Biz Buzz

Not always. One option pairs a realistic Base Budget with a separately approved Growth Programme. Another uses two complete financial budgets: Base and Target.

When one ambitious budget drives expenditure, a sales shortfall can leave costs committed before the expected revenue arrives. The problem isn’t ambition; it’s treating a sales target as automatic spending authority. Some costs must come early; others can be staged.

Murtaza Insights compares both approaches for boards and senior executives of mid-sized businesses, using an illustrative KSh example to examine profitability, expenditure controls and liquidity.

Cross-border supplier payments in Africa often pass through international banks and dollar or euro conversions. PAPSS offers a more direct route between African currencies, potentially reducing costs and delays.

Its June 2026 report lists 31 reachable countries and over 440 financial institutions, including 190+ participants. PAPSS targets processing within 120 seconds, although actual delivery times may vary.

For example, a Kenyan business can use participating banks to pay a Nigerian supplier without the traditional dollar detour. Savings depend on fees and exchange rates.

Trading across Africa? Ask your bank about PAPSS. Check participating banks and countries.

The traditional wine merchant knew his customers. Today's AI-powered systems can analyse purchasing patterns across thousands of customers. The underlying commercial thinking is familiar; what changes is the scale.

The same principle extends well beyond customer analytics. Negotiation, buying clubs, barter and other long-established business practices are finding new possibilities through software and AI.

For business owners, the opportunity may be hiding in a familiar process that once depended on individual memory, manual coordination or considerable time.

What becomes commercially possible when technology removes those limitations?

Our article, Don't Invent It. Technify It., explores the possibilities.

Trump’s fictional “AI cancelled, SI adopted” executive order is satire. The business question is whether AI can improve the finance function—or merely add another system to manage.

Start with the pain point, not the technology. Unmatched invoices, missing records and unexplained variances are good places to look first. Some can already be handled by accounting software or conventional automation, so buying AI before checking existing capabilities may simply add cost and complexity.

From paper to ERP—and everything in between—the right starting point depends on your existing systems. Which improvements justify new tools, and which need better processes?

Lexus commissioned Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF to transform two electrified vehicles into extraordinary sculptures for its September 2026 Motomorphosis exhibition in New York.

Why? By displaying the distorted sculptures alongside the original production vehicles, Lexus demonstrated imagination and artistic possibility beyond conventional automotive engineering.

The business insight: Not every marketing investment needs to generate immediate sales. Memorable experiences can strengthen brand recall, distinctiveness and long-term consumer preference. In crowded markets, brands that stand out and stay in people's minds gain an advantage when purchasing decisions are eventually made.

It sounds unlikely. But under the right circumstances, it can happen. So what has to change for lower customer spending to produce a better overall result?

This cartoon satirises the idea that retaliatory tariffs can be chosen for political as well as economic impact, with U.S. swing states in the spotlight.

Kenya Power reported nearly KSh25 billion in after-tax profit for 2025/26. Yet EPRA's figures show customers experienced an average of 3.91 power interruptions per month, up from 3.67 the previous year.

The business insight: A healthier bottom line does not automatically mean better service. Boards should ask whether financial gains are accompanied by improvements customers can experience — greater reliability, billing accuracy and faster complaint resolution.

The question for any business: Does your monthly management pack give customer experience the same attention as profitability?

Wall Street sees a potential opportunity for Victoria's Secret as users of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs replace their wardrobes. But the company's CEO said in June 2026 that these drugs had so far made little difference to sales.

The business insight: A plausible growth story can attract investors before the expected sales materialise. Smaller clothing sizes do not necessarily mean greater spending, and replacing a wardrobe may be a one-off purchase rather than sustained demand.

The bigger question: When markets anticipate a new growth opportunity, how much is supported by evidence — and how much remains an attractive assumption?

The Pulse Ring takes an unusual approach to wearable technology. Priced from US$229, it doesn't measure heart rate, sleep or steps. Instead, it vibrates gently to remind its wearer to pause, breathe and refocus.

While competing smart rings offer increasingly sophisticated health tracking, Pulse is selling something different: freedom from constant measurement.

The business question is intriguing. Are consumers beginning to value simplicity over additional features? And can a product command a premium precisely because it does less?

Pulse illustrates a clever differentiation strategy: doing less can sometimes create more value. In markets crowded with increasingly complex products, simplicity itself can become a compelling selling point — and potentially command a premium.

My wife has already achieved golf’s ultimate prize—a hole-in-one. I remain in pursuit, encouraged by the mathematical certainty that every additional round gives me another opportunity. Retirement, fortunately, provides time for extensive fieldwork.

On the golf course, a second stroke cannot turn a missed first attempt into a hole-in-one. Yet in business, a missed sales target can sometimes be presented as a success by highlighting a different, more favourable performance measure.

The business insight: There is nothing wrong with reporting additional performance measures. The problem arises when a favourable result is used to distract attention from an unmet target. Management should explain both the original shortfall and any achievements elsewhere, rather than allowing one to obscure the other.

The question: Does your management reporting clearly distinguish between meeting agreed targets and achieving other favourable results?

Quickmart’s growth, profitability and major investors make its IPO an attention-grabbing proposition. But a familiar brand and a growing business are only part of an investment decision.

The price matters as much as the business. What return might shareholders receive at KSh7.50, and how does that compare with the risks and alternative investments?

My independent assessment examines the valuation, prospective dividend yield, shareholder lock-up arrangements and potential selling pressure. It also considers what the offer could mean for business owners and suppliers.

Read the full article for the analysis—and my conclusion.

Kylian Mbappé’s move from Nike to Swiss sportswear brand On involves more than a new endorsement. According to Reuters, the agreement combines cash and an equity component, although its size and conditions have not been disclosed.

On’s entry into football involves Mbappé contributing to product development, with Thierry Henry as Director of Football. The company's first football boots are planned for 2027.

For business leaders and managers: Strategic partnerships should deliver measurable commercial value, not just publicity. Equity can help align long-term interests.

For athletes and sports personalities: Equity offers an opportunity to share in the value they help create, beyond endorsement fees — but also brings exposure to business risks.