Afrigator Blog

Today we’re taking a trip to Kenya to find out a bit more about one of the country’s top bloggers and his blog – Bankelele.

Are you more of a writer or a geek?

A writer, my geek skills are very basic

What are you really passionate about?

Affordable, quality, banking & other services in Nairobi

Why do you think people should read your blog?

It’s unique, 5+ year look at a mish mash of Kenya banking, investment and economic data from the perspective of a Nairobi banker. Very little political or disasters writing here

What did you want to be when you were 12 years old?

- A pilot or a hotel manager

What really annoys you?

- My job sometimes, Bureaucracy

Have you ever gotten any free stuff or gifts as a result of your blog?

A Mac, and some trips around Africa

Where would you go on Holiday?

Seychelles, Zanzibar, Lamu – I guess anywhere on a warm East African coastal beach

Are you a Mac or a PC fan? Would you ever switch?

Both, been brought up PC, use a Mac now, but use them interchangeably everyday

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

An African president with a really big entourage and motorcade

What is your favourite gadget?

My small Nokia: can use twitter, Google reader anywhere – taxi, toilet, in bed, boring meetings

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Don Cheadle

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

The usual – to fly, super strong, super senses

If you could work anywhere in the world where would you earn your bread and butter?

In a business jet, travel from city to city around Africa, never more than a few weeks in any place

Afrigator stats:

Blog description:

Banking, finance, investments in Nairobi Kenya

Blog Rank:

Bankelele ranks 21 in Africa and 1 in Kenya. According to site visitors it ranks 126, and 169 according to page views:

According to blogroll links it ranks 70 and 102 according to the amount of links within Afrigator blog posts

Preamble

Oluniyi David Ajao is an Internet entrepreneur with strong interests in web design & hosting. He writes about mobile communications technologies and blogs about African issues. He is also a photography enthusiast and enjoys tech-related websites, magazines & TV/Radio shows. His personal website at www.davidajao.com serves as the central point of his personal web activities.

So, enough preamble, let’s get to know a little more about this week’s featured blogger!

Name: Oluniyi David Ajao

Blog: http://www.davidajao.com/blog/

1. Are you more of a writer or a geek?

I am balanced between both. I enjoy reading and writing about tech-related stuff, especially broadcasting and telecoms.

2. What are you really passionate about?

A few things: Africa, Technology.

3. Why do you think people should read your blog?

I blog about Politics, Showbiz, Technology and Business in relation to Africa and people who share these interests would find my blog a useful resource to keep in touch with developments in Africa.

4. What did you want to be when you were 12 years old?

A TV broadcast engineer

5. What really annoys you?

Mediocrity

6. Have you ever gotten any free stuff or gifts as a result of your blog?

I have met wonderful people with whom I connected through my blog. I have received several commendations from people who enjoyed the content I shared. These are more valuable than any free gifts.

7. Where would you go on Holiday?

Mauritius, South Africa or Egypt.

8. Are you a Mac or a PC fan? Would you ever switch?

I am used to PCs due to their market domination and doubt that I would ever switch.

9. If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

Nelson Mandela.

10. What is your favourite gadget?

My Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

11. If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Denzel Washington.

12. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I want to be able to read human minds.

13. If you could work anywhere in the world where would you earn your bread and butter?

Going by what I do for a living, the United States would be my best choice.

If you haven’t already, then click on over to http://www.davidajao.com/blog/ now and see why Oluniyi was tipped to be this week’s featured blogger.

It was great to get to know another African blogger a little better and every week we’re keeping our eyes open for more greats. If you would like to nominate a blogger to be profiled, please drop us an email with their blog address to support@afrigator.com and we’ll do our best to get in touch with them! Be sure to check back every Monday for 5 minutes with our featured Afrigator blogger. Maybe it’ll be you next week

Till next time, keep on blogging!

