News & Views

Content posted in May 2020

KaiOS and FISE launch a 4G phone that takes your temperature

Connecting Africa News
5/29/2020

KaiOS Technologies and FISE are launching the world's first 4G phone with an integrated infrared thermometer.

Vodacom zero-rating what3words to help South Africans in emergencies

Paula Gilbert
5/28/2020

Vodacom is zero-rating the what3words 'find me' website in South Africa to help emergency services locate people even if they don't have an official address.

Bolt gets $110M boost for African and European expansion

Connecting Africa News
5/27/2020

Ride-hailing platform Bolt has raised $110 million to fund its growth and development strategy.

Hot startup of the month: Nigeria's Crop2Cash

Tom Jackson
5/26/2020

Crop2Cash is addressing financing gaps for Nigerian farmers by making formal financing a transparent process and helping responsible farmers get access to capital.

Ethiopia telecoms liberalization moves forward despite COVID-19

Paula Gilbert
5/25/2020

Ethiopia's communications regulator is going ahead with plans to issue two new telecoms licenses in the country, despite the current COVID-19 crisis.

Vodacom is 'decoupling' its SA business and hiring a new MD

Connecting Africa News
5/22/2020

Vodacom has announced a major restructuring with the South African business being 'decoupled' to become a standalone entity.

Vodacom plots fintech path with nano-loans

Paula Gilbert
5/21/2020

Vodacom wants to extend successes with its nano-lending products in Kenya and Tanzania to its other markets.

COVID-19 boosts META cloud spend

Connecting Africa News
5/20/2020

Public cloud is proving to be an exception to the COVID-19 slowdown rule, with IDC predicting higher spending in META following the outbreak.

Exclusive: MTN Zambia and Vanu to provide off-grid connectivity

Paula Gilbert
5/19/2020

Vanu has been selected by MTN to extend mobile connectivity to Zambia's off-grid communities.

African smartphone users could help find COVID-19 treatment while sleeping

Paula Gilbert
5/18/2020

Smartphone users in Ghana, Lesotho and South Africa can now help scientists speed up COVID-19 research by letting the DreamLab app run on their smartphones while they sleep.

5G in Africa is inevitable, but not imminent – GSMA

Paula Gilbert
5/15/2020

GSMA Africa Head, Akinwale Goodluck, believes Africa needs to get a few more things right before 5G can significantly roll out on the continent.

New '2Africa' mega subsea cable announced

Connecting Africa News
5/14/2020

The new 2Africa cable will be one of the world's largest subsea cable projects, connecting 23 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

MTN cuts spending plans as COVID-19 crisis bites

Paula Gilbert
5/14/2020

MTN has revised down its capex plans for 2020, from about $1.5 billion to $1.1 billion, as the coronavirus pandemic spreads uncertainty throughout African markets.

Loon brings balloon-powered Internet to Mozambique

Paula Gilbert
5/13/2020

Alphabet's balloon Internet project, Loon, has partnered with operator Vodacom to bring Internet connectivity to Mozambique's hard-to-reach areas.

Vodafone Egypt rakes in revenue ahead of sale

Paula Gilbert
5/12/2020

Vodafone Egypt saw a major revenue spike in the past financial year, while its parent group goes ahead with a planned sale to Saudi Telecom.

African operations boost Vodacom revenue

Paula Gilbert
5/11/2020

Vodacom's operations outside of SA continued to show strong growth over the past financial year, while the domestic market recovered in the second half.

DFA granted a license in Zimbabwe

Connecting Africa News
5/8/2020

South African-based DFA has been granted an Internet Access Provider Class B license in Zimbabwe.

Telkom SA delays retrenchments, postpones results due to COVID-19

Paula Gilbert
5/6/2020

Telkom South Africa is postponing the planned shedding of around 3,000 jobs and pushing back its full-year results publication due to COVID-19.

MTN Ghana boasts double-digit Q1 growth

Paula Gilbert
5/5/2020

MTN Ghana saw Q1 service revenue jump 20%, buoyed by double-digit growth in its voice, data and Mobile Money revenue.

Vodacom launches 5G in South Africa

Paula Gilbert
5/4/2020

Vodacom has launched a live 5G network in three South African cities, supporting both mobile and fixed wireless services.

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Innovation hub

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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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