If You’re in the ‘Who’s Who’ In Kenya, This Site is a Must-Be-On

If you’re a Kenyan artiste or a professional in your field seeking to find the perfect place to network with the ‘whos who’ in the industry as well, or just in the entertainment industry looking to increase your prospects with the right crowd, then this website forum is the perfect place for you.

Who’s Who in Kenya is a newly launched online platform which assists local professionals in creating, managing and growing their personal brand and reputation.

It launched in Mid-March in Nairobi, Kenya and is the second of its kind in Africa and, given the track record of its foregoer, who’s who in South Africa, it is also set to become the leading source of information for the media, researchers and the general public about individuals of influence in Kenya.

Who’s Who in Kenya already boasts a number of professional biographies and serves as a powerful networking and business tool for for not just artistes but also individuals and companies alike.

Membership is free and open to all Kenyan professionals and students, 18 years and older. As you might have already guessed, it is a brainchild of Naspers, one of the biggest media powerhouses in the world.
The 100-year-old Who’s Who of Southern Africa has moved from being an information resource to a sophisticated social media platform across Africa. It is now focusing on user acquisition and positioning the brand as the leading personal branding platform for professionals in Kenya. During the development of the Who’s Who platform, Naspers Labs identified personal branding, reputation management and professional networking as key trends fuelling the adoption of social media.
Ghafla! Kenya recently caught up with Stephen Ananda (Country Manager) find out how it works, and why professional Kenyans – and Africans – should sign up.

Ghafla! Could this be likened to a LinkedIn for Kenya? What are the differentiators?
Stephen Ananda: Tech-savvy trendsetters have all realised the value of social media to build their personal brands and this is fast becoming a prerequisite for all who are serious about their professional reputation in an online environment.
While Who’s Who also offers standard features provided by other professional networking sites, such as messaging and friending, its offering extends to reputation management and a ranking system which allows users to earn badges as they progress through four different status levels. Who’s Who is focused on Kenya and further localises its offering with strategic partners in the Naspers stable, such as News24.com.
Ghafla! Can anyone join? (Who’s Who has always been a high-end brand so are there limits to people who would like to join?)
Stephen Ananda: Membership is free and open to all Kenyan professionals, 18 years and older. Anyone may into the site and upload their own information, and grow through the ranks. By creating a Who’s Who profile you determine how others see you in the professional arena, and you can showcase your professional history, skills and achievements amongst other professionals and grow your professional reputation online to work in your favour. The rankings assigned to each profile allow you to see how you rank against other professionals and serve as a yardstick for measuring areas of progress and development.
Ghafla! Why Kenya? Plans for other African territories?
Stephen Ananda: Kenya is the first of many countries in Africa we hope to expand the platform into over the next few years. The response and buzz in the local market have been very encouraging. We’ve identified a select number of countries that are strategically important to us and are in the process of securing our trademarks/IP.
Why Kenya? Firstly, our sister companies Mocality, Dealfish and Kenya News24 already operate in the market. Tapping into their local market know-how and exploring synergies has proven very helpful in the run up to the launch. Furthermore, the ease of doing business when compared to other territories in Africa, as well as the rapid growth in social networking and blogging among internet-savvy Kenyans, the popularity of jobs verticals in the market and Kenya Vision 2030 also contributed to our decision to expand to Kenya first.
Ghafla! Is there a space for more networking between African artistes and professionals?
Stephen Ananda: Definitely. African artistes and professionals are increasingly informed, tech-savvy and seeking new ways in which to expand their networks explore business opportunities or grow their profile/ reputation among peers.
Ghafla! What is the ‘reputation management’ component?
Stephen Ananda: The Who’s Who ranking system profiles a user’s progress against other professionals, based on information captured in their professional profile, and enables them to earn badges as they progress up the ranks and, ultimately, achieve the “Who’s Who” status.
Ghafla! Does it concern you that people have so many social network profiles now that managing another one becomes time consuming?
Stephen Ananda: It’s certainly a consideration and there’s an ongoing debate that social media has reached a saturation point, but what remains evident is that different social media platforms each have a distinct role to fulfil, given most people have different personas for their social and professional life. With Facebook you can share your life stories with friends, LinkedIn displays your professional background, and Who’s Who provides a local user-friendly platform which empowers you to distinguish yourself from competitors by building and managing a personal brand online.