News & Views

Africa faces increased cyberthreats, security skills gap – Cisco

Paula Gilbert
7/26/2024

A new whitepaper from Cisco, Access Partnership and the University of Pretoria shows that Africa faces escalating cyberattacks alongside a severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals.

Africa Data Centres adding 6MW capacity in Cape Town

Paula Gilbert
7/25/2024

Africa Data Centres is expanding its data center facility in Cape Town, South Africa, to add another 6MW of IT load, effectively doubling its current capacity in the city.

VC investment into South African ICT startups rises

Paula Gilbert
7/24/2024

Venture capital (VC) investment for startups in South Africa reached $178.8 million in 2023, with investments in the ICT sector almost doubling compared to 2022, according to a new report from SAVCA and VS Nova.

Ghana's regulator addresses mobile data cost complaints

Matshepo Sehloho
7/23/2024

Ghana's National Communications Authority (NCA) has responded after a public outcry over high Internet and mobile data prices as well as MTN Ghana being declared a Significant Market Power (SMP).

Connecting Africa Podcast: S3 Ep. 4 – Africa's future as a tech talent powerhouse

Paula Gilbert
7/22/2024

In this episode, Utiva CEO Eyitayo Ogunmola returns to the podcast to talk about Africa's opportunity to become a tech talent powerhouse. The discussion covers upskilling African talent for the global job market and how outsourcing local tech professionals can provide opportunities for the youth, with a focus on growing female talent.

Nigerian watchdog fines Meta $220M for data abuse

Matshepo Sehloho
7/22/2024

Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has imposed a US$220 million fine on Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, over alleged data abuse of Nigerian users.

Leadership Lessons: Networking towards career advancement

Guest Perspectives
7/19/2024

Nollie Maoto, First Rand Group's compliance chief data and analytics officer and Africa Tech Festival Leadership Council member, reflects on the importance of networking for career growth especially for African women in data analytics.

Vodacom Tanzania unveils Digital Accelerator Program winners

Matshepo Sehloho
7/19/2024

Mobile operator Vodacom Tanzania has announced the season three winners of its Digital Accelerator Program.

Competition expected in South Africa's growing MVNO market

Paula Gilbert
7/18/2024

A battle in South Africa's mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market is heating up as more local mobile network operators (MNOs) plan partnerships with MVNOs, challenging a market that has for many years been dominated by Cell C-enabled MVNOs.

NuRAN, MTN Benin sign 200-site NaaS agreement

Matshepo Sehloho
7/18/2024

Canadian telecoms infrastructure provider NuRAN Wireless and telecom operator MTN Benin have signed a 200-site Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) agreement.

WiDEF offers enterprises support to close digital gender divide

Paula Gilbert
7/17/2024

The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) is offering private sector enterprises technical assistance worth up to US$150,000 to help close the digital gender divide.

Orange Burkina Faso, Vox Solutions ink A2P SMS & voice gateway deal

Matshepo Sehloho
7/17/2024

Pan-African operator Orange's Burkinabé unit has chosen Vox Solutions as the international application-to-person (A2P) voice and SMS gateway for traffic into its network.

AI's potential in African agriculture, energy and climate action – GSMA

Paula Gilbert
7/16/2024

A new GSMA report examines the huge potential for artificial intelligence to support Africa's socio-economic growth in areas including agriculture, energy and climate action.

Liquid C2 expands Cloudmania into Egypt

Matshepo Sehloho
7/16/2024

Liquid C2, the cloud computing arm of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, has expanded its cloud distribution business, Cloudmania, into Egypt.

KaiOS targets merchant market for growth, digital inclusion

Paula Gilbert
7/15/2024

KaiOS Technologies, the creator of a mobile operating system for smart feature phones, is piloting affordable merchant payment terminals - which look like feature phones - in Africa to help underserved merchants and transport providers accept digital payments solutions.

