News & Views

Content posted in July 2023

Opensignal: South Africa has Africa's fastest download speed

Paula Gilbert
7/31/2023

New analysis from Opensignal shows that smartphone users in South Africa enjoy the fastest download speeds and most consistent quality of mobile services in Africa, while Morocco leads for upload speed.

Skills training important to combat cybersecurity breaches

Matshepo Sehloho
7/28/2023

The Zora Group CEO Kgomotso Motshidi believes that providing cybersecurity skills could work in alleviating security breaches.

Hot startup of the month: Nigeria's She Code Africa

Matshepo Sehloho
7/28/2023

This month's hot startup is She Code Africa, a non-profit organization that aims to empower young girls and women in Africa through digital skills.

Connecting Africa Podcast S2 Ep. 9 – Financial literacy & wealth creation

Paula Gilbert
7/27/2023

The Connecting Africa Podcast team spoke to Bamboo co-founder and CEO Richmond Bassey about his fintech app, which is giving Africans global investment opportunities and promoting financial literacy to help grow the wealth of the continent and its people.

The state of Africa's edtech sector

Connecting Africa News
7/26/2023

Africa's edtech market continues to grow as tech and education entrepreneurs seek to improve the digital education divide and prepare the workforce for jobs of the future.

SpaceX's Starlink launches in Malawi

Matshepo Sehloho
7/26/2023

Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite Internet service, Starlink, has entered the Malawian market.

Axian to buy controlling stake in Free Senegal

Matshepo Sehloho
7/25/2023

Axian Telecom has signed a deal to acquire a further 40% stake in Senegalese operator Free, taking its total ownership up to 80% shareholding in the operator.

IBM: Egyptian & South African CEOs bank on advanced AI success

Paula Gilbert
7/25/2023

A report from IBM's Institute for Business Value found 50% of CEOs in Egypt and South Africa believe generative AI, deep learning and machine learning are crucial to their success over the next three years.

MTN, Airtel launch 4G in Rwanda

Matshepo Sehloho
7/24/2023

Telecommunications operators MTN and Airtel have launched 4G networks in Rwanda after both telcos' operating licenses were amended to allow them to roll out 4G technology in the country.

Vodacom Q1 revenue jumps 37% on back of Egypt deal, weak rand

Paula Gilbert
7/21/2023

Vodacom Group revenue increased almost 37% to US$2 billion for the first quarter of the financial year, due to its addition of Vodafone Egypt and the rand's recent depreciation.

Telkom SA wins legal battle against President's SIU probe

Matshepo Sehloho
7/21/2023

South African telecom operator Telkom has won a court case against SA President Cyril Ramaphosa over his directive that authorized a wide-ranging probe by the country's Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

The 100 most influential African leaders in 2023

Africa Tech Perspectives
7/21/2023

A new report from Africa Tech Festival and Connecting Africa puts a spotlight on the top 100 African leaders in the telecoms and technology sector in 2023.

Ghana regulator introduces technology neutrality for telcos

Matshepo Sehloho
7/20/2023

Ghana's National Communications Authority (NCA) has introduced technology neutrality for non-SMP telecommunications operators as a measure to correct market imbalances and boost consumer choice.

BOSS Money expands into Francophone Africa

Paula Gilbert
7/19/2023

Money transfer and remittance service BOSS Money is expanding into Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and the DRC.

Elon Musk's Starlink enters Kenya

Matshepo Sehloho
7/19/2023

SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink, has entered the Kenyan market, intensifying competition to the country's local players.

Sonatel gets 5G license in Senegal

Paula Gilbert
7/18/2023

Senegal's telecoms regulator has granted a 'provisional' 5G license to Sonatel (Orange Senegal) as it outbid the competition.

SA ride-hailing drivers turn off engines in protest

Matshepo Sehloho
7/18/2023

South African ride-hailing drivers from Uber, Bolt and inDrive are participating in a nationwide protest over poor working conditions, low wages and safety concerns.

African telcos must prepare for sophisticated AI cyberattacks – Magix

Paula Gilbert
7/17/2023

Magix MD for Africa Kevin Wotshela told Connecting Africa that the African telecoms industry must prioritize implementing strong security measures, as threats continue to become more sophisticated due to artificial intelligence.

