HiPipo Money

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………as fashion and cocktails excite Kampala’s party people.

One of the world’s number one vodkas, Smirnoff, today excited Kampala’s socialites and party people with a memorable ‘Night’ with a fashionable, sleek and elegant party at Cayenne a popular hang out in Kampala. Fashion and signature cocktails were the major highlights of the night as every guest treated to VIP red carpet feel and artist performances from Rema, Bobi Wine and Chameleon.

Speaking at the event, Smirnoff Brand Manager Phoebe Nakabazzi said, “Smirnoff delivers the hippest and unforgettable parties in the Kampala night life bringing the ultimate feel to party lovers.”

Smirnoff has taken Kampala nightlife a notch higher through the unique signature cocktail dubbed ‘Black Swagger” which demonstrates the style and easy mixabilty of Smirnoff Vodka.

“Smirnoff delivers not just a good party, but a great experience and this one has indeed lived up to its billing”, added Phoebe.

The event was well attended by Kampala’s socialites and musicians that included Chameleon and Bobi Wine who excited the crowd as they embraced at seeing each other. The Night is an event celebrating the unique night life experiences in Kampala. The party is a collection of ideas celebrating the newest, most extraordinary spectacles in the night life. The Night has created a platform that inspires a new generation to raise their expectations of what great night life looks, feels and tastes like. 

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…as Entebbe warms up to beats, balls and beer at the biggest beach party yet.

 Spennah Beach was today transformed into an exciting and thrilling extravaganza as the Bell Fiesta took the Human Table Football to the beach town of Entebbe in a spectacular convergence of beats, balls and beers that left fans exhilarated.

From soccer activities like Timed Dribbling, Computer Football Gaming, Inflatable Goal Penalty Shootouts and Foosball, the party went on well into the night as teams competed against each other in an evening that can only be described as entertaining and fun packed.

The DJ kept the over 2,000 fans dancing to the beats as the Bell Fiesta, the ultimate mix of music and soccer became the highlight of the weekend with the beach culture coming to life in a beautiful and elaborate way.

Speaking during the event, Bell Lager Brand Manager Robert Nsibirwa said that this is Bell Lager’s commitment to bringing the consumers a rousing reformation of leisure in today’s busy world where Sundays are the only days when one can get to relax.

Teams and individuals redeemed instant prizes, cash and giveaways with  raised the stakes and at the end was a an electrifying display of what Bell Fiesta is all about – Balls, Beats and Beers!

“The Human Foosball table which is the peak of all games can be played by individuals old and young alike. It is a life-size simulation of the table-top foosball version and has drawn all participants’ interest, which is really an amazing spirit to see Ugandans embrace such challenges with”, added Robert.

Bell Fiesta is scheduled to be held in over 20 locations around the country and it is anticipated that over 20,000 spectators and participants will descend on these venues to put their teamwork to the test.

“It is great games, it is great fun and it is 100% Bell Lager,” added Robert.

Asked about the experience on Bell Fiesta, a reveler responded, “It’s really exciting to see such relaxing and yet challenging initiatives bring together such a big crowd on a day like this. It is a fantastic day out that will challenge, excite and reward you, everyone should participate.”

In the Bell Nation anything is possible, good times last longer, friendships grow stronger, plans are made and the future shines bright. 

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MTN Uganda announced revised Mobile Money rates effective July 2^nd, 2013. Commenting on this increment, the MTN Uganda’s GM Corporate Services, Anthony Katamba said, “According to the new national budget 2013/2014, the 10% levy on Mobile Money is to be applied on transaction fees paid on all money transfer services and as such the fee is paid by users. It should be noted that the new 10% levy is to be applied on all money transfer services offered in Uganda, including those offered by non-telecom operators”.

MTN Mobile Money touches the lives of many Ugandans on a daily basis and therefore there is the need to continuously invest in infrastructure to ensure improved service standards and reliability.

MTN Uganda’s Mobile Money active customer base has recorded significant growth by more than 50% during the last 12 months. The new Mobile Money rates will have slight increase on transaction fees, as example the convenience of sending UGX 4 million to another Mobile Money registered subscriber will cost UGX 2,200.

As Uganda’s leading tax payer MTN Uganda has an obligation to support the National development agenda by assisting in tax collection as prescribed by law.

“Although we feel the tax has been applied at a very early development stage of the Mobile Money product, MTN is committed to continued investment and growth of the service in Uganda,” Katamba added.

The national budget aims to widen the tax base, and one of the ways in which Government reaches new tax payers is via consumption taxes on various goods and services.

“We evaluated the impact of this new tax with all stakeholders and we saw the need to adjust our rates slightly in order for us to support this tax increment,” he concluded.

Follow this link for new Mobile Money Rates 

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…after a tough season in the concluded Guinness Football Challenge 3

Ugandan representatives at this year’s Guinness Football Challenge were today treated to a resounding welcome party by Uganda Breweries Limited for their exploits at the Pan-African Game where they reached the quarter-finals.

The 14 contestants selected after a rigorous audition process y got the whole of the Uganda and East Africa engaged even as the competition grew tougher with each episode of the game where they were pitted against the best in East Africa.

“We wanted, to leave a mark and make Ugandans proud with a better performance than our predecessors,” said Alex Muyobo, one of the contestants. “However, I could never have imagined this strong show of support despite us not reaching the finals.”

Kenya took home the ultimate prize after their contestants put in an incredible performance in the finals with a great demonstration of skill and knowledge to beat Ghanaians who were representing West Africa.

Speaking during the event, Guinness Brand Manager Robert Nsibirwa congratulated the team and encouraged them to continually improve in their different disciplines and be the best in the world in what they do.

