The exchange rate is the price of a unit of foreign currency in terms of domestic currency typically quoted against the US dollar (USD), as it is the most traded currency globally, and other floating currencies like the Euro and the British Pound Sterling, whose prices go up and down according to how the currency trades on forex markets.
For economies like Kenya, the foreign exchange rate is an important economic variable showing how the country is coping with global economic activities, inflation, and the nation’s balance of payments with the changes in the value of the Kenyan Shilling.
Each week, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) releases bilateral exchange rate data indicating the average nominal value of one US dollar relative to the Kenyan Shilling. This exchange rate report shows how the shilling traded against all other major currencies in a particular week.
Foreign exchange rates CBK – February 2024
Released date: Feb 16
In the past week, the Kenyan shilling gained significantly and proved stronger in terms of its weighted average against a basket of currencies, including the US dollar.
On Wednesday, Feb 14, it was selling at Ksh156.70 per one USD, Ksh153.20/USD on Thursday up to Friday when CBK reported that the exchange rate in most commercial banks averaged Ksh142.9185/USD that week.
Showmax, which recently surpassed Netflix to be the leading streamer in Africa, kicked off to the general public in 2015.
The video-on-demand service is now the most subscribed streaming platform in the continent with 2.1 million subscribers, marking up a 38.7% market share against Netflix’s 33.5%, thanks to original documentaries and feature films and strategic partnerships with the world’s most successful TV networks HBO, NBCUniversal, Sky, and Comcast.
“In the last few years, Showmax has over-indexed on local content, and they are clearly seeing the long-term impact of that strategy,” film industry investor and tech entrepreneur Jason Nkoju told Rest of World. “It’s a volume game that the global streaming companies don’t fully seem to comprehend. I guess they will understand that now. The mass market prefers [its] own content.”
Showmax subscription options 2024
Today, Showmax is available in 44 countries, and Kenya is among them: subscribers here can access and pay for Showmax’s three main subscription plans and two other mini bundles for watching the Premier League, one on mobile devices and the other, Showmax Entertainment + Premier League, supporting all devices like set-top boxes and streaming devices like Android TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast.
Showmax prices in Kenya start at Ksh300 for its basic package, Showmax Entertainment Mobile, showing movies and series ad-free on smaller resolutions of between 144-1080p, hence data saving.
Other Showmax packages are the Showmax Premier League, Showmax Entertainment, Showmax Entertainment Mobile + Premier League, and Showmax Entertainment + Premier League, its premium subscription plan. Check out their monthly pricing from the cheapest to the most expensive;
No.
Showmax package
Price in Kenya (2024)
1.
Showmax Entertainment Mobile
Ksh300 per month
2.
Showmax Premier League
Ksh500 per month
3.
Showmax Entertainment
Ksh650 per month
4.
Showmax Entertainment Mobile + Premier League
Ksh700 per month
5.
Showmax Entertainment + Premier League
Ksh1,000 per month
Does Showmax allow downloads?
Yes – To make sure you always have something to watch offline, you can download TV shows or movies on Showmax, but it is limited to 25 titles per account. However, once you delete them, you can download them again at any resolution you like.
If you want to send a letter or a parcel to Mombasa by mail, you will need to specify the Mombasa postal code. Postcodes or ZIP codes, as it is popular in the US, mean the same thing – they are specific sets of numbers sometimes combined with letters that identify a postal delivery area.
Mombasa has a lot of postal codes, and they differ not only from one part of the city to another but also inside the parts of the larger coastal region in Kenya, encompassing the Kwale, Kilifi, and Malindi areas.
Therefore, when you are in Mombasa, a valid postcode will depend on where you live, as the order of the five-digit numbers can tell where an individual is, plus the location where their mail is sorted before delivery.
Predominantly, an example Mombasa postal code or ZIP code will start with 80- followed by other detailed numbers. See 80100 for Mvita, 80101 for Bamburi, 80110 for Likoni, 80118 for Nyali beach area, and so on.
Here is a list of postal codes for Mombasa and the regions on the coast of Kenya covering counties like Kwale and Kilifi;
If you are going to send an important letter or documents to anybody in Mombasa, be sure to find out their exact ZIP codes before inputting their private postal address to guarantee successful delivery and receiving.
In Kenya, personal postal addresses are administered and issued by MPost upon online application and payment of a Ksh400 annual subscription fee.
