Speaking about the appointment, Vodacom's CEO for international operations, Johan Dennelind said:

"We're very excited to have Rene joining the team. He brings a wide range of experience from emerging markets as diverse as Paraguay, Pakistan and Kenya.  He was also previously CEO for Millicom's (Tigo) operations in Tanzania which means that he'll be up and running in this new role very quickly."

Rene replaces Dietlof Mare, who had requested to change roles after spending almost five years in Tanzania.  An announcement as to Dietlof's new role will be made in due course.

"Under Dietlof's direction, Vodacom Tanzania has grown considerably.  It's now our second largest operation outside South Africa and has over nine million customers.  Dietlof has led the business admirably and has been instrumental in the implementation of M-Pesa and other initiatives that have placed the company well for the future.   I want to thank Dietlof for his dedication and we look forward to using his hard-earned skills elsewhere in the Group" concluded Dennelind.

Speaking to the media during the launch of the new look, Vodacom Tanzania Chief Officer Marketing and Corporate Affairs Mwamvita Makamba said the service, which is very important to its customers and the entire community, has been given an extra new look with the aim of further empowering users of that service.

"We are fully committed to improving our m-pesa services for our customer's benefit and all Tanzanians as a whole.  We have noticed this service had changed and made the lives of  because we have noticed that through this service, many Tanzanians have managed to change their lives and made great development steps," said Mwamvita.

Either, Ms Makamba added that Tanzanians will benefit more from m-pesa service for example; a customer will be able to buy an airtime through m-pesa, which he/she will use to recharge a phone and continue enjoying calling at an affordable rate at any time.

The other advantages of Vodacom m-pesa services includes its easiness to be available in most places and any time, enabling different businesses/enterprises to grow further, it can be used to pay school fees, rent and different bills. m-pesa service can as well be used when purchasing different commodities and many other things.

For the first time in the country Vodacom m-pesa services was officially introduced in 2008 and it has continued to grow to reach more than six million, five hundred thousand customers and has more than eight thousand agents and has empowered more than eighteen thousand people to get a long term employment.

More than 10bn/- is going through m-pesa system. This is a good testimony on how Tanzanians have come to trust and love the service.

Ms Makamba concluded by saying m-pesa is more than a system of sending and receiving through a cellphone. "m-pesa is a Superman of Tanzanians," she said.

ENDS

Prime Minister Kayanza Mizengo Pinda unveiled plan to empower women entrepreneurs economically dubbed M-PESA Women Empowerment Initiative (MWEI), in which he urged them to make use of the loans issued through the scheme to improve their wellbeing.

The project is a brain-child of mobile phone operator, Vodacom Tanzania through its charity arm, Vodacom Foundation. It has been established in a bid to assist the community to bring about development change using available opportunities and resources.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held at Bwigiri village, the premier said since the loans offered by the company are interest free, the budding women entrepreneurs should ensure that the repay the loans on time to enable more entrepreneurs to benefit.

"There has been a tendency among some women entrepreneurs who were issued with loans and instead using the money for the intended purpose they go on to buying clothes for themselves and alcohol for their husbands. I urge you not to do this, borrow the money, conceive a project and repay the loans on time to MWEI," the premier urged.

Mr Pinda also urged the entrepreneurs to establish Savings and Credits Co-operatives Societies (SACCOs) to expand their businesses.

Speaking at the same occasion, Vodacom Tanzania's Managing Director (MD) Dietlof Mare said Vodacom Tanzania is pleased to announce the launch of Vodafone M-Pesa Women Empowerment Initiative (MWEI) project, aimed at developing women's small businesses/income generating activities/projects and enhancing their Small and Medium Enterprises (SME).

The loans worth 90bn/- have been issued to some 4,500 women entrepreneurs in the country, He noted however that the target is to reach out to 10,000 entrepreneurs countrywide by the end of this year.

Mr Mare said the programme is implemented through the mobile phone money service operated by the communication firm, M-PESA, which loans are issued and repaid through the service. M-PESA is available through agents spread cross country, he said.

"We are aware of challenges in giving out credits to micro entrepreneurs not only through MWEI project but through any other scheme. There is the challenge of use of the loan and keeping records on the part of the borrower," he remarked.

