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Kyosk Acquires KwikBasket to Accelerate its Farm & Fresh Line of Business, Transforming the Distribution of Fresh Produce

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Kyosk

By connecting businesses, consumers, and suppliers, Kyosk.App facilitates seamless transactions and enhances overall efficiency in the supply chain

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 4, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Kyosk Digital Services (www.Kyosk.app), a digital-first and data-led distribution platform, is pleased to announce its expansion into the African fresh produce market with the launch of its Farm & Fresh line of business. This follows on the back of Kyosk’s recent acquisition of KwikBasket, a prominent player in the agricultural industry known for its expertise in the distribution of agricultural produce and for providing valuable services and solutions to farmers, commercial kitchens, and other stakeholders in the food chain.

Kyosk Digital Services specialises in online retail distribution and is driven by a digital-first approach and data-driven insights. The company aims to transform the distribution and accessibility of goods and services in Africa through innovative solutions. By connecting businesses, consumers, and suppliers, Kyosk.App facilitates seamless transactions and enhances overall efficiency in the supply chain.

With the launch of Farm & Fresh, Kyosk combines its digital-first approach and large-scale operations with KwikBasket’s agricultural expertise to transform the African fresh produce market, creating a more efficient and inclusive ecosystem.   

Raphael Afaedor, Co-Founder and CEO of Kyosk Digital Services, says, “This acquisition marks a major milestone for Kyosk as we broaden our footprint in the fresh produce market in Africa and enhance our offering to cater to the needs of farmers, retailers, kitchens, eateries, and other consumers. With KwikBasket’s extensive expertise and resources, we are strategically positioned to unlock the full potential of farming in Africa and create a fair and efficient marketplace that benefits all stakeholders in the food chain.

“This expansion presents a unique opportunity for Kyosk to leverage its digital-first and data-led distribution platform to revolutionise the way fresh produce is sourced, distributed, and enjoyed in Africa.”

In many regions on the African continent, farmers face numerous challenges due to fragmented and inefficient distribution chains for agricultural produce. Farmers often struggle to reach end-consumers, leading to significant production losses, low income, wastage, and high food prices. Kyosk’s Fresh line offers farmers access to improved yields, consistent market access, fair pricing, essential information and insights, and agri-inputs. By empowering farmers with these resources, Kyosk seeks to support farmers’ growth and success in the agricultural sector.

With KwikBasket’s extensive expertise and resources, we are strategically positioned to unlock the full potential of farming in Africa and create a fair and efficient marketplace

Additionally, Kyosk Fresh will cater to the needs of restaurants, eateries, and other customers by providing a consistent supply of a wide variety of high-quality products. Kitchens and eateries often face several challenges due to long lead times in the supply chain. Some of these key challenges include food safety and quality concerns, food wastage, high logistics costs, and delays in fulfilling customer orders.

Through streamlined processes, optimised logistics, and enhanced inventory management, Kyosk Farm & Fresh can reduce many of these obstacles. This will enable kitchens and eateries to maintain stability and competitiveness in terms of pricing while ensuring food safety, transparency, and traceability throughout the supply chain. 

As part of the launch of the Farm & Fresh line of business, the uLima digital platform will be rebranded to Kyosk Farm. uLima was a platform that provided farmers with quality inputs, localised market information, and market linkage.

Kyosk Farm will now build upon the foundation of uLima, leveraging its existing features and functionality while enhancing the overall user experience. For farmers, Kyosk Farm will offer improved yields by providing access to information, insights, and agri-inputs, such as fertilisers, and financing. It will enable farmers to connect with consistent market access and fair pricing, ensuring sustainable income and growth opportunities for their businesses.

The African retail market is valued at approximately US$600 billion and is projected to grow at a rate of 5% to 6% annually. Kyosk focuses on serving small retail outlets and traditional retailers, which account for over 60% of retail trade in Africa. These retailers are primarily located in low-income, informal urban communities and have historically been inadequately served. They face high transportation costs and have difficulty accessing manufacturers and distributors due to multiple layers of intermediaries. As a result, small retailers often experience frequent stockouts and lost revenue while facing limited access to credit.

The Kyosk platform revolutionises how small retail outlets (kiosks), farmers, and their communities in Africa connect with high-quality and affordable goods and services through digitised value chains. Retailers can order products directly from FMCGs without the need for intermediaries, gaining access to competitive prices and cost savings. Kyosk has also expanded its operations to include electronic goods, health, and beauty products, reflecting its commitment to diversifying its offerings and catering to a wide range of consumer needs.

Moreover, Kyosk extends its support beyond product distribution; it collaborates with financial institutions to facilitate its outreach to traditional shops, farmers, and other businesses. It enables them to provide services such as credit and insurance, contributing to the financial inclusion of underrepresented businesses and individuals, and fostering economic growth and stability.

