HiPipo Money

———————————-

40 lucky Ugandans will get the chance to experience the true Brazilian treat, epitomized by its Samba culture.

The 40 are the lucky winners of an all-expense paid trip to Brazil courtesy of Uganda Breweries Limited’s (UBL) ongoing Sip Sip Samba promotion.

To win, consumers have to buy a bottle of any of the four brands; Tusker Lager, Guinness, Tusker Malt and Bell Lager, check under the crown for a five-digit code then send an SMS with the code to 6050 for the chance to enter a weekly draw. The more codes one sends, the higher their chances of winning.

So far, over 30 Ugandans who include house wives, businessmen, distributors and stockists have won air tickets to Brazil and many others have won cash and other prizes in the promotion.

According to Mark Mugisha, UBL’s Marketing Manager, the winners of the trip fly out on July 7 2014, arriving in the Brazilian city of São Pauloon July 9, 2014. The city is Brazil’s largest in the southern hemisphere, the largest city of the Americas, and the world’s seventh largest city by population.

Mugisha said, “The participation has so far exceeded our expectations. As we head into the final phases of the draws, we urge our consumers to continue participating and send those codes because there are still lots of prizes to be won. There are a few slots left for the trip to Brazil, there is instant cash, airtime and other memorabilia.”

Brazil is by far the World’s cultural hub and is famous for its Carnivals where for one whole week, the streets are engrossed in larger- than- life floats, exhilarating music, and provocative people. Beautiful samba dancers are dressed scantily clad with sparkling beads, sequins, jewels, and glitter as well as, gorgeous drummers whose faces and bodies wear vibrant paint designs.

Brazil is the world’s sixth-largest economy with Rio de Janeiro named among the top 20 holiday destinations of 2013.  The winners will have the chance to experience soft, sandy and expansive beaches lined with palm trees, lush greenery and flaming hibiscus as well as sample traditional foods and get immersed into the Brazilian culture while away in this South American haven.

Mugisha further revealed that, “The campaign will not only offer the most amazing prize of experiencing Brazil, it will also seek to reward those who will be here at home. There will be lots of prizes like free beer, instant cash via mobile money. So for you out there, just send continue participating in the promotion.”

The draws are carried out every Monday at 8:35pm on NTV Uganda to pick the winners of the cash award prize of UGX 100, 000 and tickets to Brazil. 

————————–

In an effort to ensure as many Ugandans as possible get the opportunity to enjoy the knockout stages of the 2014 World cup in Brazil. GOtv has decided to slash the price of its STB/digital decoders as part of its GO Brazil promotion which was launched at the beginning of the month. GOtv digital decoders will now be on sale at only 89,000 down from 118,000.

Announcing the price cut in a press statement Patricia Kiconco the GOtv Segment brand manager said this has already been one of the best world cups in the history of the tournament, all of the matches have been exciting and the number of goals scored per game has exceeded all expectations. We want to ensure many more Ugandans get the chance to enjoy the spectacle.

GOtv and DStv are the only two companies in Uganda with rights to show the World cup on the Pay-tv platform via Super Sports. GOtv will show both semi-finals live, the 3^rd and fourth playoffs plus the final to be played at the Maracana in Rio, all the other matches in the round of the 16 and the quarter finals, will be carried live by their FTA partner UBC which is also available on both platforms.

Patricia encouraged Ugandans to take advantage of this offer which she said will last for the duration of the tournament provided stocks last. She advised Ugandans who might have bought decoders form other operators that advertised the FIFA World Cup but are not showing the matches to take advantage of the affordable promotion. This is a fantastic chance to go digital with the latest DVB T2 decoder at the most affordable price.

The FIFA world cup in Brazil is reaching the business end of the tournament the group stages are almost complete with the last round of matches being played on the 25^th and 26^th of June. Two of Africa’s powerhouses Nigeria and Ghana still stand a chance of progressing to the next round and are playing Argentina and Portugal respectively. So far the tournament has featured a number of shocks with major Europeans teams Spain, Italy and England being the main casualties.

————————————————————————————

Six of Africa’s finest artists have collaborated on a song that is part of MultiChoice Africa’s upcoming campaign which is set to be unveiled at a glitz and glam content extravaganza in Mauritius. The five artists are Davido, a Nigerian American recording artist, performer, and record producer; Diamond Platnumz (or simply Diamond), a Bongo Flava recording artist from Tanzania; Sarkodie (also referred to as Obidi Pon Bidi) a Ghanaian hip hop recording artist, entertainer, and brand ambassador; Tiwa Savage, Nigerian singer-songwriter, recording artist, performer and actress: Lola Rae, a British singer of Nigerian/Ghanaian descent who garnered recognition as a dancer in the street dance group “Myztikal” and finally Mi Casa, a South African band consisting of three members, Dr. Duda (producer) and pianist, Jsomething (vocalist and guitarist), and Mo-T (trumpeter).

