO) and the website KBO. Google notes that only 10% of Kenyan businesses are online. KBO’s initiative is making the transition cheap and quick to make the businesses online, ensuring minimal to zero costs in making the move.
GKBO is an online tool that will enable these business-people get their businesses online hassle free.
Here’s what you get:
- Free .kbo.co.ke. web address e.g. www.mamamboga.kbo.co.ke
- Free easy to update and customizable website
- Free online marketing through business listings on www.kbo.co.ke
- Free ongoing tips and education
More about how it works on the video:
One of the big Kenyan Banks, Equity Bank is in advanced stages of negotiations with Paypal to integrate their systems to the Kenyan market and enable the long awaited payments processing via Paypal. Currently its not possible to withdraw money received from a Paypal account direct to a Kenyan bank account.
I wonder what the word is about google checkout!
