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News & Views

Content posted in March 2023
Alpheus Mangale is Seacom's new CEO
  • Paula Gilbert
Subsea cable operator Seacom has appointed Alpheus Mangale as its new Group CEO, replacing Oliver Fortuin after a three-month handover period.
Six Somalian operators activate interconnection
  • Paula Gilbert
Six operators in Somalia have completed interconnection, with authorities lauding the milestone as important for promoting competition, improving connectivity and driving innovation in the East African country's telecoms sector.
Hot startup of the month: Rwanda's Smart Ikigega
  • Matshepo Sehloho
This month's hot startup, Smart Ikigega, wants to revolutionize the rural agricultural trade ecosystem in Rwanda by helping farmers access finance and harvest insurance.
The biggest cyber risks in MEA – IBM Security
  • Paula Gilbert
Backdoor deployments were the most used cyberattack tactic by cybercriminals in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in 2022, while ransomware attacks persisted and email thread hijacking attempts spiked.
Deep dive into East Africa's tech startup ecosystem
  • Africa Tech Perspectives
New survey reveals a lack of access to investors, reliance on international VCs and global recession trends as the biggest barriers for East African tech startups to access funds.
MTN, Microsoft trial 5G in cloud
  • Connecting Africa News
MTN Group has conducted a proof-of-concept deployment for a 5G standalone core using cloud computing platform Microsoft Azure.
Omdia View: February 2023
  • Guest Perspectives
In February 2023 key events in the Middle East and Africa included a major Internet project for Africa's underserved by Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Microsoft as well as a 5G launch in Tanzania – that and more in this month's Omdia View.
GSMA backs African climate resilience startups
  • Connecting Africa News
GSMA opens applications for grants backing projects that use mobile and digital technology to improve climate resilience and help with adaptation in selected regions, including Africa.
BFS to manage Burkina Faso's fiber route
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Burkina Faso has contracted Bridge Fiber Solutions (BFS), a subsidiary of Telecel Faso SA, to manage and operate its 3,000km national fiber optic backbone network.
SA power cuts knock $38M off MTN Group earnings
  • Paula Gilbert
Extensive power cuts in South Africa impacted MTN Group's earnings by R695 million ($38 million) as the operator plans to ramp up installation of more power backups for towers across the country.
Zambia's active mobile subscriptions drop by 2%
  • Matshepo Sehloho
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has released a report that shows active mobile phone subscriptions have fallen by 2% to 19.8 million at the end of 2022 from 20.2 million in 2021.
Orange, OneWeb ink deal to connect Africa's underserved
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Pan-African telecoms operator Orange has partnered with UK-based LEO satellite company OneWeb to use its burgeoning constellation to provide fronthaul and backhaul connectivity to the telco's African customers.
African telcos, vendors make deals at MWC 2023
  • Paula Gilbert
The 2023 Mobile World Congress saw several deals made between Africa telecoms operators and global vendors like Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei for rollout of 4G and 5G across Africa.
Kenyan enterprises lag in leadership gender parity – IBM
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Tech giant IBM has released a report claiming that Kenyan organizations are lagging when it comes to female representation, with only 11% of C-suite jobs held by women, while 41% of junior professional/specialist roles are filled by women.
Challenges and opportunities for women's tech careers
  • Africa Tech Perspectives
A new survey reveals that COVID-19, the cost-of-living crisis, skills shortages and a lack of mentorship have negatively affected women's career development over the past two years.
Massive BCS fiber route & Orange digital center coming to DRC
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Telecoms company Bandwidth and Cloud Services (BCS) has signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank to build a 1,200km fiber network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Orange has also launched its 15th African digital center in the country.
Hot startup of the month: Egypt's Plstka
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Egyptian startup Plstka is helping companies and consumers in the Delta region exchange their recyclable trash for discounts and coupons for everyday services like food, healthcare, and transportation.


Innovation hub

Story

MTN tackles SA power woes with wind & solar hybrid project

MTN South Africa has launched an integrated wind and solar renewable energy generation project as part of its Net Zero efforts.

Video

Interview: Qualcomm execs on mentorship for African startups

Qualcomm Technology VP for Engineering, Sudeepto Roy, and Elizabeth Migwalla, VP for Government Affairs, join Connecting Africa for a video interview about Qualcomm's Make in Africa Mentorship Program.

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Industry announcements

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Africa Tech Perspectives

Story

Deep dive into East Africa's tech startup ecosystem

New survey reveals a lack of access to investors, reliance on international VCs and global recession trends as the biggest barriers for East African tech startups to access funds.

Story

Challenges and opportunities for women's tech careers

A new survey reveals that COVID-19, the cost-of-living crisis, skills shortages and a lack of mentorship have negatively affected women's career development over the past two years.

Story

Survey: Opportunities for Women in Tech

Take our new survey for women across Asia, Europe and Africa looking at the biggest challenges and opportunities for women-led enterprises and trends in tech careers for women.

More AfricaCom perspectives

Upcoming events

London Tech Week
June 13-16, 2023
Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Broad Sanctuary, London SW1P 3EE
Cybertech Africa 2023
August 1-2, 2023
Kigali Convention Center, Kigali, Rwanda
Africa Tech Festival, Home of AfricaCom and AfricaTech
November 13-16, 2023
CTICC, Cape Town
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Guest Perspectives

Story

Omdia View: February 2023

By Omdia Analysts

In February 2023 key events in the Middle East and Africa included a major Internet project for Africa's underserved by Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Microsoft as well as a 5G launch in Tanzania – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

Story

Omdia View: July 2022

By Omdia Analysts

Kenya and Zambia move towards 5G with new spectrum allocations while Tunisie Telecom plans to shut down its 3G network - that and more in this month's Omdia View.

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