Lester

When we started this feature, the purpose was a bit of a hybrid. Half the reason was so that we could get to know our bloggers a bit better and the other half was to let YOU get to know them better. We’ve had loads of positive feedback so far, which is really great because it lets us know most of you think we’re on the right track with this feature

This week we pay another visit to Kenya for our Eye on Africa featured African blogger – Africa Expat Wives Club.

I am a British expat wife living in Nairobi Kenya with my husband and three daughters. A housewife who does no housework, who hopes to somehow launch herself into a successful freelance writing career. We’ve lived in East Africa for the past ten years and the thought of ever moving on is suddenly terrifying.

Blog: http://africaexpatwivesclub.blogspot.com

Do you consider yourself more of a writer or a geek?

I would love to say I am more of a writer – but probably I am much more of a geek who sadly doesn’t know that much about computers but loves my ‘virtual’ online blogging life.

What are you really passionate about?

I am passionate about describing the experience of living in East Africa in an accessible, honest and 21st century fashion. Most of the stories that you read about Africa from overseas are overblown; either glamorized or making things look pitiful or hopeless, both of which are rubbish.

Why would you say people should read your blog?

I think people should read my blog to hopefully raise the odd smile between my rants. I quite like opening up debate on certain subjects concerned with living in Africa. My Africa expat/social stereotypes are intended to be a bit of fun – based on Victoria Mather’s social stereotypes that appear in the UK Telegraph newspaper.

What did you want to be when you were 12 years old?

When I was 12 I simply said I wanted to be famous, but could never put my finger on how exactly to achieve that. I guess that is why I am now a blogger…still haven’t quite given up hope.

What really gets under your skin?

Generalisations. Though I must admit I find myself making generalisations a lot.

Have you ever gotten any free stuff as a result of your blogging?

Never got any free stuff as a result of my blog. What am I doing wrong? I was interviewed by the UK Times newspaper and appeared on BBC World news in Jan 2008 thanks to my blog though.

Where would you choose to go on holiday?

I would go on holiday to Barcelona or Bruges, Venice or Vienna – a city break filled with museums and surrounded by beautiful architecture. I have been utterly spoiled by safaris and idyllic, deserted sandy beaches over the last ten years so fancy a change.

Are you a Mac or a PC fan? Would you ever switch?

PC fan. Would be too terrified to switch.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

Jane Austin for a week, visiting smart neighbours for tea in beautiful houses by horse drawn carriage, partying and observing society with a wry smile then writing it all down when I got home.

What is your favourite gadget?

My new Safaricom dongle – which gives me pretty good internet access at home in Nairobi (Broadband still a distant dream).

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Catherine Tate

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Flying. All superheroes should be able to fly.

If you could work anywhere in the world where would you earn your bread and butter?

New York. I only visited for one day aged 13, but remember that the place had a real buzz to it. At the time I wanted to leap out of the car, get lost in the crowd and make like Madonna in ‘Desperately seeking Susan’. Plus I heard that you never have to use your oven when you live there.

If you enjoy witty and funny writing and are up for finding out a bit more about the beautiful Kenya, click on over to the Africa Expat Wives Club for a good read

Welcome to a great Monday afternoon Today we’re spending a bit of time with Ugandan blogger Jon Gosier in our Eye on Africa weekly feature so get comfy and read on.

Jonathan Gosier is an American software developer, writer, investor and the founder of Appfrica Labs. Appfrica Labs is a venture capital firm that invests in East African software start-ups, the goal being to create jobs and prevent brain-drain. He also currently serves as the Chief Technical Officer at QuestionBox.org. He currently lives in Kampala, Uganda. He is a huge advocate for promoting the ways in which technology benefits emerging economies throughout the world. Jon Gosier is a TEDGlobal 2009 Fellow (which is way cool).

So, enough preamble, let’s get to know a little more about Jon.

Name: Jon Gosier

Blog: http://Appfrica.net

1. Are you more of a writer or a geek?

Geek.