There are many ways of getting safely to various locations in Kenya, but admittedly, public transportation saves you time, stress, and money. So, if you are planning to get around the country, you might consider using Mash Poa, a bus company that provides fast, frequent, reliable, and accessible service to meet the needs of today’s riders.
Mash Poa Buses, operating regionally as Mash East Africa under several flagships like Mash Cool, offers local routes that provide easy access to employment hubs in several cities and convenient connections to small towns across Kenya with regional transportation services to towns like Kampala in Uganda and Kigali.
There is a lot to know about Mash Poa Buses, from its humble beginnings in 2002 at the turn of the century to becoming the ultra-modern and environmentally friendly public transit agency it is today, maintaining a fleet of over 50 buses that represents the latest in bus technology and the cleanest fuel sources.
“At Mash EastAfrica, we have a variety of vehicles that give our customers a comfortable traveling experience. We will regularly monitor the needs of our passengers and take reviews from them, and according to that, we offer a great atmosphere for them so they can enjoy their journey in great comfort and safe hands.” The bus company states.
That said, Mash Poa is an affordable, eco-friendly ride. Some of its top routes are Nairobi to Mombasa, whose tickets in 2024 cost Ksh1,300 for Mash Poa and Ksh1,600 for Mash Cool, Nairobi to Malindi, Nairobi to Kigali, and Nairobi to Kampala, UG’s capital.
Other popular routes are Nairobi to Kisumu for Ksh1,500, the same as tickets from Nairobi to Kakamega and Mumias, and the Malaba, Bungoma, Webuye, Eldoret to Mombasa route, which costs Ksh2,500 regular. Check out all the routes and latest fare prices;
Okoa Jahazi is how we manage our airtime for everyday calling, messaging, and internet when an airtime account has a negative balance – but this is on the Safaricom line, so what about Telkom Kenya?
Does the Telkom SIM card have the same product as Okoa Jahazi? Yes, users in Kenya can borrow Telkom airtime when their account runs out. It is called PEWA.
PEWA is the perfect solution to reload your phone with airtime for calls during an emergency when you don’t have money to buy airtime in the shops or using T-Kash, and aside from calls and SMS, the borrowed credit is usable for other chargeable Telkom services like buying data bundles to browse the internet except for roaming.
How do you borrow airtime on Telkom?
Here is how to access PEWA airtime advance on your Telkom line in Kenya:
1. On your Telkom SIM dialler, dial *100# to access the customer self-service menu
2. Go to option number 2 ‘Top-up’
3. You will see several ways of recharging Telkom airtime, but go to 4 ‘PEWA’ for credit advance
4. Choose to get Pewa Airtime
5. Enter the amount and press Send to get the airtime advance
The airtime loan will be recharged to your account automatically and instantly in seconds. Upon successful borrowing, you must pay back within seven days with a 10% service charge.
Telkom Pewa has a validity of 30 days. To qualify for any amount, you need to have been a Telkom subscriber for at least two months and have a record of consistently recharging and utilizing its services.
Further, when you qualify to access this service, your balance must be below Ksh20 to get the advance airtime.
Nairobi Expressway toll rates increased by an average of 39% starting in 2024 as the first system-wide hikes after almost three years due to revenue needs to pay off the Chinese investor China Road and Bridge Corporation.
The price hikes were approved by the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Roads and Transport Kipchumba Murkomen through a review of The Public Roads Toll Act, which went into effect immediately.
The CS said that the government needed supplemental funding to clear the loans taken to construct the Nairobi Expressway because, over time, the shilling had lost significant value against the US dollar in which the loans were taken.
“The adjustment was made based on the Project Agreement taking into account the depreciation of the Kenya Shilling to the United States dollar since the time of gazettement of the Toll Rates in April 2022,” he said.
Now, commuters using the toll roads from Museum Hill, The Mall, and Westlands and leaving the Expressway at Mlolongo are charged Ksh500, up from Ksh360, and pay a similar rate when they exit through Syokimau, except those from Museum Hill.