He explained that before the envisaged borrowers are to be issued with loans, they undergo entrepreneurship training at Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) offices in their respective region.

Vodacom Foundation Tanzania, which coordinates the project, sponsors the training of the women entrepreneurs. Once they have under gone the training only then are they granted loans by MWEI.

The Chairperson of the women entrepreneurs at Bwigiri village, Claudia Goda hailed the company for the support.

She pledged on behalf of other members to make use of the credits facility to improve their businesses and relive them out of poverty.

End

Arusha: THE Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Mr Ezekiel Maige, has decried the dramatic decline of wild dogs' population in the Serengeti.

Mr Maige said over the yesterday when launching Vodacom Foundation's Serengeti Wild Dogs Conservation Project that it was sad to note that wild dogs had become almost extinct over the years.

He said that historically wild dogs were found almost all over Africa including the Sahara but is no longer the case.

"There are reportedly 8,000 wild dogs in Africa and a third of those are in Tanzania, we need to preserve their numbers", he said.

Vodacom Foundation is financing the project with a 450,000 US dollars support for a three year period.

The minister commended Vodacom for its support noting that the project is the first to be financed by a corporate entity in the country.

He said that wild dogs are a major tourist attraction and a source of revenue for both local communities and the government and efforts to ensure their populations are increased are greatly encouraged.

Vodacom Managing Director, Mr Dietlof Mare, said during the launch that the project is not a money making opportunity for Vodacom but rather an effort to bring back wild dogs in the Serengeti for the good of the reserve.

He said that the project is in line with President Jakaya Kikwete's resolve to create more jobs for Tanzanians as the projects has created employment in every village that the dogs are being monitored.

"Since we are not experts in environmental and wildlife matters, we sought the help of experts in this project and in collaboration with Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), this project became possible", he said.

TAWIRI Director General, Dr Simon Mduma, said that the project will not only enhance the population of wild dogs but also boost sustainable ecotourism.

He said among the activities undertaken through the project are monitoring the movement pattern of the animals, relocating them to their natural habitat and creating awareness among local communities not to harm the wild dogs.

Ends

Vodacom Managing Director, Dietlof Mare, said that the grant aims to and will improve the lives of Tanzanians as Vodacom believes that financial inclusion is possible through the use of Vodafone M-PESA.

The grant, about 7.2 billion Tanzanian shillings, will be used to enhance and improve Vodafone M-Pesa services that a customer receives from an agent, Mare said.

"Vodacom will use the money to increase the awareness and service benefits of Vodafone M-Pesa specifically to those living in remote parts of the country", he noted.

"Tanzania has a highly dispersed population of around 40 million, which severely restricts access to financial services. Today only two million Tanzanians have access to a bank account while over 18 million are mobile phone users," he said.

Research in Kenya and Tanzania shows that many people find M-PESA provides a safe and affordable way to store and send money to friends, family and business associates.

According to Mare, Vodacom has been singled out to receive the grant because the company laid the groundwork for the uptake of mobile money transfer services in the country and has invested greatly in the technology.

To date over 5.3 million people have already registered to use Vodafone M-PESA in Tanzania. 

Although it is ideally suited for those without access to financial services, it is the banked community that has been the quickest to take advantage of the convenience, security and efficiency it offers.  

With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Financial Services for the Poor initiative, Vodacom will extend this service to reach the wider "unbanked" community.

This grant was announced on November 16 by Melinda French Gates at the Global Savings Forum in Seattle, Washington, as a part of the foundation's $500 million pledge to expand access to savings accounts and help the world's poor build financial security.

The pledge included a package of six grants, totaling $40 million, from the foundation's Financial Services for the Poor initiative, to support projects and partnerships that will bring quality, affordable savings accounts and other financial services to the doorsteps of the poor in the developing world.

"Savings doesn't just help people mitigate the risks posed by a medical emergency or a bad crop," said Gates at the foundation-hosted event.

"It also gives them the ability to marshal their resources to build something better for themselves and their children. It allows them to fund their own businesses, to look ahead with confidence. Savings helps families to take the giant leap from reacting to events to planning for a healthier, happier future."