Telecom Egypt partners with Nokia to deploy 5G

Matshepo Sehloho
7/15/2024

Telecom Egypt and Nokia have partnered to bring fifth-generation (5G) technology to Egypt.

Ilara Health aims to improve quality of care in Kenya

Matshepo Sehloho
7/12/2024

Kenyan healthtech startup Ilara Health aspires to improve the quality of care in the country's clinics by providing equipment financing and digitizing facilities with its software.

Leadership Lessons: The importance of mentorship for career growth

Guest Perspectives
7/12/2024

Nollie Maoto, First Rand Group's compliance chief data and analytics officer and Africa Tech Festival Leadership Council member, reflects on the importance of mentorship for career growth for African women in data analytics.

Safaricom surpasses Airtel in Kenyan 5G sites

Paula Gilbert
7/11/2024

Kenyan operator Safaricom has now overtaken Airtel Kenya in the number of active 5G sites it has in the East African country.

Zambia's prolonged power blackouts negatively impacting telcos

Matshepo Sehloho
7/11/2024

The Global System for Mobile Association of Zambia (GSMAZ) has complained that prolonged power cuts have negatively impacted Zambia's telecommunications sector.

Global coalition promises more affordable smartphones for Africa

Paula Gilbert
7/10/2024

The GSMA, World Bank, African mobile operators and other global institutions have announced a new coalition to improve handset affordability for lower-income populations, focusing on sub-Saharan Africa.

Tanzanian fintech Nala secures $40M Series A funding

Matshepo Sehloho
7/10/2024

Tanzanian payments company Nala has raised US$40 million in Series A funding to be used for its global expansion plans and enhancing its payment systems on the continent.

South Sudan unveils approved Starlink tariffs

Matshepo Sehloho
7/9/2024

South Sudan's National Communications Authority (NCA) has released approved tariffs for SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink.

UPDATE: Ghana regulator instructs ATC to reconnect Telecel

Matshepo Sehloho
7/8/2024

The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana has instructed network tower provider American Tower Corporation (ATC) to reconnect the power supply to the network equipment of operator Telecel Ghana.

Google Translate adds 25+ African languages

Paula Gilbert
7/5/2024

Google Translate is using artificial intelligence (AI) to add 110 new languages to its translation service and about a quarter of the new languages come from Africa.

ATC, Telecel Ghana at loggerheads over payment disputes

Matshepo Sehloho
7/5/2024

Network tower provider American Tower Corporation Ghana (ATC Ghana) has suspended power supply to Telecel Ghana's power network equipment due to the latter not fulfilling its payment obligations.

Maroc Telecom loses appeal against $635M fine

Paula Gilbert
7/4/2024

A Moroccan appeals court has upheld a previous ruling ordering Maroc Telecom to pay 6.3 billion Moroccan dirhams (US$635 million) to competitor Inwi for unfair competition practices.

SA retailer Shoprite launches wholesale e-commerce platform

Matshepo Sehloho
7/4/2024

South African retailer Shoprite Holdings has launched an online bulk shopping and delivery service for small businesses, including informal stores like spaza shops.

PAIX Data Centres adds capacity in Ghana

Paula Gilbert
7/3/2024

PAIX Data Centres is expanding its facility in Accra, Ghana, and Africa50 has invested over $30 million in growth equity to support the company's expansion plans in Africa.

Orange opens digital center in Guinea-Bissau

Matshepo Sehloho
7/3/2024

Pan-African operator Orange has opened an Orange Digital Center (ODC) in Guinea-Bissau.

Ericsson appoints Patrick Johansson as head of MEA

Paula Gilbert
7/2/2024

Swedish ICT company Ericsson has appointed Patrick Johansson as the new senior VP and head of its market area for the Middle East and Africa (MEA), replacing Fadi Pharaon in August.

Tunisia calls for tenders to provide 5G

Matshepo Sehloho
7/2/2024

The Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies has called for tenders to award 5G operating licenses in the North African country.

Solly Malatsi appointed as South Africa's new communications minister

Matshepo Sehloho
7/1/2024

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Solly Malatsi as the country's minister of communications and digital technologies.

