Content tagged with Business of Tech

Latest

All (100) Blogs (99) Comments (1)

All

Senegal shuts down mobile Internet

Matshepo Sehloho
6/6/2023

Senegal's Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy said mobile Internet was cut off because of what it calls 'deadly rioting'.

Ghana disconnects unregistered SIMs

Matshepo Sehloho
6/5/2023

Ghana has disconnected all services to unregistered SIM cards and only given users access to numbers linked to SIM registration.

Togo regulator warns telcos to improve services, or get fined

Paula Gilbert
6/2/2023

Togo's telecoms regulator, ARCEP, has warned the country's two operators that they will face penalties if they don't improve quality of services to their customers in the next six months.

Senegal calls for 5G license applications

Matshepo Sehloho
6/2/2023

Senegal's telecommunications regulator, ARTP, has issued a call for applications for 5G licenses and interested applicants have until July 14, 2023.

Liquid Dataport fiber route connects Kenya, DRC

Matshepo Sehloho
6/1/2023

Liquid Dataport, a business of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, has launched its newest fiber route connecting Kenya to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Fintechs Centi, Centbee to launch blockchain-based remittances for Africa

Connecting Africa News
6/1/2023

Swiss fintech company Centi and global digital cash wallet Centbee are launching a new blockchain-based remittance service between Switzerland and Africa.

Cameroonian telcos fined $9.8M for poor network quality

Matshepo Sehloho
5/31/2023

Cameroon's Telecommunications Regulatory Board (ART) has fined four mobile operators XAF6 billion (US$9.8 million) for poor network quality.

5G spectrum sale begins in Uganda

Matshepo Sehloho
5/30/2023

The Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) is inviting applicants for its planned sale of 5G spectrum.

Namibia to auction 5G spectrum

Matshepo Sehloho
5/29/2023

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has announced it will auction 5G spectrum in October 2023.

SA's MultiChoice to launch pan-African payment platform

Paula Gilbert
5/29/2023

South Africa's MultiChoice Group is developing an integrated payment platform for Africa in a joint venture with UK-based fintech company Rapyd and private equity firm General Catalyst.

Opensignal: SA networks have worst 4G signal strength at night

Paula Gilbert
5/26/2023

South African operators use less spectrum and carrier bands at night, while the 4G signal strength is also the weakest at night, according to a new report from Opensignal.

Avanti finishes phase two of satellite gateway project in Senegal

Matshepo Sehloho
5/26/2023

Avanti Communications has completed the second phase of its project to build a new HYLAS 4 satellite gateway station in Dakar, Senegal.

Hot startup of the month: Pan-African fintech KamaPay

Matshepo Sehloho
5/26/2023

This month's hot startup is pan-African fintech KamaPay, which helps individuals and businesses make cross-border payments on the continent.

Telekom Networks Malawi pilots 5G

Matshepo Sehloho
5/24/2023

Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) is the first mobile operator in the country to make 5G services available on a pilot basis.

Interview: Airtel Business Africa's Luc Serviant on agritech trends

Connecting Africa Video
5/24/2023

Airtel Business Africa's Group Enterprise Director, Luc Serviant, joined Connecting Africa for a video interview in Nairobi, Kenya, to talk about agritech trends in Africa and how operators are partnering with startups to help the agricultural value chain to flourish.

EU, Germany and Estonia launch Digital Transformation Centre in Kenya

Matshepo Sehloho
5/23/2023

The European Union (EU), Germany and Estonia have launched a Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) in Kenya to strengthen the country's digital economy.

Digital banking group Tyme raises another $77.8M

Paula Gilbert
5/23/2023

Tyme has raised another US$77.8 million in a pre-series C capital raise, securing two new international investors, while South African flagship TymeBank's customers have reached 7 million.

Angola Cables, Orange ink infrastructure network deal

Matshepo Sehloho
5/22/2023

An infrastructure sharing agreement on the West African Djoliba Network gives Angola Cables and telco Orange the option to extend their global connectivity.

Africa Data Centres, LINX partner for African digital growth

Connecting Africa News
5/22/2023

Africa Data Centres (ADC) has formed a strategic partnership with the London Internet Exchange (LINX) to explore opportunities in current and new markets across Africa.

MTN Cameroon mobile money unit gets PSP license

Matshepo Sehloho
5/19/2023

MTN Cameroon's fintech subsidiary Mobile Money Corporation (MMC) has been granted a Payment Services Provider (PSP) license.

Vodacom outlines fiber ambitions as it awaits approval of MAZIV deal

Paula Gilbert
5/19/2023

Vodacom has ambitions to increase its fiber reach across Africa, especially in underserved areas, and is awaiting competition approval on a deal with South African fiber company MAZIV to make that a reality.

