News & Views

Content posted in September 2023

MTN SA launches MoMo business wallet, remittance service

Paula Gilbert
9/29/2023

MTN's Mobile Money platform (MoMo) has announced more services in South Africa including a business wallet, a streamlined payments feature and international remittances.

Interview: Pedro Rabacal on building Safaricom's network in Ethiopia

Connecting Africa Video
9/29/2023

Pedro Rabacal, ex-CTIO of Safaricom Ethiopia, spoke to Connecting Africa Editor, Paula Gilbert, at the NOVACOM Digital Transformation Strategy Summit in Franschhoek, South Africa about how he and his team built Safaricom's greenfield network in Ethiopia.

BCG: AI is not a silver bullet, but its opportunities are huge

Matshepo Sehloho
9/29/2023

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Microsoft South Africa, and Wits Business School have released a report detailing the potential societal benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) for South Africa.

Interview: Juliet Ehimuan on Africa's next wave of innovation

Connecting Africa Video
9/28/2023

Juliet Ehimuan, founder and CEO of Beyond Limits Africa and ex-MD of Google West Africa, spoke to Connecting Africa about the next wave of innovation in Africa and the continent's digital future.

Interview: Telekom Networks Malawi CTO Lloyd Gowera on network expansion and 5G

Connecting Africa Video
9/27/2023

Telekom Networks Malawi CTO Lloyd Gowera spoke to Connecting Africa at the NOVACOM Digital Transformation Strategy Summit about the operator's network expansion strategy for 4G and plans for commercial 5G rollout for both the enterprise and consumer markets.

More African SMEs embracing digital payments – Mastercard

Connecting Africa News
9/26/2023

Africa's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are embracing the use of digital payments according to the latest Mastercard SME Confidence Index.

Vodacom KZN to invest $53M into network improvement, rural sites

Paula Gilbert
9/22/2023

Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) will invest over R1 billion (US$53 million) this financial year into its network — to increase capacity and resilience and accelerate connectivity, particularly in rural areas of the SA province.

Omdia View: August 2023

Guest Perspectives
9/22/2023

Highlights in August 2023 in the Middle East and Africa included a commercial 5G launch from Ethio Telecom and the signing of a virtual wheeling agreement between Vodacom South Africa and Eskom – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

Cassava Tech Talks, Ep. 1: Building African Intelligence

Paula Gilbert
9/21/2023

The pilot episode of the Cassava Tech Talks podcast covers the transformative power of technology to reduce the digital divide by leveraging true African Intelligence. Guests are Hardy Pemhiwa, Group CEO of Cassava Technologies, and Hendrik Malan, CEO of Frost & Sullivan Sub-Saharan Africa. #sponsored

Interoperability key for mobile financial inclusion – AfricaNenda

Paula Gilbert
9/20/2023

AfricaNenda Deputy CEO Sabine Mensah believes that increased interoperability in Africa's fintech sector and more policy harmonization will aid financial inclusion.

Bob van Dijk steps down as Naspers, Prosus CEO

Paula Gilbert
9/19/2023

Bob van Dijk – the CEO of Africa's biggest listed company, Naspers, and Dutch technology investment company Prosus – has stepped down with immediate effect.

InDrive enters Zimbabwe's Bulawayo

Matshepo Sehloho
9/19/2023

Ride-sharing platform InDrive is expanding its services to Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo after successfully introducing its services in the capital of Harare in May this year.

Kenyan President pitches Silicon Savannah investment to Silicon Valley

Matshepo Sehloho
9/18/2023

Kenyan President William Ruto met several American tech CEOs during a US-Kenya business roadshow last week to pitch Kenya as an investment destination.

MTN signs IoT deal in SA, e-waste recycling project in Benin

Paula Gilbert
9/18/2023

MTN South Africa announced a partnership with Eseye, a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) services, while MTN Benin has opened up about an e-waste recycling project in collaboration with Ericsson.

Egyptian government to sell more of Telecom Egypt

Matshepo Sehloho
9/15/2023

The Egyptian government is considering selling another 10% - 15% stake in Telecom Egypt, following a 10% sale in May.