With this strategic expansion into the fresh produce market, Kyosk is poised to revolutionise the distribution and enjoyment of fresh produce in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kyosk Digital Services.

Events

The 27th China International Education Annual Conference held a cloud dialogue, where Yin Yuzhen and Saikaos discussed the exchange of folk ecological education

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China

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 November 2026 – The 27th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) hosted a “CACIE Talk” session in Beijing on October 30, where Yin Yuzhen, a Chinese anti-desertification pioneer, Bai Fan, head of the Luoyang No. 2 Foreign Language School Education Group, and their American friend Sakolsky, whose full name is Ronald Sakolsky, reconnected via video link. The brief conversation added a new footnote to a cross-border green story now spanning 26 years.
 




 
In the video link, Sakolsky said he had launched preparations on October 1 to establish the Sakolsky Foundation. He plans to work with the China Education Association for International Exchange to build a platform for exchanges between Chinese and American teachers and students, using people-to-people exchanges to bridge cultural divides. Communication and understanding, he said, are important bridges to a peaceful future for young people in the global village we all share. Bai Fan also noted that face-to-face cross-border educational exchanges can help young people learn tolerance and respect, and see a real, multi-dimensional China. Yin Yuzhen responded with a simple observation that resonated with the audience: planting trees and nurturing people both come down to perseverance.

The friendship had its origins in the Maowusu Sandy Land. In 1999, Sakolsky, then teaching in Luoyang, was moved by Yin Yuzhen’s story of taking root in the desert to control desertification, and raised $5,000 himself to support her afforestation efforts. Yin invested the entire sum in the sandy land, planted some 50,000 saplings, erected a stone marker bearing her friend’s name, and kept one dollar as a memento.

The two then lost touch for more than two decades. Yin kept up her sand-control work day after day while thinking of her friend far away. In May 2026, she posted a video appeal to find him and located Sakolsky within 26 hours. In August that year, the two met in person in Ordos and walked together into the forest that now stands there.

For more than four decades, Yin Yuzhen and her husband have remained committed to the Maowusu, bringing a total of 70,000 mu (about 4,667 hectares) of barren sand under control. The shifting dunes that once rolled with yellow dust have gradually become woodland and pasture. Today, 85 percent of the Maowusu Sandy Land in Uxin Banner has been treated, and the transformation of this sandy expanse is regarded as a model case in reversing land degradation worldwide. Over the years, the area has continued to attract volunteers from many countries to take part in desertification control, and people-to-people cooperation on environmental protection has continued to grow.

The goodwill that began with sand control has long gone beyond a single stretch of sandy land. On October 15 this year, Yin Yuzhen was named one of the inaugural “100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development” at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. There she joined Sakolsky and FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in planting a crape myrtle as a symbol of friendship, sharing China’s experience in desertification control on the international stage. Windblown sand respects no borders, and a shared commitment to ecological conservation has carried the story of two ordinary people out of the desert and onto the international multilateral platform.

The thread of people-to-people friendship clearly runs from the saplings in the Maowusu to the crape myrtle as a mark of friendship in Rome, and now to the conversation in Beijing about exchanges among young people. Sakolsky’s plan to establish the foundation is meant to carry forward the goodwill that began in the desert: starting from an ecological commitment, using educational exchange as a bond, and helping more young people build connections and pass on the power of goodness and beauty.
 




 

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Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group–World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) Investment Excellence Awards 2026 Announce Winners

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Islamic Development Bank

Beyond recognizing excellence, the Awards foster peer learning and the exchange of best practices among IsDB Member Countries, helping transform investment opportunities into sustainable, impactful, and investment-ready projects

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 11, 2026/APO Group/ –The IsDB Group–WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 (https://www.IsDB.org) concluded today during the 30th World Investment Conference (WIC 2026) in Geneva, Switzerland, recognizing outstanding Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) for their contributions to sustainable investment, investment facilitation, and economic development across IsDB Member Countries.

 




  

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), Egypt, received the IsDB Group- WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 for Outstanding Sustainable Investment Project for the Kom Ombo Solar PV Power Project, a landmark initiative that has delivered measurable economic, social, and environmental impact while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Invest Oman received the IsDB Group-WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 for Investment-Ready Projects, Partnerships & Facilitation Excellence in recognition of its success in developing investment-ready opportunities through effective partnerships, stakeholder coordination, and investor facilitation.

The National Investment Promotion Agency of Comoros received a Special Recognition Award for Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The agency was recognized for supporting investors at every stage, from preparing projects to aftercare.

The Awards are a joint initiative of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group and World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), established to recognize Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) from IsDB Member Countries that are driving sustainable development, private sector growth, economic diversification, and long-term prosperity through investment.