Those entering the Nairobi Expressway through Capital Centre and Haile Selassie pay a toll of Ksh410 when they leave at Mlolongo and an additional Ksh50 from the previous Ksh120 when passing through to exit at the Southern Bypass or Museum Hill:
Nairobi Expressway toll rates – 2024
Check out all rates shown in the table below;
Entry point
Exit
New tolls
Mlolongo
SGR
Ksh250
Mlolongo
Eastern Bypass
Ksh250
Mlolongo
Southern Bypass
Ksh330
Capital Centre
Mlolongo
Ksh410
Haile Selassie
Syokimau
Ksh410
Haile Selassie
JKIA
Ksh330
SGR
Eastern Bypass
Ksh170
JKIA
Eastern Bypass
Ksh170
Syokimau
Southern Bypass
Ksh330
Museum Hill
Southern Bypass
Ksh250
The Mall
Southern Bypass
Ksh250
Museum Hill
Eastern Bypass
Ksh330
Mlolongo
Museum Hill
Ksh500
Capital Centre
Westlands
Ksh330
Eastern Bypass
Mlolongo
Ksh250
Capital Centre
Haile Selassie
Ksh170
Capital Centre
Museum Hill
Ksh170
Southern Bypass
JKIA
Ksh250
JKIA
Haile Selassie
Ksh330
JKIA
Westlands
Ksh410
JKIA
Museum Hill
Ksh330
Southern Bypass
Mlolongo
Ksh330
Eastern Bypass
Syokimau
Ksh250
SGR
Capital Centre
Ksh330
Eastern Bypass
Westlands
Ksh410
Westlands
Mlolongo
Ksh500
Westlands
Eastern Bypass
Ksh410
Capital Centre
Museum Hill
Ksh170
The Mall
Mlolongo
Ksh500
Westlands
Syokimau
Ksh500
Westlands
Southern Bypass
Ksh330
Syokimau
Capital Centre
Ksh330
SGR
Westlands
Ksh410
The above toll rates are for the standard light vehicles with two-axles or four-wheeled vehicles. Otherwise, the Nairobi Expressway maintained its formula for calculating tolls based on the vehicle’s classes, with commuters driving vehicles with two axles and a high bonnet paying 1.5x more these charges, 4x the base toll rates for those having fewer than four axles or Class 5 and 5x for Class 6 vehicles.
In the spirit of making life easier, Equitel was created by Equity Bank to provide funds accessibility and choice of payment to their customers and also to other Kenyans – it’s not a must to have an Equity Bank account to register for an Equitel SIM card.
If you are an Equity Bank customer, the Equitel line allows you to transfer money from your bank account and withdraw it through an Equitel agent to get cash, the same as for regular users.
When making Equitel money withdrawals from their agents, the transaction usually comes with a fee, and these withdrawal charges vary and depend on the amount you want to get in cash. For example, the fee to withdraw Ksh2,000 is Ksh27.50, like getting Ksh1,000, the withdrawal charges for amounts from Ksh2,501 to Ksh5,000 is Ksh49.50 in 2024, Ksh159.50 for withdrawing Ksh20,000 and below up to Ksh10,001, Ksh187.00 for Ksh20,001 to Ksh35,000 and so on:
Here are all Equitel withdrawal charges;
The minimum amount you can withdraw at an Equitel agent is Ksh100, and the maximum amount is Ksh100,000, although the daily transaction value is Ksh500,000.
Amounts to withdraw from Equitel
Applicable fees (2024)
Ksh100 to Ksh2,500
Ksh27.50
Ksh2,501 to Ksh5,000
Ksh49.50
Ksh5,001 to Ksh10,000
Ksh82.50
Ksh10,001 to Ksh20,000
Ksh159.50
Ksh20,001 to Ksh35,000
Ksh187.00
Ksh35,001 to Ksh50,000
Ksh214.50
Ksh50,001 to Ksh100,000
Ksh242.00
Equitel also permits its registered customers to send money within themselves for free, no matter the amount, and to other people using other lines, Airtel and Safaricom’s Mpesa.
However, when sending money to Mpesa and Airtel Money accounts, all transactions are subject to charges based on the amount and the mobile money service between the two, except for Ksh100, which is zero.
Sending amounts between Ksh101 to Ksh500 from Equitel to Mpesa costs Ksh10 and Ksh11 on Airtel Money, Ksh501 to Ksh1,000 is charged a transfer fee of Ksh12 and Ksh13, respectively, all the way to the maximum amount you can send instantly, Ksh150,000, charged Ksh67 to Mpesa and Ksh65 to Airtel Money.