Interview: TESPOK's Fiona Asonga on digital telco strategies in East Africa

Connecting Africa Video
5/18/2023

Fiona Asonga, CEO of the Technology Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK), joined Connecting Africa Editor Paula Gilbert at East Africa Com in Nairobi, Kenya, to talk about digital strategies that telecoms operators and service providers are implementing in East Africa.

Zimbabwe places Telecel under corporate rescue

Matshepo Sehloho
5/18/2023

Zimbabwean state-owned mobile operator Telecel has been placed under corporate rescue to avoid its liquidation.

Crypto enthusiasts react to Binance expansion in West Africa

Connecting Africa News
5/18/2023

Binance's peer-to-peer platform has recently expanded its reach in West Africa and local crypto enthusiasts have mixed feelings about the cryptocurrency exchange's growth in Africa.

Cybertech Africa: The pan-African event for innovation and networking

Industry Announcements
5/17/2023

Cybertech is coming to Kigali, Rwanda in August 2023 for a two-day event gathering the business, innovation, tech and cyber ecosystems.

Connecting Africa Podcast: S2 Ep. 7 – Gender-lens investing

Paula Gilbert
5/17/2023

In this episode, the Connecting Africa Podcast team speaks to Eloho Omame, co-founder of FirstCheck Africa, an early-stage VC firm investing in tech startups founded or co-founded by women.

MTN's Bayobab inks $320M African fiber deal

Matshepo Sehloho
5/16/2023

MTN Group's Bayobab has partnered with infrastructure investment agency Africa50 to build R6 billion (US$320 million) terrestrial fiber cable in Africa.

Vodafone job cuts won't impact Africa

Paula Gilbert
5/16/2023

Vodafone's plans to cut 11,000 jobs over three years will not impact Vodacom's operations in Africa, only Vodafone operations in Europe, a spokesperson confirmed.

Vodacom reports revenue growth despite headwinds

Paula Gilbert
5/15/2023

Vodacom Group reported strong financial growth for the year, despite facing headwinds from power supply issues in South Africa, startup costs in Ethiopia, supply chain challenges and higher interest and inflation rates.

Egypt sells 9.5% stake of Telecom Egypt

Matshepo Sehloho
5/15/2023

The Egyptian government has sold a 9.5% stake in state-run Telecom Egypt for 3.75 billion Egyptian pounds (US$121.6 million).

MTN in talks to sell three West African operations to Axian Telecom

Paula Gilbert
5/12/2023

MTN Group is considering an offer from Axian Telecom to buy MTN's operations in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry and Liberia.

Airtel, MTN renew 3G spectrum licenses in Nigeria

Matshepo Sehloho
5/12/2023

Airtel Nigeria and MTN Nigeria have confirmed that they will renew their 2100MHz spectrum licenses in the West African nation for a further 15 years.

Safaricom granted mobile money license in Ethiopia

Paula Gilbert
5/11/2023

Kenya's Safaricom has been granted the license to operate its mobile money service M-Pesa in its new territory of Ethiopia, as the Ethiopian rollout costs put strain on group earnings.

ThinkWiFi, Mawingu to connect Kenya's underserved

Matshepo Sehloho
5/11/2023

Free Wi-Fi service provider ThinkWiFi and Internet service provider Mawingu have launched the first outdoor Telecom Infra Project (TIP) OpenWiFi network in Kenya.

MTN expands in Nigeria and Rwanda, battles outages in Sudan and Cameroon

Matshepo Sehloho
5/10/2023

Pan-African operator MTN has announced that it will be launching its own 4G network in Rwanda, expanding 5G in Nigeria, and managing network issues in Sudan and Cameroon.

Senegal to allocate 5G licenses to telcos

Paula Gilbert
5/10/2023

Senegal's telecommunications regulator, ARTP, has announced that it will allocate 5G licenses to telecom operators by the end of July 2023.

SA's Rain expands into mobile voice services

Matshepo Sehloho
5/8/2023

South African data-only operator Rain is expanding to become a "full mobile network operator" and will now also supply mobile voice services.

Vodacom launches 5G services in Mozambique

Matshepo Sehloho
5/5/2023

Vodacom Mozambique has become the first mobile operator to launch commercial 5G services in the country.

Côte d'Ivoire to launch first observation satellite

Matshepo Sehloho
5/4/2023

Côte d'Ivoire's Minister of Scientific Research Adama Diawara said the country's first observation satellite, the Yam-Sat CI 01, should be in space by August this year.

Microsoft appoints Lillian Barnard as African president

Matshepo Sehloho
5/3/2023

Microsoft has announced the appointment of Lillian Barnard as President of Microsoft Africa.

Ghana to block unregistered SIMs on May 31

Matshepo Sehloho
5/2/2023

The Ghanaian National Communications Authority (NCA) has set May 31 as the deadline to block unregistered SIM cards.

