News & Views

Content posted in November 2023

Smart Africa, Bayobab, Africa50 join forces for Project East2West

Matshepo Sehloho
11/30/2023

The Smart Africa Alliance has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with digital connectivity solutions company Bayobab and infrastructure investment platform Africa50 to support fiber optic cable initiative Project East2West.

SA regulator warns against 'illegal' Starlink equipment sales

Paula Gilbert
11/29/2023

South Africa's communications regulator ICASA has warned companies that are illegally importing and selling Starlink satellite Internet terminals in South Africa, saying the service is not licensed to operate in the country.

Kenya startup bill expected to pass, Burkina Faso drafts cybersecurity law

Matshepo Sehloho
11/29/2023

Kenya expects its Startup Bill 2022 to become law in 2024, while Burkina Faso has given the green light to a report outlining a draft law addressing cybersecurity.

Orange walks away from Ethio Telecom acquisition

Paula Gilbert
11/28/2023

French telecoms operator Orange Group has decided not to buy a minority stake in Ethiopian state-owned operator Ethio Telecom.

Fast Congo, GVA ink DRC fiber deal

Matshepo Sehloho
11/28/2023

Pan-African operator Paratus Group's subsidiary, Fast Congo, has signed a long-term agreement with Group Vivendi Africa (GVA) to provide fiber capacity between Muanda and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Business stabilization efforts yielding results – Cell C

Matshepo Sehloho
11/27/2023

South African mobile operator Cell C has published its trading update for its operational performance for the period from January to September 2023 year-to-date (YTD September 2023) and July to September 2023 (Q3 2023), as well as its audited numbers for 2022 financial year (FY22) and 2021 financial year (FY21).

Over 5K African SMBs graduate from Google's Hustle Academy

Matshepo Sehloho
11/24/2023

Around 5,300 small and midsized businesses (SMBs) from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa have graduated from the Google Hustle Academy.

Orange launches super app 'Max it' for Africa

Paula Gilbert
11/24/2023

Telecoms operator Orange has launched its own super app, called Max it, in five African countries with plans to roll it out across its operations in Africa and the Middle East.

Liquid Dataport, Vipnet collaborate to connect Côte d'Ivoire

Matshepo Sehloho
11/23/2023

Liquid Dataport has partnered with Vipnet to extend network services in Côte d'Ivoire.

Hot startup of the month: South Africa's Riot Network

Matshepo Sehloho
11/22/2023

Connecting Africa's hot startup is South African Riot Network which makes fast, unlimited Wi-Fi services accessible for people in townships and underserved communities.

Raxio launches flagship data center in Ethiopia

Paula Gilbert
11/22/2023

Raxio Data Centres has announced the launch of a new flagship facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and promises more African data centers in 2024.

Vodacom eyes direct-to-market satellite potential

Matshepo Sehloho
11/21/2023

Vodacom Group Chief Technology Officer, Dejan Kastelic, believes that direct-to-mobile satellite connectivity will go a long way in connecting underserved communities in South Africa and on the continent.

Telkom SA in talks to sell towers portfolio

Paula Gilbert
11/21/2023

Telkom South Africa has entered into exclusive negotiations with an unnamed bidder for the potential sale of its masts and towers subsidiary Swiftnet.

MWC Kigali: GSMA's Caroline Mbugua on mobile taxes in Africa

Connecting Africa Video
11/20/2023

GSMA Director of Public Policy for sub-Saharan Africa, Caroline Mbugua, spoke to Connecting Africa at MWC Kigali 2023 about how high taxation on Africa's mobile sector is impacting device and service affordability for consumers.

MWC Kigali: GSMA's Max Cuvellier on Africa's mobile Internet usage gap

Connecting Africa Video
11/20/2023

Head of Mobile for Development at the GSMA, Max Cuvellier, spoke to Connecting Africa at MWC Kigali 2023 about Africa's mobile Internet usage gap, the reasons it exists and ways to bridge the gap and bring more Africans online.

ATF 2023: African startups win big

Matshepo Sehloho
11/20/2023

The Africa Tech Festival held last week in Cape Town, South Africa, saw African startups winning accolades for their innovative skills as well as technological prowess.

ATF 2023: Tech companies seal partnership deals

Matshepo Sehloho
11/17/2023

The Africa Tech Festival, held in Cape Town this week, saw many technology companies signing deals aimed at either expanding their networks, building infrastructure, or connecting underserved communities.

ATF 2023: SA Minister calls for more fixed Internet connectivity

Matshepo Sehloho
11/15/2023

South Africa's Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Mondli Gungubele, told Africa Tech Festival 2023 that while mobile connectivity is relatively prevalent in SA, there is room for improvement in providing reliable and affordable home-based Internet access.

Interview: Huawei Cloud SA's Pragasen Kundon talks key trends in cloud

Connecting Africa Video
11/14/2023

Huawei Cloud South Africa's Pragasen Kundon spoke to Connecting Africa Associate Editor Matshepo Sehloho on key cloud trends at the Nextv Series Africa.

ATF 2023: We are not in competition, collaboration is key – Zimbabwe ICT minister

Matshepo Sehloho
11/13/2023

Zimbabwe Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera said to connect the underserved, African governments need to collaborate.

Vodacom interim revenue boosted by Egyptian acquisition

Paula Gilbert
11/13/2023

Vodacom Group saw a 35.5% bump in half-year revenue spurred by its investment in Vodafone Egypt last year.

