The Creative Storm☕ - Issue #16

The Creative Storm☕ - Issue #16

Good day, valued subscribers

Here's a quick overview of our upcoming newsletter issue and a note about a short hiatus:

This issue covers major stories like Google's Flipkart investment, Spotify's Car Thing refund controversy, procurement contract awards in Namibia, and the lifting of the poultry import ban.

Publishing Update: Due to our team's exam commitments, we'll be taking a break until June 10th. During this time, our regular publication schedule will be paused to allow our team to focus on their academic responsibilities.

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to bringing you more insightful content when we return refreshed after the hiatus.

BUSINESS

Old Mutual to Invest N$ 800 000 to Support Grassroots Entrepreneurs in the Northern Regions

The Old Mutual Foundation is dishing out N$800,000 to give small business owners in the northern regions a shot in the arm.

Through their "OM SEED" program (which stands for the unfortunately jargon-y Old Mutual Sustainable, Economic, and Empowerment Drive), they'll be supporting entrepreneurs in Ohangwena, Zambezi, Oshikoto, and Kavango West.

Here's the breakdown:

• N$400,000 for operational costs to run the whole shebang

• N$400,000 in cold hard cash prizes for the top 3 winners in each region

After successful runs in Erongo, Kavango East and Hardap over the past two years, OM SEED is taking its roadshow to the northern provinces. The goal? Promote entrepreneurship, create local jobs/opportunities, and help achieve those always-trendy UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Old Mutual is teaming up with partners like the Financial Literacy Initiative, the UN Development Programme, and startup incubator Basecamp to "sow the seeds of opportunity," as the PR folks put it.

Application forms will be available at local Old Mutual branches and online. The top 10 applicants per town will get an in-person visit from the judges later this year to assess their businesses.

If you're an aspiring entrepreneur in Tsumeb, Nkurenkuru, Eenhana or Katima Mulilo, now's your chance to get a piece of that N$800k pie. The first place prize is a cool N$50,000.

With this cash injection, Old Mutual hopes to give these small biz owners a boost to create more jobs, grow the local economy, and make the 830,000+ residents of northern Namibia proud.

Source: The Brief

NamPower's Huge Biomass Bet to Spark Jobs Boom

Namibia's state power utility NamPower is doubling down on renewable energy with a massive N$2.3 billion biomass power project that's set to create thousands of new jobs.

The Otjikoto Biomass Power Plant, which will start construction next month in the northern regions, is expected to generate over 2,500 direct and indirect jobs according to NamPower's project manager Tangeni Tshivute.

The breakdown:

• 1,000 direct jobs in harvesting encroacher bush for biomass fuel

• 1,500 indirect jobs from the economic ripple effects

• 300 construction jobs, potentially up to 1,000 with suppliers factored in

So where's all this money coming from? NamPower secured a €100 million loan from the French Development Agency and a €25 million grant from something called the Mitigation Action Facility. The Namibian government is also chipping in N$400 million.

The power plant's two 20MW boilers are expected to generate 210-300 GWh of renewable electricity per year using wood chips sourced from the surrounding areas. NamPower has already locked in long-term fuel supply contracts worth a combined N$188 million annually with nine local companies.

Beyond just generating clean power, NamPower says the N$2.64 billion project will pack an economic punch worth N$16.1 billion over its lifetime through job creation, new income streams for farmers/communities, and other benefits.

It's all part of Namibia's national strategy to combat rampant bush encroachment that's affecting over 26 million hectares of farmland. NamPower's managing director Kahenge Haulofu calls it a "lasting impact" that will create new income opportunities in hard-hit rural areas.

The French are touting it as a model for sustainable development, with the French Global Environment Fund kicking in another €3 million for environmental research and community programs.

If all goes to plan, NamPower expects the biomass plant to be up and running by early 2027 after a 30-month construction period led by Chinese contractor Dongfang Electric.

Source: The Brief

Procurement Board Awards Local Companies N$7.1 billion in Contracts

The Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) says it handed out a total of N$8.1 billion in tenders across 32 procurement projects between April 2023 and now to local companies.

That's a 71% increase in the number of awarded projects compared to the previous financial year when only N$2.3 billion in contracts were dished out.

