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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-ZW link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=918 style='width:688.65pt;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;border:none;border-top:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="https://bullszimbabwe.com/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=246 height=120 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D6FBBE.85AC06D0" alt="cid:image001.png@01D6FBBE.85AC06D0"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span style='color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.bullszimbabwe.com/"><span style='text-decoration:none'>Bullszimbabwe.com </span></a> <a href="mailto:info@bulls.co.zw?subject=View%20and%20Comments"><span style='text-decoration:none'>Views & Comments</span></a> <a href="http://www.bulls.co.zw/blog"><span style='text-decoration:none'>Bullish Thoughts</span></a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/BullsBears2010"><span style='text-decoration:none'>Twitter</span></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BullsBearsZimbabwe"><span style='text-decoration:none'>Facebook</span></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/bulls-n-bears-zimbabwe/57/577/72"><span style='text-decoration:none'>LinkedIn</span></a> <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/CF6wllAfScU9Wr6dXxoQnO"><span style='text-decoration:none'>WhatsApp</span></a> <a href="mailto:info@bulls.co.zw?subject=Unsubscribe"><span style='text-decoration:none'>Unsubscribe</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span style='color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoSubtitle style='margin-left:32.1pt;text-indent:7.5pt;line-height:105%'><span class=style30><b><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span class=style30><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Entrepreneurship Zone: 31 May 2024: The Somaliland entrepreneur solving problems unique to his home</span></b></span><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span class=style30><b><o:p> </o:p></b></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr style='height:3.0pt'><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:3.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Hyundaizimbabwe/"><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=804 height=268 id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image003.jpg@01DAACFB.B46CAA00"></span></a></span><span class=style30><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:3.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=912 rowspan=3 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:3.75pt;margin-bottom:3.75pt;margin-left:0cm'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>When Mohamed Abdilahi Dahir finished his high school education at 17, he left his home in Somaliland to learn English in Malaysia, before studying medicine in China. But nearly three years into his medical degree, his father died, and Dahir could no longer afford to study.</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>He spent the next three years working in various Asian countries – doing odd jobs such as Chinese translation for overseas Somali businesspeople. He decided to return home in 2013 when, he says, he no longer had any idea of what he wanted to do with his life. In the beginning he felt that he was a failure, and barely left the house to avoid questions from neighbours about why he wasn’t a doctor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>However, Dahir (now 26) has no regrets. His return to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, helped him to see the many entrepreneurial opportunities that existed there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>He started reading about start-ups online, before enrolling in a business administration programme at a local university. And towards the end of 2015 Dahir founded Better Business Solutions, a consultancy that helps entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. His company has since partnered with other organisations, including Spark, a Dutch NGO that develops entrepreneurs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>“The main idea is to help other entrepreneurs through consultation, training, business planning, access to finance, technical support – and help them incubate their business ideas,” he told <em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>How we made it in Africa</span></em>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>And it wasn’t long before Dahir had his own idea.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Solving payment challenges</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Somaliland is a self-declared state of four-million people on the horn of Africa. But because it is not internationally recognised as an independent state, its currency – the Somaliland shilling – currently has no official exchange rate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>This makes buying anything online, where most goods are priced in foreign currencies, almost impossible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>“In other countries, like in developed countries or in Asia, when I go online and see things that I like, I can buy them online. But here [in Hargeisa], every day I see things that I want online and I have the money to buy it, but I cannot pay because there is no international bank and no MasterCard or Visa.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>The challenge became particularly frustrating when trying to advertise his start-ups on platforms such as Facebook.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>“To market on Facebook, to reach maybe 3,000 people you just have to have US$3. And every entrepreneur here has $3 but they cannot use it to pay.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Part of the problem is Somaliland’s low banking penetration. Mobile money, however, is widely used and relies on US dollars. So Dahir has come up with a solution, called ePocket, that connects mobile money to an international digital card and other online mobile payment systems that can be used to make purchases online.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Dahir’s business partner is a software engineer, and while ePocket is still in the product development phase (and is not yet a proven solution) the idea was selected to participate in the 2016 Innovate Accelerator programme and competition.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>The competition is organised by Somali tech accelerator Innovate Ventures and the pan-African start-up funding platform VC4Africa. ePocket was one of 12 ideas selected to participate in the programme, and while it did not win, Dahir is in talks with potential investors about funding the project.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Opportunity amidst challenges</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>“In Somaliland there are a lot of untapped areas and unfulfilled needs, and you can easily have a million ideas to start a business today.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>For this reason, Dahir says it is not uncommon to come across an entrepreneur in the city who has multiple business cards for each of his different businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>However, access to capital and information around starting a business are some of the challenges start-ups face, and Dahir’s next hope is to set up an angel investment network to help entrepreneurs get the seed capital they need to turn their business ideas into a reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>His advice to other entrepreneurs in Somaliland is not to let the many challenges they face deter them from getting started with their businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>“Just start… You will face a lot of setbacks and rejections, but if you are passionate enough then just start, and everything will come together.”<span style='text-transform:uppercase'>-Howwemadeitinafrica<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><img border=0 width=600 height=300 id="Picture_x0020_20" src="cid:image004.jpg@01DAB348.667064B0" alt="Mohamed Abdilahi Dahir"></span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=wp-caption-text style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Mohamed Abdilahi Dahir<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=912 valign=top style='width:684.25pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span lang=X-NONE style='mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span lang=X-NONE style='mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'> </span><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Invest </span></i><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Cellphone: +263 71 944 1674 | +27 79 993 5557 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span 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The information contained in this report has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made or guarantee given as to its accuracy or completeness. All opinions expressed and recommendations made are subject to change without notice. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors. Securities of emerging and mid-size growth companies typically involve a higher degree of risk and more volatility than the securities of more established companies. Neither Faith Capital nor any other member of Bulls ‘n Bears nor any other person, accepts any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this report or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Recipients of this report shall be solely responsible for making their own independent investigation into the business, financial condition and future prospects of any companies referred to in this report. 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