Ethiopia gives global investors more time to apply for telecom license

Paula Gilbert
9/15/2023

The Ethiopian Communications Authority has extended the deadline for international operators to show interest in applying for a new telecom license to operate in the country.

MTN Nigeria adds more spectrum to network arsenal

Matshepo Sehloho
9/14/2023

MTN Nigeria has acquired spectrum in the 2.6GHz band from OpenSkys to enhance capacity and customer experience on its Nigerian network.

Liquid launches Kenya-Ethiopia, Zambia-Malawi fiber routes

Paula Gilbert
9/14/2023

Liquid Intelligent Technologies has announced the launch of two new terrestrial fiber routes connecting Kenya to Ethiopia and Zambia to Malawi.

Ethio Telecom launches commercial 5G in Ethiopia

Matshepo Sehloho
9/13/2023

Ethiopian state-owned telecom operator Ethio Telecom has launched commercial 5G services.

SA government pledges $158M for 'SA Connect' program by 2025

Paula Gilbert
9/13/2023

South Africa plans to spend R3 billion (US$158 million) by 2025 on its 'SA Connect' project, which aims to connect all government municipalities, healthcare facilities and schools to the Internet.

Congo warns Airtel, MTN over low SIM registrations

Matshepo Sehloho
9/12/2023

L'Agence de Regulation des Postes et des Communications Electroniques (ARPCE), has issued a warning to Airtel and MTN over the failure to register an adequate rate of SIM cards to subscribers.

Kenya authorities want TikTok live banned

Matshepo Sehloho
9/11/2023

The Kenyan Film Classification Board (KFCB) has requested video platform TikTok to disable its live feature as part of content regulation measures in the country.

MTN Nigeria terminates tower deal with IHS, picks ATC

Paula Gilbert
9/11/2023

Telecom operator MTN is changing its tower supplier in Nigeria, ending a deal with IHS Nigeria and signing with American Tower Corporation (ATC) from 2025 onward.

MTN SA launches Xlerator to support small businesses

Matshepo Sehloho
9/8/2023

MTN South Africa has launched the MTN Xlerator program to scale and improve procurement processes and the development of its local small and medium enterprise suppliers.

4Sight Holdings ramps up 4IR, enterprise tech expansion

Paula Gilbert
9/8/2023

4Sight Holdings CEO Tertius Zitzke spoke with Connecting Africa about the diversified technology group's expansion plans in Africa and globally, as demand for digital transformation and fourth industrial revolution (4IR) tech grows in the enterprise market.

Bayobab gets national long-distance operator license in Nigeria

Matshepo Sehloho
9/7/2023

Bayobab Group, formerly MTN GlobalConnect, has been granted a national long-distance operator license by the regulatory authorities in Nigeria.

Niger's military council proposes merger between Niger, Zamani Telecoms

Matshepo Sehloho
9/6/2023

The military council of Niger's communication, posts and digital economy minister, Sidi Mohamed Rahilou, has proposed a merger between state-owned Niger Telecoms and mobile operator Zamani Telecom.

Vodafone, Amazon's Project Kuiper to extend 4G/5G reach

Matshepo Sehloho
9/5/2023

Vodafone and Project Kuiper, Amazon's low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications initiative, have collaborated to extend the reach of 4G/5G services to its customers in Africa and Europe.

Telkom Kenya's towers shut down by ATC due to non-payment of fees

Matshepo Sehloho
9/4/2023

American Towers Corporation (ATC) has disconnected Telkom Kenya from its tower infrastructure for failing to pay site leasing fees.

Safaricom inks deal with Kenyan banks to fund sustainability agenda

Connecting Africa News
9/4/2023

Kenyan telecoms operator Safaricom has announced the closure of a US$103 million sustainability linked loan to strengthen its environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda.

Malawi, ITU launch mobile network quality project

Matshepo Sehloho
9/1/2023

The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) have launched a project to deal with concerns about the declining quality of service (QoS) in mobile services in the country.

MTN gives $53K to women-owned digital SMMEs

Connecting Africa News
9/1/2023

MTN Foundation has chosen ten female digital pioneers who will each receive R100,000 (US$5,360) in prize money from the 2023 edition of the MTN Women in Digital Business Challenge.

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