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News & Views

Content posted in September 2021
2Africa subsea cable to connect to South Asia
  • Paula Gilbert
The 2Africa subsea cable system has announced yet another addition which will stretch to India, Pakistan and the Arabian Gulf making the cable the longest in the world.
Customer experience is telco's next 'battleground'
  • Paula Gilbert
South African social data and insights company BrandsEye thinks its unique blend of AI and human intelligence could help Africa's telcos face a battleground around customer service.
Chipper Cash launches in SA
  • Paula Gilbert
African fintech startup, Chipper Cash, has made South Africa its seventh African country, with more expansions planned soon.
Kenyans can get Netflix for free
  • Paula Gilbert
Streaming giant, Netflix, looks set on gaining new customers in Kenya, announcing it will offer a free version in the country.
Vodafone, ITU drive smartphone adoption
  • Connecting Africa News
Vodafone and the International Telecommunication Union are launching an initiative aimed at connecting 3.4 billion people to the Internet through a smartphone by 2030.
Virgin Mobile SA closes after 15 years
  • Paula Gilbert
Cell C is switching off services for Virgin Mobile SA today, following the MVNO's announced plans to close up shop in SA after 15 years.
Omdia View: August 2021
  • Guest Perspectives
Omdia's analysts provide context and analysis about MTN's decision to exit Syria and not bid again for an Ethiopian license, as well as 5G news from Mauritius, Ghana, Mayotte and Reunion.
Liquid, Project Taara beam broadband across Congo River
  • Paula Gilbert
Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Alphabet's Project Taara have found a way to bridge a particularly stubborn connectivity gap between Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo and Kinshasa in the DRC.
North Africa has world's slowest Internet
  • Paula Gilbert
New data from Cable.co.uk shows North Africa has the world's slowest broadband speed on average, with sub-Saharan Africa in second-worst place.
MTN plans $35M investment in KZN following SA riots
  • Paula Gilbert
MTN SA will invest over $35 million on network upgrades in KwaZulu-Natal with 30% going toward replacing stolen and vandalized network infrastructure following civil unrest and looting in July.
SA operators will have to wait until 2022 for spectrum
  • Paula Gilbert
South Africa's telcos are not getting more high-demand radio frequency spectrum anytime soon, after settlement talks between the regulator and some operators failed to reach an agreement this week.
M-Pesa tops 50M users
  • Connecting Africa News
Mobile money pioneer reaches a major milestone of 50 million monthly active customers, doubling users over the past five years.
Africa Data Centres planning major expansion
  • Connecting Africa News
Africa Data Centres is planning to build ten hyperscale data centers in ten African countries over the next two years, spending over US$500 million.
Safaricom begins hiring in Ethiopia
  • Paula Gilbert
Safaricom plans to recruit 1,000 employees for its new Ethiopian business by June next year and is also launching a three-year graduate program in the country.


Innovation hub

Story

Omdia View: February 2024

Highlights in February 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included 5G launches in Senegal and 5G trials in Egypt as well as Kenya's first 5G MVNO. Airtel also launched a new wholesale connectivity business while MTN and Huawei are planning a joint Innovation Technology Lab in South Africa – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

Story

Key adoption areas for machine learning in Africa

ICT analyst Francis Hook identifies some of the key sectors that could be positively impacted by machine learning, including education, government services, healthcare and climate tech.

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Upcoming events

Africa Tech Festival 2024
November 11-14, 2024
Cape Town, South Africa
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Africa Tech Perspectives

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Uber's Marjorie Saint-Lot on inclusion and sustainability in Africa

Uber's Country Manager for Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, Marjorie Saint-Lot, shares how the ride-hailing company is approaching public-private partnerships, environmentally friendly initiatives and gender inclusion in Africa.

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The 100 most influential African leaders in 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.

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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.

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Partner perspectives

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Guest Perspectives

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Omdia View: January 2024

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in January 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included a $200 million fintech deal between MTN and Mastercard as well as 5G network trials by Telecom Egypt – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

Story

Omdia View: September 2023

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in September 2023 in the Middle East and Africa included more 5G spectrum licenses, vendor and operator strategies, and partnerships – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

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