The big difference? The CPBN opted for a "lot allocation system" to spread the wealth, resulting in 92 individual contracts being awarded instead of just bundling things into a few massive deals.

Some key numbers from this spending spree:

• 20 big open bid contracts worth N$7.2 billion (up 69% year-over-year)

• 2 restricted bid contracts worth N$15 million (down 48%)

• 8 direct procurement deals totaling N$904 million (up 90%)

With all those contracts flying around, the CPBN is facing some headaches over delayed payments to consultant teams brought in to monitor projects.

The board says some teams haven't been paid, leading to shoddy oversight and potential issues with poor workmanship being approved based on emailed pics and WhatsApp messages rather than in-person inspections.

CPBN pointed the finger at the Ministries of Education, Works & Transport, and SOEs like the NTA for not streamlining their invoice processes and paying up on time.

The board is exploring options like appointing consultant teams directly or giving the Works Ministry an official role in overseeing contracts to cut down on the red tape and payment delays.

Source: The Brief

Namibian Chicken Farmers Aren't Ruffled by SA Import Ban Lift

Namibia's poultry producers aren't getting their feathers ruffled over the government's surprise decision to start allowing chicken imports from South Africa again.

The Poultry Producers' Association (PPA) says its members are still full steam ahead with plans to export their eggs and chicken meat to lucrative markets in South Africa, Europe and beyond.

PPA chairman Rene Werner told The Brew the lifting of the SA import ban won't derail their export ambitions one bit.

"We're going to sell the chicken breasts and make good profits exporting to Europe and America, while the rest becomes a cheap product for our local market," he said.

The only thing holding them back? Red tape. Namibian poultry farmers are still waiting on the proper permits and documentation to legally export their products internationally while complying with all regulations.

Werner expects it could take up to a year to get all the i's dotted and t's crossed thanks to Namibia historically having no real standards or controls over its poultry industry.

As for that newly-reopened SA import pipeline, the PPA chairman reckons it may just be a temporary allowance. With winter coming, he suspects the higher disease risk could see the ban reimposed before too long.

"The ban will likely just return the way it's been the last 5 years, with diseases spreading again in SA during winter," Werner said. "Hopefully not, but that's how it goes."

The export push comes as Namibian chicken farmers look to go beyond just feeding the domestic market of around 2,500 tonnes per month and capitalize on higher prices abroad.

The Agriculture Ministry has been helping get establishments registered and developing protocols to meet international requirements. The Meat Board has already greenlighted poultry exports, with farmers required to pay levies.

Whether selling wings to Europe or competing with discounted SA imports at home, one thing's clear: These Namibian poultry producers are in it for the long haul.

Source: The Brief

TECH

Google Bets N$5.5bn on Flipkart's E-Commerce Dominance

Silicon Valley's search giant Google is doubling down on the lucrative Indian e-commerce market, leading a $350 million (around N$5.5 billion) investment in homegrown startup Flipkart.

For those unfamiliar, Flipkart is the biggest e-comm player in India, commanding a chunky 48% market share according to analysts at Bernstein. The Walmart-owned company peddles everything from electronics to fashion to hundreds of millions of customers, primarily in smaller cities and towns.

This major cash injection values Flipkart at a whopping $36 billion. It's part of a near $1 billion funding round that the Indian unicorn kicked off last year, with Walmart injecting $600 million to lead the raise. Microsoft is also an existing Flipkart investor.

Aside from the cash, Google will provide its cloud services to Flipkart as part of the deal. It's a strategic move for the tech giant as it doubles down on the high-growth Indian market where it reaches over 500 million users.

But Flipkart has some formidable competition to fend off, including:

• Amazon's Indian outpost

• Reliance Retail - the $100 billion retail juggernaut owned by Asia's richest person Mukesh Ambani

• SoftBank's social e-comm startup Meesho

• A slew of "quick commerce" apps delivering essentials at light speed

The potential prize is a share of India's booming $133 billion e-commerce market, projected to hit that valuation by 2024 according to Bernstein.

While Amazon and Flipkart currently dominate horizontal e-comm categories like electronics and appliances, Bernstein analysts see the market fragmenting into specialized "category winners" like Blinkit for quick delivery, Meesho for smaller cities, and Nykaa for vertical fashion plays.