A total of 15 applications were submitted for the 2026 edition. Following an eligibility screening process, all eligible submissions were reviewed and assessed by an independent international jury, which selected the winners based on the published evaluation criteria.

The awards were presented by Mr. Ismail Ersahin, Chief Executive Officer of WAIPA; Mr. Sahal Almarwai, Division Manager of Outreach & Events Management at the IsDB Group Business Forum (THIQAH); and Mr. Kadir Basboga, Associate Manager, Regional Integration, Cooperation & Capacity Development at IsDB. The ceremony brought together IPAs leaders, senior government officials, investors, and private sector representatives attending the World Investment Conference (WIC) 2026.

Launched during the IsDB Group Annual Meetings 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Awards reflect the evolving role of IPAs in supporting investors throughout the investment lifecycle, strengthening investment ecosystems, coordinating stakeholders, and developing bankable investment opportunities. Beyond recognizing excellence, the Awards foster peer learning and the exchange of best practices among IsDB Member Countries, helping transform investment opportunities into sustainable, impactful, and investment-ready projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

 

 




 

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Lord Nicholas Stern to headline Africa’s Green Economy Summit as continent looks towards 32nd Conference of the Parties (COP32)

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COP32

AGES 2027 brings global and African leaders together in Cape Town to focus on financing and delivering Africa’s sustainable future

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 11, 2026/APO Group/ –Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, one of the world’s leading authorities on the economics of climate change, will deliver a keynote address at Africa’s Green Economy Summit (https://apo-opa.co/4iRv4j7) (AGES), taking place from 23 to 26 February 2027 at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town. His participation comes as Africa looks towards COP32, which Ethiopia will host in 2027.

 




  

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, will address delegates during the opening keynote session: “Ready for the World: Financing and Delivering Africa’s Sustainable Future.”

A foundational figure in shaping the economic case for global climate action, Professor Lord Nicholas Stern led the landmark Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, which demonstrated the profound economic risks of inaction on climate change and made the case for investment in a transition to a low-carbon economy.

His participation comes as Africa enters an important period for climate action. With COP32 placing the global spotlight on the continent, the focus is increasingly shifting from ambition and commitments towards implementation: mobilising capital, building investable projects, strengthening resilience and ensuring the green transition supports economic growth, industrialisation and jobs.

“COP32 is an opportunity for Africa to change the narrative from a continent seeking climate finance to a continent offering some of the world’s most compelling green investment opportunities. AGES 2027 is about making that opportunity tangible by connecting capital with projects, policy with implementation, and ambition with delivery,” says Emmanuelle Nicholls, Group Director: Green Economy at VUKA Group.

That transition from ambition to delivery sits at the heart of the newly released AGES 2027 programme, with “Road to COP32: Africa’s Implementation Agenda” running as a cross-cutting theme throughout the summit. The opening programme also features a dedicated discussion on Africa’s adaptation and resilience agenda on the road to COP32.

New voices shaping Africa’s green economy

AGES 2027 is about making that opportunity tangible by connecting capital with projects, policy with implementation, and ambition with delivery

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern will be joined by a growing line-up of African and international leaders spanning green growth, climate finance, development finance, trade and investment.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Mallé Fofana, Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Directorate for Green Growth Implementation at the Global Green Growth Institute
  • Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Division Director for South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini
  • Haile Mekonnen, COP32 Climate Finance Representative for the Ethiopian Private Sector and member of UNECA’s COP32 Climate Finance Technical Team
  • Aakif Merchant, Director and Head of Africa at Convergence
  • Dave Chalila, Head of Africa and Middle East Investments at GuarantCo (PIDG)
  • Roslyn Ng’eno, Senior Investment Expert at the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat

 

The programme will examine some of the most immediate opportunities and challenges shaping Africa’s sustainable development, including energy access and green industrialisation, water security, sustainable agriculture, climate and nature finance, critical minerals, sustainable mobility, carbon finance, digital infrastructure and the mobilisation of institutional capital.

From climate ambition to capital

The COP32 conversation at AGES will be grounded in investment and delivery.

AGES 2027 is expected to bring together 700+ delegates, 150+ investors and 40 investment-ready projects representing a US$2 billion pipeline, creating a marketplace connecting African opportunities with the capital, partners and expertise required to take them forward.

New additions for 2027 include a Ministerial & Technical Leadership Roundtable, a closed-door DFI Roundtable and the Green Village, alongside investor roundtables, curated matchmaking and project pitches.

The City of Cape Town returns as host city for AGES 2027.

The full AGES 2027 programme is now available, together with the summit’s new infrastructure and SMME Dealbooks highlighting investment-ready African projects seeking capital and partnerships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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