CCBRT began transferring money for transport to its hospital to patients across Tanzania through Vodafone M-PESA, the mobile phone money transfer system from Vodacom, at the end of last year.

CCBRT Chief Executive Officer, Erwin Telemans said that in the first half of 2010, surgeries for fistula were 51% higher than in the first half of 2009, whereas cleft lip/palate surgeries have increased by 75% in the same period.

In partnership with Vodacom Tanzania through the TransportMYPatient initiative, CCBRT uses ambassadors, usually from a medical or NGO background, to identify and refer individuals with impairments.

Telemans noted that through Vodafone M-PESA services, it is possible to transfer funds via a simple SMS which can be 'converted' to cash at Vodacom M-PESA outlets across the country. 

Once a case is identified, money for the patient's transport is transferred via M-PESA to the ambassador's phone. The ambassador then purchases the bus fare for the patient to come to Dar es Salaam.

Because of their socially and physically debilitating effects, cases of fistula and cleft lip/palate are the prime focus. Surgeries for these conditions are completely free for all patients and the approach has been successful: the numbers of patients treated for these impairments has significantly risen.

TransportMYPatient is already proving to be an effective way of identifying those in need of treatment and ensuring that they receive it.

 "Transport costs often represent a significant barrier to treatment and removing this means that CCBRT can improve the lives of more and more people with disabilities", he noted.

According to Telemans, CCBRT is growing its network of ambassadors to build on these successes and is seeking additional funding to expand the project so that more children and adults with disabilities can access CCBRT's services.

This honor was given during the world's first mobile money awards at the MMT Global Conference and Expo held in Dubai on the 25^th of October.

Vodacom Managing Director, Mr Dietlof Mare, noted that the award recognizes the best operator led Mobile Money Transfer model.

"The award acknowledges subscription and usage rates, customer reach and ease of service for end users", he said.

"It is important to remember that this is a global event so not only has Vodacom beaten local operators but also the entire world's other mobile money products",  he stressed.

Mr Mare was quick to state that the company will not be complacent just because it has received global recognition owing to its meaningful quality products and services.

Vodacom recently also received a certificate of appreciation by Super Brands East Africa. Super Brands uses a broad range of criteria to qualify companies including quality of services or products, reliability and distinction.

He said that Vodacom will continue to be the most reliable network as it heavily invests in state-of-the-art technology to meet the ever growing needs of its customers.

Vodacom at the moment has the widest 3G network in the country, he said, making it the most reliable total communications solutions provider.

Mr Mare hailed all Vodacom customers for their loyalty and assured them that it would continue to bring more innovative services to improve the welfare of its subscribers.

"We will continue to provide the best services in the country and reach out to more and more in a sustainable and meaningful manner", he said.

Vodafone M-PESA services was first introduced in April 2008 and to date it has done over 20 million transactions and is keeps growing every month.

Since then it has over 5 million customers registered on the service now with 500,000 new registrations per month.

Currently over 500 billion Tanzania shillings has been transacted through a network of over 5,000 agents countrywide and it has proved to be safe, quick, easy and convenient with a sound investment and support from the global leading cellular company VODAFONE.

He said that at the moment there are over 5.5 million subscribers who have registered for Vodafone M-Pesa services. He was addressing editors and senior reporters during the 10^th anniversary of Vodacom Tanzania.

"Vodafone M-Pesa is a monetary service that has revolutionized the way Tanzanians do business. We have over 5000 agents countrywide", he said.

As the services expand, over 80,000 transactions are done daily and monthly transfers are now approaching 100bn/-.

Over the past ten years, Mare further said, Vodacom has improved its services to become a company that provides quality services at the lowest cost, thus offering the best value in the market.

"We have the lowest tariffs with 1 shilling per second to Vodacom and 3 shillings per second to other networks and a myriad of other services that add value to our customers. The proof is that while prices have dropped dramatically, customers are making three times more calls in our network", he said.

With over 8.5 million customers, Vodacom has also heavily invested in world class network technology, spending 1 trillion shillings on GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G/HSPA and WiMax network coverage.

The world class network coverage enables customers to experience more speed with 2G and 3G catering for individuals and with WiMax Vodacom has been able to cater for the needs of businesses and corporate entities.