MWC Kigali: Rosemary Kimaku on Ericsson's fintech business

Connecting Africa Video
11/13/2023

Rosemary Kimaku, business development manager for mobile financial services (MFS) at Ericsson spoke to Connecting Africa at MWC Kigali 2023 about Ericsson's MFS business and how fintech is aiding financial and digital inclusion.

MWC Kigali: Vodacom Tanzania MD Philip Besiimire on MFS growth

Connecting Africa Video
11/13/2023

Vodacom Tanzania MD Philip Besiimire spoke to Connecting Africa at MWC Kigali 2023 about Tanzania's competitive telecoms market and growth areas like mobile financial services (MFS).

MWC Kigali: GSMA's Mats Granryd on Africa's mobile economy

Connecting Africa Video
11/10/2023

GSMA Director General Mats Granryd sat down with Connecting Africa Editor Paula Gilbert at MWC Kigali 2023 to talk about the growth of Africa's mobile economy and the major trends making waves in the industry.

Empowering Africa through enhanced global connectivity

Partner Perspectives
11/10/2023

China Mobile International discusses how to accelerate the pace of digitalization via a service model customized to empower operators in Africa's rapidly evolving digital landscape. #sponsored

M-Pesa registers 1.2M customers in Ethiopia

Matshepo Sehloho
11/10/2023

Mobile financial services platform M-Pesa has registered 1.2 million members in Ethiopia since the mobile money service started in August.

MWC Kigali: Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa on connectivity in Kenya

Connecting Africa Video
11/9/2023

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa joined Connecting Africa Editor Paula Gilbert at MWC Kigali 2023 for a video interview about the telecoms market in Kenya – the growth of 4G and 5G, M-Pesa and the telco's venture into Ethiopia.

Ghana's comms ministry sets e-commerce registration deadline

Matshepo Sehloho
11/9/2023

E-commerce operators and their couriers/drivers in Ghana must register with the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission (PCSRC) by December 19, 2023.

Cassava Tech Talks Ep. 3: Connecting the next billion

Paula Gilbert
11/9/2023

In the latest Cassava Tech Talks podcast we discuss Africa's connectivity mix and how satellite and subsea cables factor into overcoming connectivity gaps on the continent. Guests are David Eurin, CEO of Liquid Dataport, and Dobek Pater, analyst and director at Africa Analysis. #sponsored

Orange eyes more African 5G launches in 2024

Paula Gilbert
11/8/2023

Orange Middle East and Africa CEO, Jérôme Hénique, told Connecting Africa that the group plans to launch 5G services in most of its African operations by the end of 2024, with Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire first in line.

Uber SA introduces electric scooters

Matshepo Sehloho
11/8/2023

Ride-hailing platform Uber South Africa has committed to becoming a zero-emissions company by 2040 and has launched electric scooters for its new offering Uber Package.

MainOne expands data center footprint in Côte d'Ivoire

Paula Gilbert
11/7/2023

West African connectivity and data center solutions provider MainOne, which is owned by Equinix, has launched a data center in Côte d'Ivoire.

Chipper Cash strengthens partnership with Visa

Connecting Africa News
11/6/2023

Financial services company Chipper Cash has announced an expanded strategic partnership with Visa to collaborate on card issuance and join forces across regulatory and functional areas.

Elon Musk's Starlink enters Benin

Matshepo Sehloho
11/6/2023

SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink, has launched in Benin, making it the seventh African country where the company is offering its service.

Interview: MTN's Christian Bombrun on growing content services

Connecting Africa Video
11/3/2023

MTN Group Digital Platforms CEO, Christian Bombrun, spoke to Connecting Africa at Nextv Series Africa 2023 about the launch of MTN TV and the telco's role in the OTT and content creation ecosystem.

Starlink in Africa: Success factors for occupying a niche

Connecting Africa News
11/3/2023

ICT Analyst Francis Hook outlines the key issues around pricing and regulation that are facing SpaceX's Starlink and what the satellite Internet service needs to do to succeed in Africa.

Ghana signs infrastructure & roaming deals

Matshepo Sehloho
11/3/2023

Ghanaian operator AT has signed a joint venture agreement with Hannam Investments to invest in the country's telecoms market, while the country's regulator has signed a roaming deal with Togo.

Vodacom SA, Old Mutual to offer personal loans

Paula Gilbert
11/2/2023

Telecoms operator Vodacom is expanding its lending business to now offer personal loans in South Africa through a partnership with credit provider Old Mutual Finance.

Pioneer, CSquared Woezon connect Togo to Equiano cable

Matshepo Sehloho
11/2/2023

Pioneer Consulting has completed the deployment of the Togolese branch of Google's Equiano subsea cable for CSquared Woezon.

Safaricom expands 5G to more Kenyan counties

Matshepo Sehloho
11/1/2023

Kenyan telecom operator Safaricom has expanded its 5G network to now cover 35 counties.

Kenya opens smartphone assembly factory

Paula Gilbert
11/1/2023

Kenya has officially opened a local device assembly factory with capacity to produce up to 3 million smartphones per year at a price point of around $50.

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VC investment into South African ICT startups rises

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.

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

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.

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Leadership Lessons: Networking towards career advancement

By Nollie Maoto

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.

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Leadership Lessons: The importance of mentorship for career growth

By Nollie Maoto

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.

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