MTN focuses on youth development in SA & Zambia

Matshepo Sehloho
7/17/2023

The MTN Group has focused on youth development in South Africa and Zambia through its Digital Skills for Digital Jobs program and PachiPanda Innovation Challenge.

Vodacom Business chief William Mzimba to retire

Paula Gilbert
7/14/2023

Vodacom South Africa's Chief Officer of Vodacom Business, William Mzimba, will retire at the end of September after a five-year tenure at the operator.

MTN's Bayobab to manage Central African Republic fiber infrastructure

Matshepo Sehloho
7/14/2023

Bayobab, subsidiary of Pan-African operator MTN, has secured a contract to manage, operate and maintain national fiber infrastructure in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Ericsson, MTN connect rural Benin with solar-powered towers

Paula Gilbert
7/13/2023

Ericsson and MTN are partnering to provide mobile broadband services to remote rural areas in Benin using solar power solutions.

Angola gets connected through multiple deals

Matshepo Sehloho
7/12/2023

Angola is set to receive high-capacity wireless offshore communication solutions from Paratus and Ceragon as well as high-speed connectivity through fiber backbone expansion by Liquid Dataport.

Podcast: Blessing Abeng on digital skills for Africa's youth

Connecting Africa Video
7/12/2023

Africa Tech Radio Host Anthony Ibe joined Connecting Africa Editor Paula Gilbert for a crossover podcast episode with Ingressive for Good Co-Founder Blessing Abeng about digital skills development in Africa.

Africa's fintech market to top US$65B by 2030

Paula Gilbert
7/11/2023

South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya are leading the way for Africa to become the fastest growing fintech market, with fintech revenues projected to grow thirteenfold to US$65 billion in 2030, according to a report from Boston Consulting Group and QED Investors.

Partnerships key for Uganda's digital transformation – Regulator

Matshepo Sehloho
7/11/2023

Uganda's ICT regulator believes that smart partnerships are important to help the country become fully digital.

Telkom SA says 'no thanks' to another acquisition offer

Paula Gilbert
7/10/2023

Telkom South Africa's board has decided not to continue discussions with a consortium led by former CEO Sipho Maseko, which had made an offer to acquire a controlling stake in the operator.

Airtel launches 5G in Kenya

Matshepo Sehloho
7/10/2023

Airtel Kenya has become the second telecom operator to launch a fifth-generation (5G) network in the East African country.

Ericsson eyes mobile financial services growth in Africa

Paula Gilbert
7/7/2023

Swedish multinational Ericsson is pushing further into mobile financial services and working to improve financial inclusion for underserved Africans, especially women.

Huawei: Skills shortage hinders Africa's digital transformation

Matshepo Sehloho
7/7/2023

Africa's skills shortage is limiting the continent's ability to realize its full digital potential, Huawei's sub-Saharan Africa President Leo Chen told the Huawei Eco-Connect 2023 conference in Johannesburg this week.

SA's FTTH prices slowly trending down – Africa Analysis

Paula Gilbert
7/6/2023

Research from Africa Analysis found that uncapped fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) users in South Africa experienced slight declines in monthly fees over the past two years, while some ISPs increased line speeds at no additional cost.

SA's Information Regulator fines justice department over data breach

Paula Gilbert
7/5/2023

South Africa's Information Regulator has handed down a landmark fine of R5 million (US$267,400) to the country's Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for failing to protect personal information during a data breach in 2021.

Five African AI startups to watch in 2023

Matshepo Sehloho
7/5/2023

Connecting Africa has compiled a list of five AI-powered startups that have been making an impact in the lives of the communities they serve and are worth watching in 2023.

Telecoms liberalization in Africa, what lies ahead for national operators

Connecting Africa News
7/4/2023

ICT Analyst Francis Hook outlines Africa's telecommunications liberalization journey and discusses the paths that national operators can take to successfully move into the digital era of telecoms.

Sedna technologies creating smart African mines

Matshepo Sehloho
7/4/2023

Sedna Industrial IT Solutions is working with Southern African mines to deploy smart technologies that help improve functionality and safety.

SAP appoints Kholiwe Makhohliso as MD Southern Africa

Paula Gilbert
7/3/2023

Former Software AG exec Kholiwe Makhohliso has joined SAP as its new managing director for Southern Africa.

Ethiopia launches tender for telco license

Matshepo Sehloho
7/3/2023

The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) has launched a second international telecom license tender. Interested parties have until September 15, 2023, to submit their bids.

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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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