Equitel to Mpesa/Airtel Money charges 2024
See what it will cost you today to send money from your Equitel SIM card to Mpesa or Airtel Money users in Kenya;
From Equitel amount
To Mpesa charges
To Airtel Money charges
Ksh1 – Ksh100
FREE
FREE
Ksh101 – Ksh500
Ksh10
Ksh11
Ksh501 – Ksh1,000
Ksh12
Ksh13
Ksh1,001 – Ksh1,500
Ksh14
Ksh20
Ksh1,501 – Ksh2,500
Ksh23
Ksh25
Ksh2,501 – Ksh3,500
Ksh33
Ksh35
Ksh3,501 – Ksh5,000
Ksh43
Ksh45
Ksh5,001 – Ksh7,500
Ksh55
Ksh55
Ksh7,501 – Ksh20,000
Ksh65
Ksh65
Kah20,001 – Ksh150,000
Ksh67
Ksh65
When you send money from Equitel to Mpesa or Airtel Money, recipients receive funds within seconds.
A Kenyan Visa is a legal status and document obtained by citizens of foreign countries when they want to enter Kenya. It is usually attached to their travel documents or a passport issued by their country of origin.
The purpose of your intended travel to Kenya determines the type of visa you will apply as there are many different types of Kenyan visas depending on where you come from, how long you will stay, and even who you are since there are special categories of people like holders of United Nations Organization Laissez-Passers, Union of Radio, Television Network of Africa (URTNA) Laissez- Passers, African Reinsurance Corporation (ARC) Laissez-Passers, European Union Laissez-Passers, and African Airlines Travel Association (IATA) Laissez-Passers and a few others who need not a Kenyan Visa when coming to the country for official business.
Diplomatic officials, serving members of the British Military, and all African nationals can also come visa-free.
Kenyan Visa categories
While there are many Kenyan Visas available, with varying durations of stay or expiry dates and with either single or multiple entries, they can be grouped first as either online e-visas or regular paper/sticker visas (obtained physically in the Kenyan-based high commission or embassy of the visiting individual), then by purpose of the visa which as initially stated depends on the intention of travel.
For this, there are several Kenyan Visa types, and some are Tourist Visas, Business Visas, Student Visas, Entry Visas, Medical Visas and Medical Attendant Visas, Journalist Visas, Research Visas, and Employment and Project Visas, all with differing validity periods and application costs.
Kenyan Visa application fees in 2024
As mentioned, each type of Kenyan Visa has its own price, and their validity period also varies greatly.
For instance, getting a Tourist Visa, which is valid for one year, will cost you $100, while a Business Visa with the same validity period is $120, the same as obtaining an Employment Visa, which has a lesser expiration time of six months like the Entry Visa whose application fee is $80 – their prices vary greatly.
So check out all the prices for all Kenyan Visas for nonimmigrants before making your application to get one:
ATMs are the most commonly used means of withdrawing cash, offering millions of people with bank accounts the quickest way of accessing cash without going into a branch of their bank.
At the ATMs, meaning automated teller machines, these customers of banks withdraw money using physical cards linked to their accounts. In Kenya, Equity Bank gives those who use their banking products and services an option to choose between various debit and credit cards that work best for them.
Using Equity Bank cards in Kenya
As stated, to accommodate different consumer needs and preferences, Equity Bank issues several types of debit and credit cards to their customers, and all these banking cards accept ATM withdrawals.
However, a debit card differs from credit cards in that while using debit cards to draw cash from an ATM or make payments, you are deducting money you deposited in your bank account, but on the other hand, credit cards give you access to credit that you’ll need to pay back later.
Equity Bank has two types of debit cards using the VISA Secure and Mastercard Identity Check service. These are the Equity Visa Debit Card and Equity Mastercard Debit Card, with very similar capabilities, except for their logos.
With both Equity Bank’s Visa Debit Card and Mastercard Debit Card, you enjoy the convenience of withdrawing money from ATM facilities available countrywide and making instant payments to any outlet that displays their respective logos, similar to having one of its credit cards – American Express (Amex) Credit Cards, Equity Gold Credit Card, and Equity Gold Credit Card – but for the line of credit with 45 to 50 days interest-free credit (unlike the overdraft facility in debit cards), and multiple rewards upon use.
Are Equity Bank banking cards free to get?
All Equity Bank customers are eligible to get debit cards upon opening a bank account and credit cards based on credit risk assessment and assignment of credit limits for accessing cash in advance on their cards. However, these ATM cards are not free.
One must pay a card application fee of Ksh600 to get Equity Bank’s Visa Debit Card or a Mastercard Debit Card and a similar amount to replace it when it gets lost, expires, or for re-issue due to a forgotten PIN. You also pay an annual fee of Ksh200 when holding these debit cards.