—————————

If you can’t be in Brazil, SuperSport will bring Brazil to you. With every FIFA World Cup 2014 match available live and in High Definition on SuperSport, the World of Champions will offer the best  coverage available in Africa with star guests, live matches and dynamic magazine shows all available on latest technology.

SuperSport has pulled out all stops for this event, starting June 12, to ensure that DStv subscribers never miss a moment of the action on their television screens. Global icon Ryan Giggs is just one of many experts who will share his insights with SuperSport football fans.

Additional  football heavyweights include Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Sammy Kuffour, John Barnes and John Dykes. Their analysis will blend with five embedded SuperSport crews who will track the progress of African powerhouses Nigeria and Ghana, among others. 

SuperSport will boast two 24-hour channels – one in HD (SS3HD), one in SD (SS3) on DStv – for the duration of the tournament. For the eight matches that run concurrently, in the last-round round-robin stage, SS2HD and SS4 will feature these fixtures.

As a bonus, SuperSport will also produce four magazine shows, each of a different flavour:

“Ola Brazil” will be hosted by football fundi Carol Tshabalala live from Rio de Janeiro every Saturday and Sunday with a lifestyle slant offering rich behind-the-scenes content.

“We are Brazil” will be a precursor to weekend matches with intermittent crossings to Brazil and areas of Africa. The show will include detailed information on team statistics, newsmakers, top five moments and retro moments. One of the highlights is sure to be Andy Townsend’s expert insights.

“Master Plan” is unashamedly aimed at the football intellectual; the fan who wants to know about game strategy and the science behind performance.  With world renowned Dykes anchoring, every game will be broken down and analysed like never before in this Sunday show.

Finally, “Fan Zone” is a one-hour weekend show aimed at the youth, comprising a strong social media element.

SuperSport’s state of the art HD studio, built for the 2010 edition, has undergone extensive refurbishment. “We’ve invested heavily in the latest technology,” said Alvin Naicker, SuperSport’s head of production. “It’s a multi-faceted facility that offers a range of broadcast options. Plus we’ve revamped the adjoining studio-entertainment area that now includes a fan zone and is multi-purpose.”

SuperSport’s coverage, to be punctuated by the “We are Brazil” theme, will be a multi-platform offering with TV, On line (www.supersport.com), social, and for subscribers with the Explora decoder watch out for the Catch-Up services featuring great FIFA World Cup highlights.

—————————-

Did you know that at justthe cost of a few text messages, you could win a dream get away to Brazil? Hard to believe, isn’t it?

Neither did Edison Muhwezi, a 23 year old farmer residing in Kirinya, Bweyogerere, located in the outskirts of Kampala.

Having sent just five text messages bearing the codes he found under the crown of his Bell Beer, Muhwezi is the latest winner of an all-expense paid trip to Brazil courtesy of Uganda Breweries Limited’s ongoing Sip Sip Samba promotion.

“When I was called, for sure I almost fainted. That I, Muhwezi, a farmer from Kisoro who has never crossed the boundaries of Uganda,is headed for Brazil is just a dream come true,” an elated Muhwezi said.

He becomes the latest winner of an all-expense paid trip to Brazil, the land synonymous with fun, merry making, beauty and the famous Samba culture in the ongoing Sip Sip Samba Promotion by Uganda Breweries Limited.

The promotion is givingforty lucky Ugandans the opportunity of a lifetime to enjoy the beautiful scenery that has become synonymous with this South American nation.

In addition to the trip, consumers also have the chance to win other prizes like instant airtime, cash as well as other customized memorabilia. 

To participate in the Sip Sip Samba promotion, customers have to buy a bottle of any of the four brands; Bell Lager, Guinness, Tusker Lager and Tusker Malt, check under the crown for a five-digit code then send an SMS with the code to 6050 for the chance to enter the weekly draw to win the trip. The more codes one sends, the higher their chances of winning.

The draws are carried out every Monday at 8:35pmonNTV Uganda to pick the winners of the cash award prize of UGX 100, 000 and tickets to Brazil.

The campaign will not only offer the most amazing prize of experiencing Brazil, it will also seek to reward those who will be here at home. There will be lots of prizes like free beer, instant cash via mobile money.”