Google has been aggressively expanding its Indian presence in recent years through major investments, including $4.5 billion into telecom giant Jio Platforms and $1 billion into Airtel as part of its $10 billion India Digitization Fund launched in 2020.

Bottomline: This Flipkart deal allows Google to double down on its stake in India's digital economy by backing the clear e-commerce market leader as the online shopping battle intensifies.

Source: TechCrunch

Spotify's Car Thing Hits the Brakes, Users Demand Refunds

Spotify is hitting eject on its Car Thing gadget, leaving owners of the discontinued device feeling played.

The music streaming giant sent emails to Car Thing buyers this week informing them the $90 in-car audio players will permanently stop working after December 9th of this year.

This final shutdown comes just over a year after Spotify pulled the plug on manufacturing new Car Thing units back in July 2022, citing low demand and supply chain woes. At the time, the company had assured existing owners it would continue supporting the devices.

Needless to say, users aren't too thrilled about that reversal now that their pricey purchases are being bricked. The Car Thing's niche but loyal fan base has taken to social media demanding refunds:

"Hey @Spotify I'd love my money back for my perfectly functional Car Thing that will cease to work at the end of this year thanks"

For the uninitiated, Car Thing was Spotify's hardware play aimed at older vehicles without modern infotainment systems. It streamed music from your phone to your car's audio system.

Spotify claims the short-lived product was merely an "exploration" to learn more about in-car listening habits. But the abrupt three-year lifespan has some feeling like they got taken for a ride.

In its defense, Spotify says it's "streamlining product offerings" to focus on developing new features and enhancements rather than hardware. The company insists there are no plans for a Car Thing replacement or sequel.

Instead, Car Thing owners are being instructed to factory reset their devices and "safely dispose" of them after the shutdown date, following e-waste guidelines.

Bottomline: While it lasted barely a year on the market, Car Thing's premature demise could put Spotify's future hardware ambitions in park as the company prioritizes its core streaming service.

Source: TechCrunch

Canva Takes Aim at the Office Suite Gang

The design unicorn that revolutionized graphic design for the masses now has its sights set on a new target - dethroning traditional office suites like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

In a major platform update, Canva is unleashing a redesigned interface, new editing tools, and an enterprise-grade offering to woo professional teams and large organizations.

The key updates:

• Revamped homepage and editing experience to surface Canva's tools more easily (rolled out to 1 million users yesterday, everyone else in August)

• AI style matching to keep designs on-brand

• "Starring" feature to quickly access frequently used designs/templates

• Tracked "Suggestions" mode in Canva Docs for collaborative editing

• Expanded video editing tools like automated clip highlighting

But Canva has even bigger ambitions. The new Canva Enterprise package aims to replace the fragmented mix of design, AI, and workflow tools that businesses currently juggle.

The startup's co-founders say the goal is to create an all-in-one creative platform offering everything from graphic design to video editing to cloud document collaboration - a direct shotgun blast at Adobe's Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace and more.

It's an aggressive play from the $26 billion design titan. By rolling advanced design capabilities, AI content creation, and traditional office software into one seamless ecosystem, Canva is betting it can convince companies to ditch their piecemeal approach.

Of course, displacing deeply entrenched players like Microsoft and Adobe is no easy feat. But if anyone can pull off a design revolution in the workplace, the company that turned graphic design on its head seems up for the challenge.

Source: The Verge

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Here are three simple productivity tips from James Clear:

1. Work on the Right Things: Productivity is less about working fast and more about working on the right tasks. Even slow progress on the right task is better than fast progress on the wrong one. (https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/february-3-2022)

2. Start or Finish, but Don't Just Plan: Some activities provide value by starting them, like a brief workout, while others need to be completed to realize their value, like finishing a project. Assess whether your task requires initiation or completion for maximum benefit. (https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/november-3-2022)

3. Reduce Friction: Your productivity is influenced by the balance of productive and unproductive forces. Often, instead of adding more effort, removing obstacles (like speed bumps) can significantly increase your productivity. (https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/november-3-2022)

James Clear's book "Atomic Habits" is highly recommended for those looking to build better habits and improve their productivity. It provides a comprehensive guide on how small changes can lead to remarkable results in personal and professional life. (https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/february-3-2022)