But credit cards are a bit more costlier, with joining fees ranging from Ksh2,500 for the Equity Classic Credit Card to Ksh7,500 for the Equity Gold Credit Card.
It is free to get American Express (Amex) Credit Cards from Equity Bank, but even so, the annual subscription costs, paid to avoid expiry, is Ksh3,500 for the Equity Bank American Express Green Card and Ksh7,000 for the Equity Bank American Express Gold Card.
Does Equity Bank charge a fee for using an ATM?
Yes, there are fees associated with withdrawing cash from ATMs when you are a holder of any of its Visa/MasterCard debit and credit cards, and it is set at Ksh30 in 2024 for all withdrawals from ATMs belonging to the bank and a fixed fee of Ksh200 for out-of-network ATM transactions.
Did you just receive a call from an unrecognized number? A mystery caller, I mean? It is a yes, of course! That is why you are here and want to find out who is behind that phone number. Well, never worry; we will show you ways to unmask the identities of unfamiliar callers in South Africa before you decide whether to ring them back, ignore or block them.
In a world filled with spam and unfamiliar calls, it is easy to fall into the hands of scammers and risk being a victim of voice phishing or vishing, whereby fraudsters tap and use your voice to authorize transactions on your prepaid or postpaid card or call the bank to get your bank details before wiping your bank accounts clean. And that is not the only risk of unknown callers.
Some criminals use new numbers to call unsuspicious victims, pretending to be customer representatives to collect their personal information, which they use for illegal activities like SIM swaps. They are very notorious. So, it is important to track and trace them to know their names before picking up their unending harassing calls.
The good thing is that today’s advanced technology has brought about several sites and applications that you can turn to for assistance and freely unearth the names of these unknown callers and their locations to reduce phone scams. Here are some;
1. Use Phone Number Track website
Phonenumbertrack.com is a phone location, phone number tracking, and international call number resolver website you can use to find out the IDs of unknown callers in South Africa for free.
With Phone Number Track, you will identify the location of anonymous cell phone numbers and the origin of the call by simply entering the country name of the unknown number as, for example, South Africa, proceeding to type the phone number into a search box available on the site and then hitting the Track button.
Phone Number Track is free and easy to use, and you will get the query results in seconds. However, it gives very limited information.
2. Trace an unknown number using social media
Social media is the world’s connection getaway. Social networking apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram enable users to connect with family, friends, and others through messaging, shared posts, and stories. Hence, many people have accounts for chatting and engaging on these social apps.
But did you know that you can actually rely on these apps, especially Facebook, to trace unknown phone numbers? All you need to do is enter the number for search, and Facebook will display the FB profiles linked to it.
From there, you can check if you are familiar with the names and posted photos to unmask the caller ID of the new number.
3. What about Truecaller?
Truecaller is a go-to app if you want to make an unknown phone number search, owing to its 100% free reverse phone lookup and sophisticated caller ID and spam detection features.
It was founded in 2009 in Sweden by Nami Zarringhalam and Alan Mamedi when they were still students, and today, it boasts over 1 billion downloads on Google Play with over 368 million active users.
Download the Truecaller app to search and unmask those behind the unknown numbers calling you. You can also use their desktop website to identify the spam callers for free.
However, to enjoy other offerings like viewing those who traced your own number, hiding your identity when you view other phone numbers, powerful blocking, and access to call recording tools, you can pay for the Truecaller premium plans, which start from $29.90 (R568) to $249 (R4,733) per year for Truecaller Gold.
4. Use mSpy app
mSpy is a brute force method of tracing and tracking unknown cell phone numbers using top-notch reverse lookup engines that provide not only the name of the users but also their real-time location.
In fact, mSpy is one of the apps that can secretly spy on someone, so you don’t have to look over their shoulder trying to get a glimpse of what they are doing on their phone because it is a comprehensive phone monitoring app that once you install its spyware on the other party’s phone, you get to know all they are doing while they are on their gadgets.
mSpy is among the best remote cell phone tracking apps in South Africa for monitoring your children and maybe your cheating partner, aside from using it to reveal the details of irritating unknown callers.
However, it doesn’t come cheap. You have to pay about R200 per month to enjoy its services.
5. Search the new number on Google
Unsure who called you just now? Never fret. Only copy and paste that unknown new number for a search on Google, and you will find everything it knows about that number, like fraud reports, location, and all other details publicly available on the internet, right there on your phone screen.
Google has an easy-to-use interface that is accurate, and it is convenient for searching and unmasking the identity of new callers for free.
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