Update (February 20, 2009): In late 2008, Nu Metro (K) Ltd. was acquired by the Silverbird Group. The website for Silverbird cinemas and lifestyle stores in Kenya can be found at www.silverbird.co.ke. Thank you, Bex, for pointing this out. (The website for Nu Metro Cinemas in South Africa is www.numetro.co.za.)
As I was writing my recent post on Nu Metro cinemas, I looked all over the Internet for an official Nu Metro website that had information about its Nairobi cinemas and the movies showing in them. Much to my dismay, despite being skilled at searching for information on the net, I found zilch.
Last Friday, on a treat-myself trip to Nu Metro Junction, I came to find out that Nu Metro did in fact have a website. Apparently, it has been operational for over a year. The URL for the site is www.numetro.com and after visiting today, I can confirm that it is indeed operational! Although it covers all three African countries where Nu Metro has a presence, after the homepage, you can restrict yourself to information for Nu Metro cinemas and mediastores in Kenya. Amazing! Why don’t more people know about this?
On my visit to the site today, I found information about the movies showing at each Kenyan Nu Metro cinema, including times, summaries, and prices. The website also provides other Nu Metro information such as information about products available at the mediastores and upcoming events. I found it very thorough and informative.
I am sharing this with you, so that you have an easier way to find out what’s playing at the cinema without having to hunt for an often hard-to-find newspaper (especially in the latter part of the day) or use Safaricom’s cumbersome 411 service. Let me know how much easier (or not) you find this service. For me, I have a feeling I will be using it a lot!
Write more soon,
Biche
P.S. To be sure not to miss future posts on ChickAboutTown, sign up now to receive posts directly by email or subscribe to ChickAboutTown in a reader.
Have you found a Web site with Sarit Cinema listings? If so, please share. Thanks!
And if you are a booklover, now BOOKS FIRST have launched their website where you can browse and buy books online. Check out http://www.booksfirst.co.ke
Hi Debbie,
First and foremost, welcome to the ChickAboutTown community!
In response to your question, no I don’t know of a website that has Sarit Cinema listings (does anyone else know of one?), but still I think I might have a solution for you.
If you are a Safaricom subscriber, use their 411 service to find out what’s playing at Sarit (or any other cinema in Nairobi). To do this SMS the word ‘movies’ (without the quotes) to 411. Safaricom will then give you a list of cinemas to choose from. Once you select a cinema, Safricom will then send you a list of the movies showing at that cinema. You can then further request more info on a particular movie, and Safaricom will send you a quick synopsis of the movie (actors included) as well as the times that the movie is showing at your selected cinema.
If it sounds complicated, trust me, it’s not. It’s quite intuitive to use. To the best of my knowledge this service covers all the theatres in Nairobi (and a couple in Kisumu and Mombasa). The cost for the 411 service is 10 KSh per SMS as of the last time I checked (I am not sure how Safaricom counts the number of texts in the process though)
So once more, to get started, remember to send an SMS with the word ‘movies’ (without quotes) to 411. Let me know what you think of the service.
Wishing You The Best,
Biche
Hi Tony,
Welcome to the ChickAboutTown community!
That’s great information that you share with us. I am thrilled that I can now order books from Books First and have them delivered to my home or office. All this without a credit card too, I see, because they also accept M-Pesa. Great Stuff!
Tell me, have you used this online service yet? If so, what did you think?
Biche
P.S. Dear Reader, Books First also delivers outside Nairobi to other parts of Kenya as well as Internationally including other East African countries. If you are a bibliophile from a neighboring country, which is less equipped with good reading material, please check this link out.
Nu-Metro website
Amazing! Why don’t more people know about this?
Maybe it is not so amazing if you approach the website from the side of someone who likes to make a choice from the films on-show today. With this question in mind, the website turns into a labyrinth showing all the beautiful layouts of the designer and lots of non-relevant information which you have to struggle through by looking-up each individual cinema theatre before you can pick your choice.
By the time you are through, (which means over 2 Mb – and in Kenya 20 minutes later) your desired film is halfway its showing time and your appetite for an enjoyable film is slightly dented by the frustration of waiting for the next page on your computer screen.
The Nu-Metro website is something for computer freaks (who are not in need of cinema) and not the average user who uses internet as a source of information.
This website is of low functionality though the artwork could be admired however this is a matter of taste.
A quick overview of all films on-show in Nairobi (with links if you desire more information) can be find on the highly functional website acyon.eu (and free of charge)
Hi Jan,
Welcome to ChickAboutTown!
Thanks for sharing about acyon.eu. I checked it out, and it’s true, it’s quite user friendly.
Readers, now you know!
Biche
Please can i get email address for nu metro here in nairobi
Hi Dan,
Welcome to ChickAboutTown!
Did you try their website: http://www.numetro.com? You might find what you are looking for there?
Biche
CHICK COULD YOU JOIN A PETITION STARTED BY MOI TO BRING TWILIGHT TO KENYA’S SCREENS? PLEASE!
Hi Toni,
Welcome to ChickAboutTown!
Twilight? What is that? Tell me more, and I’ll consider it.
Biche
thank you so much for the site…i’m sure it would be very helpful IF it was still there. since nu metro’s recent merge with silverbird, the site says it is unavailable BUT says to “click here” if you want to go to the silverbird site.
Hi Bex,
Welcome to ChickAboutTown!
Thanks for the update! I will definitely put a note at the top of the post pointing out the change.
Biche
Hi,
Been having the same problem with these kenyan cinema’s. They really need to style up. Good stuff silverbird is setting the bar much higher.
I’d just finished making a post on it at Gotissuez.com before i stumbled across your link on the blog – A Nairobian’s Perspective.
Here’s a copy of the same post I made on that blog about Gotissuez – sorry to copy/paste it on both blogs.
I’ve included your help in a site we’ve been working on, GotIssuez.com. Its a new form of market research where we give consumers an opportunity to air their issuez against companies, their products, services and customer care.
There’s also a Gift Gallery that acts much like an auction, but rather than cash, you bid using points gained from your activity on the site (making posts, making comments to posts, having comments made on your posts, etc) – and the gifts are real
check it out,
and thanks again!
Tony,
GotIssuez.
Hi Tony,
Welcome to ChickAboutTown!
Cool site you’ve got there. I’ve just registered and will lurk around a little more. Thanks for sharing.
Biche
[...] 5. Nu Metro Website [...]
please who can help me get a book titled “Becoming Employable. I’ve searched major bookshops in lagos. please i need the book desperately
Hi Folake,
Welcome to ChickAboutTown!
Unfortunately, I have never heard of the book and have no clue about where to get books in Lagos. Can anyone else help, Folake?
Biche
Hi i have been following the whole nu metro silverbird saga for a while and it seems the cinemas have reverted back to nu metro, and dont have a website to check what movies are opening or how to contact them.Do you know how to contact them for movie info?
http://www.numetro.com which you put in your blog actually takes you to personal records. However if you put a hyphen between nu and metro then it works. Not being totally savvy with searching I found it after ages of trying to figure out why it wasn’t working. Just thought you may want to know as I often visit your site and like the fact you are easy to follow and thorough. As a short term contract visitor to Kenya, you are a godsend for me
Hi Ed and Janinia,
To both of you, welcome to ChickAboutTown!
Ed–Sorry, but no, I don’t know how to contact them for movie information. Does anyone else here?
Janina–Thanks for the correction. Unfortunately, I was not able to find the website you were talking about. Could you possibly post the address here? I tried the hyphen, but it didn’t work for me. Thanks for the kudos; I am glad my blog has been useful to you!