Starlink beams into Madagascar

Matshepo Sehloho
7/1/2024

SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink, has launched its high-speed, low-latency Internet service in Madagascar.

MWC Shanghai 2024: Huawei to train 150,000 African youth

Paula Gilbert
7/1/2024

Huawei has committed to providing digital skills training for 150,000 young people in sub-Saharan Africa over the next three years, it announced at MWC Shanghai 2024 in China.

Hot startup of the month: Kenya's TIBU Health

Matshepo Sehloho
6/28/2024

Connecting Africa's hot startup is Kenya's TIBU Health, an omnichannel healthtech company providing healthcare services where people live, work and click.

Three healthtech trends to watch in 2024

Matshepo Sehloho
6/27/2024

Connecting Africa has compiled a list of three healthtech trends that are providing innovative solutions to the problems faced by the African healthcare system.

MWC Shanghai 2024: Embracing the mobile AI era

Paula Gilbert
6/27/2024

Huawei's David Wang believes that 2024 marks the beginning of the mobile artificial intelligence (AI) era, spurred by the commercial launch of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology which will be key to making intelligent services universal.

Ooredoo, Nvidia to develop AI platform in MENA

Matshepo Sehloho
6/26/2024

Telecom operator Ooredoo Group has signed a deal to become an Nvidia Cloud Partner (NCP) to enable the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the MENA region.

No intentions to shut down Internet – Kenyan regulator

Matshepo Sehloho
6/25/2024

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has pledged not to shut down the Internet amid protests in the East African country.

Orange Energies opens digital platform to African producers

Matshepo Sehloho
6/24/2024

Telecom operator Orange is opening its digital platform, Orange Smart Energies, which provides prepaid access to energy through solar kits and smart meters to all energy producers in Africa.

Africa Data Centres to expand with $112M funding from RMB

Paula Gilbert
6/21/2024

Cassava Technologies-owned Africa Data Centres plans to expand its data center capacity to meet the growing demand for cloud computing services in South Africa, using a R2 billion (US$112 million) financing solution arranged by Rand Merchant Bank (RMB).

Huawei using SA data centers to extend AI cloud adoption

Matshepo Sehloho
6/21/2024

Chinese multinational Huawei is using its three data centers in South Africa to extend artificial intelligence (AI) cloud adoption in the country.

Breega launches $75M African VC fund

Paula Gilbert
6/20/2024

Anglo-French VC firm Breega has launched a $75 million African investment fund aimed at early-stage startups across the continent.

Momentum Multiply app rewards users for being healthy

Matshepo Sehloho
6/20/2024

Panelists at a Momentum Multiply media roundtable advocated for health-tracking mobile technology that rewards users for living a healthy lifestyle.

Omdia View: May 2024

Guest Perspectives
6/19/2024

May 2024's telecoms highlights in the Middle East and Africa included African 5G subscriptions surpassing 5 million, growth from SpaceX's satellite Internet service Starlink, and a major fiber partnership in the Middle East and North Africa.

Telkom SA now has over 20M mobile subs

Paula Gilbert
6/19/2024

Telkom South Africa grew its mobile subscriber total by 11.9% to 20.4 million over the past year while the fiber business has also grown, passing more than 1.2 million South African homes.

Kenya allocates $125.3M toward ICT sector

Matshepo Sehloho
6/18/2024

The Kenyan government has allocated $125.3 million to support several information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives for the 2024/2025 financial year.

Streaming service Showmax reports $141M in trading losses

Paula Gilbert
6/14/2024

MultiChoice Group's pan-African streaming service, Showmax, has reported trading losses of R2.6 billion (US$141 million) for the year ended March 31, 2024.

Africa can leverage GenAI for economic growth – Microsoft

Matshepo Sehloho
6/14/2024

A whitepaper on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and the future of work has found that the African continent, with its young population, can leverage AI to drive economic growth.