He added that it could not have been possible without a reliable transmission network with huge capacity and thus Vodacom has 6,500 kilometers of microwave and fiber network in Dar es Salaam and Dar es Salaam to Dodoma where Vodacom main switches are, making it the only operator with such transmission network. 

According to Mare, Vodacom has also been giving back to the community through the activities of Vodacom Foundation which has spent over 3 billion shilling in supporting communities in areas of health, education, social welfare, environment and Vodafone Red Alert.

As for the immediate, he said that Vodacom targets to have 10 million customers and improved services to individual and corporate subscribers.

"We intend to cover the country efficiently and change lives through innovations so everyone in the country can have a phone and afford to communicate at the time remain a Tanzanian company", he said.

He also mentioned some of the challenges over the last ten years as transportation and electricity, operational costs, transmission as well as capital expenditure.

Vodacom commenced operations on August 15, 2000 when one Alphonse Biria walked through Vodashop doors and thus making history by becoming the first Vodacom customer in Tanzania.  

Vodacom Head of Department: M-Pesa Sales Franklin Bagalla said that any registered Vodacom subscriber can now contribute to the fund through M-Pesa.

"Vodacom is known to be a caring brand and this is just part of the company's endeavor to ease services to the public and play its part in the country's development", he said.

GEPF has introduced a new scheme dubbed Voluntary Savings Retirement Scheme (VSRS) which enables a majority of Tanzanians who make their living from either the formal or informal sector to have meaningful savings well into old age.

He said that VSRS members will follow normal M-Pesa payment procedures to a business number 700200 which will be followed by a membership number to be provided by GEPF, noting that Vodacom will continue to work closely with other institutions to ensure money transfers are easy, affordable, reliable and safe.

The Managing Director of GEPF, Daud Msangi commended Vodacom for introducing meaningful services such as M-Pesa that has since made transactions easier.

"Through M- PESA, contributors to our fund can now easily send their contributions without any charges to either party (sender or receiver)", he said.

He said that all the contributions will be remitted straight to the contributors' acoounts, noting that the fund, the M-Pesa will now be better positioned to serve small scale entrepreneurs and businesspeople.

Vodafone M-Pesa is a service introduced by Vodacom in Tanzania which enables customers to send money anywhere in the country to any person using a mobile phone. 

The service was introduced in the country in April 2008 and Vodacom has since reached throughout the country by creating cash in and cash out points.

Vodafone M-Pesa subscribers can pay water and electricity bills, Dstv subscription fees, tuitions fees, wedding and other contributions just to name a few.

The Funds have been made available from the Foundation's Disaster Relief Fund which assists Vodafone companies across the Group respond to disasters within their regions or countries.  

The funds were handed over to the Acting Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mecky Said Sadik by Mr Nick Read, the Vodafone Group Chief Executive Officer responsible for markets in Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific on Tuesday. 

Speaking when meeting some of those whose lives have been devastated by the disaster, Vodafone's Nick Read, who was a visit to Vodacom Tanzania, said that it is a terrible tragedy and one that has devastated so many lives. 

"It makes me proud to see how colleagues in Vodacom have responded to this terrible incident, and I hope the donation from Vodafone Group, combined with the Red Alert programme of activity will go some way to helping rebuild the lives of those who have been caught up in this terrible tragedy", he said.

Nick Read is the He started with Vodafone in the UK where he led the finance function, commercial function before becoming CEO.

Vodacom Tanzania Managing Director, Dietlof Mare, said during the occasion that Vodacom will continue to contribute to relief efforts for the victims of recent disaster.

"We have been offering assistance to disaster victims in the past through Vodafone Red Alert initiative and we will continue to do so. The initiative also allows the public to send their contributions to the relief efforts", he said.

Red Alert is a fundraising programme to support charitable giving, underpinning the work of the Vodafone Foundation. To contribute one only needs to send a text message with the word MAAFA or DISASTER to 15599.

Explosions rocked the night sky in Tanzania's commercial capital on Wednesday after an accident at a military base ammunition depot at Gongo la Mboto.

Reports say that at least 25 people have been killed in the terrible tragedy as the explosions happened over several hours at the military base.

Thousands more have been injured and properties have also been destroyed by the explosions.