2. What are you really passionate about?

Technology. Literature. Film.

3. Why do you think people should read your blog?

They really shouldn’t, but I’ll read all of theirs. =)

4. What did you want to be when you were 12 years old?

An Astronaut and/or Michael Jackson.

5. What really annoys you?

Gross assumptions about diverse groups of people.

6. Have you ever gotten any free stuff or gifts as a result of your blog?

No. I take blogging more seriously than most. My opinion cannot be bought.

7. Where would you go on Holiday?

I have a hankering to go to India.

8. Are you a Mac or a PC fan? Would you ever switch?

Mac all the way. I’d never switch unless Steve Jobs somehow ended up the CEO of Microsoft.

9. If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

I think these days I’d like to know what it’s like to be President Barrack Obama.

10. What is your favourite gadget?

My iPhone.

11. If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Idris Elba because the only way I’d ever be that sexy is if someone else was playing me, lol.

12. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I’d like to be able to see the future.

13. If you could work anywhere in the world where would you earn your bread and butter?

Right here in Uganda.

If you haven’t already, then click on over to Appfrica now

It was great to get to know another African blogger a little better! Be sure to check back every Monday for 5 minutes with our featured Afrigator blogger. Maybe it’ll be you next week

We figure that there are lots of cool bloggers in Africa. The coolest of these bloggers are, of course, on Afrigator </ shameless plug> and it’s time we get to know a little bit more about you

So in the interest of getting to know our bloggers, Afrigator will be profiling a different blogger every week. The questions we’ll be asking aren’t techy, geeky or well..boring. Instead, they’re more about getting to know our bloggers as people and not just tiny little avatars. If you have any questions that you would like us to ask our bloggers, drop us a line to support@afrigator.com with your question suggestions.

Today we’re spending some time with one of our bloggers, Mambe  Churchill Nanje

I am Mambe Churchill Nanje, A Cameroonian IT Entrepreneur, with expertise in web development, computer systems and networking. I am a Macromedia certified Developer and I am currently the CEO and President of AfroVisioN Group www.afrovisiongroup.com . I am an African Visionary under 24yrs of age

What is your Blog URL?

http://mambenanje.blogspot.com/

Are you more of a writer or a geek?
I am more of a geek;)

What are you really passionate about?
Business of web and software development in Africa

Why do you think people should read your blog?
Because my blog talks more about my life as an African Software Entrepreneur and the things I go through. Its unique because there are a few of us African Software Entrepreneurs who get to write on blogs.

What did you want to be when you were 12 years old?
Cant really recall but maybe I wanted to be a pilot or doctor or Micheal Jackson

What really gets under your skin?
I don’t usually get angry and am always smiling but I hate suspicion, rumors and lies.

Have you ever gotten any free stuff as a result of your blog?
Nope I have never had any free stuff as a result of my blog

Where would you go on Holiday?
Anywhere in Latin America or eastern europe to catch some fun and forget about business, designing and programming for some time.

Are you a Mac or a PC fan? Would you ever switch?
I am a PC fan and I have never owned a Mac, but I might switch because I don’t care about what I am using (tools), I care about results and speed. So what ever I use to deliver I am cool with it.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be?
I love to trade places with Sergey Brin of Google and do the things he does to make the technology giant of our time stay on top.

What is your favourite gadget
My Dell Lattitude laptop

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
Nick Cannon.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Vision to be able to tell what technologies trends of the future so I can be innovative.

If you could work in any office space, where would you work?

I would love to work in the Google Plex

Thanks for taking the time to chat to us Mambe! We’ll be featuring a different African blogger every Monday from now on. If you would have any suggestions for who we should feature or would like to be interviewed on Afrigator, drop us a line on support@afrigator.com and we’ll try to make it happen.

Till next time, keep on blogging!

Lester and the Afrigator Team

P.S Don’t forget to come back and have a look at tomorrow’s edition of Tuesday Tips!