“You represented your country with pride and fulfilled a great mission in flying the national colours. You showed great patriotic passion throughout the competition and our hearts were with you through your highs and lows”, he added.

Football is a game of chance and as the curtains fall on yet another sizzling season of the Guinness Football Challenge, focus now shifts to local and international football leagues which are sensationally followed by football fans across the country.

It is on this premise that the Guinness Football Challenge thrives. A fine display of skill and brains on all matters football get you the chance to participate in the Pan-African competition and show that you are a real player in life and don’t believe in sitting on the side-lines.

Guinness will continue to be involved in soccer both globally and at a local level and will be unveiling its plans for the second half of the year.

 “The Guinness Football Challenge is a huge platform to represent the nation and we hope that the experience you gained on the show will help spur you to greater achievements, added Robert.

Africa has been glued to the screens for the past 12 weeks as teams from across Africa battled it out in the GUINNESS FOOTBALL CHALLENGE. Fans of the show can continue to test their own football knowledge on the GUINNESS FOOTBALL CHALLENGE mobile phone game which is available on the GUINNESS mobile social community for football lovers, GUINNESS® VIP™.   Sign up for ‘free and test your knowledge’ to see where you stand on the all new Pan-African leader board at m.guinnessvip.com on your phone. 

Please drink responsibly – Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health. Strictly not for sale to persons under 18 years.

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GOtv now brings even more value to Ugandan television lovers with the launch of the GOtv Open bouquet which has been designed to provide the best option for joining the digital television revolution.  As an African business, GOtv is constantly striving to meet the needs of television audiences in Uganda, and firmly believes that the launch of the new GOtv Open bouquet will ultimately provide a single solution for television viewers to enjoy a wide range of digital channels thus opening up a whole new world of great family entertainment.

GOtv currently offers both the GOtv and GOtv Plus bouquets which are packed with exciting local and international channels designed to keep your family entertained with great news, movies, kids programming and sport. Not more than a week ago, two new channels were launched on the GOtv Plus bouquet, these include M-Net Movie Zone and SuperSport Select 2 which further enhance the movies and sport line up on GOtv. 

The new addition to the GOtv family – GOtv Open will provide the best solution for television consumers to receive their local free to air channels in digital quality for a once off Administration fee.  Ahead of the Analogue Switch off scheduled in East Africa for later in the year, GOtv now provides a range of options to select from which are both affordable, accessible and relevant to all television lovers.  GOtv was launched on the latest DVB-T2 technology which means there is no need to replace or upgrade your decoder – going with GOtv means you will be on the latest technology.

The current single price offer includes a GOtv decoder, GOtenna (outdoor antenna) and 1 month subscription to GOtv Plus.  Once this GOtv Plus month is up, subscribers will then have the option of continuing with either of the pay television options GOtv or GOtv Plus, or paying a once off non-refundable Administration fee which will provide them with access to a range of free to air channels. 

“We at GOtv are constantly innovating to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible digital television to Uganda. We come from a solid corporate background and family in which MultiChoice has a proud legacy of 20 year of providing the best digital television to Africa.  Thus, not only are we passionate about digital television, but we are passionate about Africa – which is why GOtv is the home of great channels – made in Africa for Africa.”  said Albert Nga, Marketing Manager MultiChoice Uganda.

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– MTN Internet Expo moved to Gulu (Northern Uganda)

MTN Uganda customers using the Internet have increased by more than 85% in the last 12 months leading up to June 2013 , said Ernst Fonternel, MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer.

He attributed their phenomenal growth in Internet customers with more than 1.6 million added to their expanding data footprint with superior speeds, unmatched airtime availability, affordable Internet dongles and bundles as well as their World-class Internet technologies supporting up to 100Mbps with 4G LTE.

“Since the beginning of the year, MTN has been the first in the market to introduce WiFi Hotspots, 42Mbps and 4G LTE. We also provide our customers with 15MB worth of Free Internet every month and we are constantly reaching out to our customers through various activations and great device deals,” Fonternel said.

“Many people are starting to use second screens, in addition to television, and therefore content previously limited to televisions now has to be delivered via Laptops, Notebooks, Tablets and Mobiles. This requires high speed technologies like 3G+ and 4G LTE where MTN continues to lead the investment into infrastructure.” Fonternel explained.

MTN is significantly investing into Internet education and as part of this initiative is hosting MTN Expos across the country. The regional MTN Expos, with Gulu opening on 27th June 2013, brings services closer to its customers so that they can experience the power of the Internet and various technologies first hand. Aligned with the Government’s intentions to increase Internet penetration in Uganda, the regional MTN Expos create awareness for the vast opportunities available through the use of ICT as well as expose customers to the various affordable data plans and devices available from MTN including Feature Phones, Smart Phones, Tablets, Notebooks, Laptops, Internet Dongles and Routers.

MTN Uganda is the leading investor in technology with a planned investment of over $70million in 2013 to upgrade infrastructure and expand coverage to rural areas in addition to their $80million during 2012.

MTN is well known for its unmatched Internet coverage, speeds and innovation and during 2012 alone launched its own WiFi service called MTN Hot Spots, doubled their Internet speeds to become the first Uganda operator to launch 42Mbps and 4G LTE on its network.

“All these investments shows MTN’s commitment to continue providing services relevant to their current and future needs, and firmly positions MTN as a leader with a clear vision for the future; leading the way for others to follow.”

“Over the next five years, aligned with MTN’s vision, we will be leading the delivery of a bold, new Digital World which naturally means more connected customers to make their lives a whole lot brighter.” Fonternel concluded.

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• Improved line has cut Mombasa-Nairobi transit times by 6 hours