————————————–

Uganda’s leading tax payer, MTN Uganda has again demonstrated its commitment to the development of the country and hashanded over a check worth Fifteen Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty Eight Million Three Hundred and Fifty Two Thousand, and Three Hundred and Fifty Shillings to the Uganda Communications Commission Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF) in Tax remittance. This is part of the mandatory 2% levy for all telecommunications companies.

“Telecommunications plays an increasingly important role in Uganda’s development of and the world economy and as the leading tax payer; we have an obligation to support Uganda’s development by assisting in tax collection as prescribed by the law,” saidMazen Mroué, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Uganda. 

He added that MTN Uganda is committed to continue to support the Government of Uganda and particularly the Ministry of ICT and the Uganda Communications Commission in their plans to spread ICT literacy to all regions of the country.

RCDF projects focus on ensuring access and usage of ICT services for the underserved areas. The projects implemented by RCDF include under the leadership of Uganda Communication Commission:76 Internet points of presence (POP), 106 Internet cafes, 78 ICT training centers, 4,099 Public payphones, 78 District web portals, 13 Multi-Purpose Community Tele-centers (MCT), 45 Postal projects, 708 School ICT laboratories, 174 Health ICT facilities ,90 Voice network sites, 106 Content development projects,2  Local governance projects, and 31 Other unique projects.

[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”1643″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”width: 648px; height: 341px;”,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]

The direct impact realized out of the projects implemented includes; 100% voice coverage at the sub county level, 100% data coverage for every district / town of Uganda, teaching of Computer Studies as a subject in at least 50% of government secondary schools and basic ICT equipment in all district government hospitals.

As per the latest public results shared by the company for the first quarter of 2013, MTN Uganda has continuously registered positive performance, with an increase in its subscriber base by 8.4% to 9.5 million mobile customers includes 2.6 million data customer and over 5 million Mobile Money users. The results also confirm MTN Uganda’s market share increase to 55.3% and MTN overall Value share reached 65%.

The steady growth in revenue and increased market share has continuously permitted MTN Uganda the ability to remit the UGX. 16 Billion Tax. The solid financial performance of MTN Operations is mainly attributed to attractive, segmented and bundled offers aimed at both acquisition and retention. Regionally focused sales and distribution campaigns further supported the continuous growth and overall performance. 

——————————–

MTN Uganda through the MTN Uganda Foundation has unveiled a fully kittedstate of the art bus dubbed the MTN Internet Bus. The Bus which is the first of its kind in Uganda, will be a vital tool for MTN Uganda’s vision of enhancing ICT Education across the country.

The MTN Internet Bus which is equipped with sixteen high-end computer working stationsas well as access to High speed Internet Connectivity Service using the world class data infrastructure powered by MTN 3G and 4G LTE Technology with Wi-Ficoverage. The Internet Bus is the first to be introduced in Uganda by MTN the Leader in the delivery of Bold Digital services and is estimated to have cost in excess of Ushs. 600 million. It was unveiled at a Press conference held at MTN’s Nyonyi Garden offices

Speaking at the launch, the MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Mazen Mroué said the introduction of the MTN Internet Bus is in line with MTN Uganda’s new Vision of delivering a Bold, new Digital world which aims at creating distinct customer experience, driving sustainable growth and a specific focus on making MTN Customers lives a whole lot brighter.

Mroué said the MTN Internet Bus will go a long way in driving MTN Uganda’s commitment to help build and develop the capacity of Ugandans as well as strengthening the nation’s economy through ICT awareness initiatives across all regions of the country adding that it is a vital component for the promotion of computer literacy in rural areas in an effort to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas.

“At MTN, innovation is about introducing something new, better or different, large or small that adds sustainable value to the lives of our customers. We believe the introduction of this Internet Bus will go a long way in creating the much needed ICT awareness across the country”, he said.

He added that the MTN Internet Bus would provide ICT training capacity with the provision of basic computer skills and integrated e-Learning. This will further solidify MTN’s commitment to support the Government of Uganda and in particular the Ministry of ICT in its agenda to enhance ICT skills and basic computer literacy in the country.

MTN Uganda continuesfocusing largely on the expansion of the data network infrastructure; MTN was the first in the market to introduce word class internet technologies through the 3G 42Mbps, 4G LTE and WiFi Hotspots. As of 31st March 2014, MTN Uganda total Data subscribers exceeded 2.6 million.
MTN Uganda became the first operator in Uganda, and one of the very first in Africa to launch its 4G LTE services. The launch of LTE represented a major jump in mobile connectivity capabilities with speeds of up to 100Mbps. MTN Uganda has further covered the country with internet speeds of up to 42Mbps and has insured great quality internet for the broader Ugandan population.

MTN Uganda launched its Mobile Network operations in 1998, since inception MTN cumulative investment exceeded UGX 1.7 Trillion. Last year, the company injected more than UGX 140 billion in upgrading the Network infrastructure and adding another 400Km of national fiber, by December 2013, MTN Uganda Total Fiber infrastructure exceeded 3,200 Km. The continuous investment  by MTN in Uganda has enabled job creation with direct and indirect support for over 560,000 Ugandans.

MTN’s new Vision and Mission to ‘To Lead the delivery of a bold, new Digital World to its customers’ and ‘To make our customers’ lives a whole lot brighter’. This has seen the company strongly enhance its Data portfolio through a number of targeted initiatives such as the regional MTN Data Expos and most recently the launch of its new thematic Data Campaign that showcases all the things you can learn from the Internet.

Officiating at the launch, ICT Minister Hon. John Nasasira commended MTN for leading the way on the innovation front with life changing services that are complementing the Government’s endeavors especially in delivering ICT training across the country.

Nasasira said the MTN ICT Education drive is a welcome initiative and urged Ugandans to embrace the opportunity to better their lives.

“At MTN, we have refocused our interventions towards empowerment of the communities in various areas. Education is one such area which is very close to our hearts because of the direct link between improved literacy and the socio-economic status of any community,” Mroué concluded.

The South African High Commissioner to Uganda- H.E. Jon Qwelane who is also an MTN Uganda Foundation trustee was also in attendance and he pledged that the MTN Foundation would continue to look at areas that have a sustainable impact on development of the different communities while also looking to address the different needs of Ugandans. He mentioned that he was pleased to be part of such initiatives that positively impacted the lives of Ugandans.

The MTN Uganda Foundation partners with both public and non-profit credible organizations to execute sustainable projects in each of the chosen focus areas. The Foundation is committed to ensuring that the selection and approval of its projects are conducted in a manner that is transparent, systematic, efficient, and effective while promoting its mission.

In 2014and onwards, the MTN Foundation will focus on three key areas so as to leverage scale to achieve significant development impact. These include the areas of Education, Health and National Priorities.

——————————-

—————————————-

Superbrands East Africa, an affiliate of London-based Superbrands UK, yesterdayrecognized Airtel Uganda as a Superbrand in Uganda. This was at the Superbrands Tribute Event 2014 which was held at the Kampala Serena Hotel.

Presided over by the Vice President of Uganda Edward Ssekandi, at an event that attracted more than 100 CEOs, marketing experts, business people, and government officials from East Africa, he said the government of Uganda will continue to have policies that spur investment for both big and small firms in the country. He also thanked Superbrands East Africa for bringing the event to Kampala and promoting excellence.

Superbrands is the world’s largest independent arbiter of branding. It identifies and pays tribute to exceptional brands by recognising, rewarding and reinforcing leading brands from all over the world.

Mr Jaffer Jawad, the Superbrands East Africa Project Director, said: “Superbrands, as the world’s largest independent arbiter of branding shall continue identifying and paying tribute to exceptional brands by recognizing, rewarding and reinforcing leading brands from all over the world.”

Headded that this is the most exciting time to identify and celebrate the region’s leading brands. “Brands have an ever-increasing importance in our day-today lives, and as consumers we have never been more engaged; logos are tattooed onto enthusiasts’ bodies and thousands join social networking groups to campaign for the re-launch of a favourite brand,” he said.

Mr. Arindam Chakrabarty, the Managing Director of Airtel Uganda, agreed with this statement. “We believe it is important for brands; local, regional and global to be recognized for their excellence in their various markets of operation. We also believe that rewarding the top companies fosters healthy competition, which encourages other companies to work even harder in their respective industries and sectors.”” he said.

“Airtel always associates itself with top notch, exceptional companies and brands. Over the last few years, we have supported increase in ICT skills through our partnership with British Council and KCCA to provide internet to schools countrywide. We have facilitated the development of local sports with the Airtel Rising Stars initiative and the sponsorship of the Uganda Cranes National team. These and more partnerships are testament to our belief that joining efforts with the best brands can reap positive benefits for us, our partners, our consumers and our various stakeholders,” he added.

The event was also graced by Uganda’s Finance Minister Hon. Maria Kiwanuka, who is also a Superbrands Council Member in East Africa.

15 Uganda, 17 Tanzanian and 54 Kenyan brands were recognized at the glamourous event.