'The future is not just digital, it's female too' – Svenja Schulze

Matshepo Sehloho
4/27/2023

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) hosted dignitaries as well as school pupils in celebration of International Girls in ICT Day at the Transform Africa Summit in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Podcast: Safaricom CIO George Njuguna on training Kenya's next million tech developers

Connecting Africa Video
4/27/2023

Safaricom CIO George Njuguna, the keynote speaker at East Africa Com in Nairobi, Kenya, sits down with Connecting Africa's Paula Gilbert to talk about Safaricom's vision for 2030 and how to build East Africa's digital economies while growing technology talent and digital skills.

Affordability key to 5G uptake in East Africa – Safaricom

Paula Gilbert
4/27/2023

Safaricom exec Cynthia Karuri-Kropac told delegates at East Africa Com in Nairobi, Kenya, that until 5G becomes more affordable it won't drive true digital transformation in Kenya and across East Africa.

Africans need to work together to achieve digital transformation

Matshepo Sehloho
4/26/2023

African heads of state called for collaboration during the keynote address at the sixth annual Transform Africa Summit in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Mozambique imposes new SIM registration rules

Matshepo Sehloho
4/25/2023

The regulatory authority said the process needs to be updated because the current system is being abused, with fraudulent documents being used to support registrations and more than 10,000 pirated devices being activated each week.

Safaricom expands 5G in 21 Kenyan counties

Matshepo Sehloho
4/24/2023

Kenyan telecommunications operator Safaricom has expanded its 5G coverage to 28 towns across 21 counties.

Comment: Access To Technology - UberDOST8022 - 4/21/2023

South African minister denies blocking Elon Musk's Starlink

Matshepo Sehloho
4/21/2023

South African Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, has denied that the country is hindering Elon Musk's Starlink from operating in the local market.

The Gambia adopts national fiber protection policy

Matshepo Sehloho
4/21/2023

The Gambian government has adopted a policy aimed at protecting the country's fiber optic cables.

Hot startup of the month: Cameroon's Agrix Tech

Matshepo Sehloho
4/21/2023

Cameroonian startup Agrix Tech is helping small-scale farmers to transition from subsistence farming to commercial farming and maximize their profits.

Kenya to deploy fiber to 19 underserved communities

Matshepo Sehloho
4/19/2023

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the ICT Authority (ICTA) have signed an agreement for fiber deployment in 19 Kenyan counties.

Interview: VMware's Lorna Hardie on emerging hybrid work trends

Connecting Africa Video
4/19/2023

Lorna Hardie, senior director for sub-Saharan Africa at VMware, sat down with Connecting Africa to discuss emerging hybrid work trends and their impact on women in the workplace.

Nigerian ride-hailing union threaten strike against Uber, Bolt

Matshepo Sehloho
4/18/2023

The Amalgamated Union of App-based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON) is threatening to protest against Uber and Bolt's alleged attempts to have its license revoked.

Cassava Technologies to invest $249M in South Africa

Matshepo Sehloho
4/17/2023

Infrastructure and digital services provider Cassava Technologies has pledged a total of R4.5 billion (US$249 million) in investment towards South Africa's ICT sector.

Senegal announces national roaming plan

Matshepo Sehloho
4/17/2023

The Senegalese regulator ARTP is planning to introduce national roaming between the country's mobile network operators.

Amazon Web Services to invest $1.8B in South Africa

Matshepo Sehloho
4/14/2023

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that it plans to invest R30.4 billion (US$1.8 billion) in its cloud infrastructure in South Africa by 2029.

Connecting Africa Podcast: S2 Ep. 6 – Breaking into VC

Paula Gilbert
4/14/2023

In this episode the Connecting Africa Podcast team speak to Cindy Ai, co-founder of Dream VC, about why so many young Africans aspire to get into the venture capital game and how her investor accelerator is helping them do that.

MVNO Melon Mobile enters SA market

Matshepo Sehloho
4/13/2023

Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Melon Mobile has entered the South African market promising to offer fully digital services.

Abbad Reda appointed new MTN Zambia CEO

Paula Gilbert
4/13/2023

Current MTN Afghanistan CEO Abbad Reda will be moving to Zambia to take over as CEO from Bart Hofker in May.

Vodafone Ghana, Lynk ink satellite-to-phone deal

Matshepo Sehloho
4/12/2023

Satellite-direct-to-standard-phone telco, Lynk, has signed a contract with Telecel Group in Africa to provide services to Vodafone Ghana's subscribers.

World Bank invests $540M in Kenya, Senegal digital transformation

Matshepo Sehloho
4/11/2023

The World Bank has approved a US$390 million finance deal for Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project and US$150 million toward Senegal's digital transformation.

MTN, Huawei cement 5G industrial use case in Uganda

Paula Gilbert
4/11/2023

MTN Uganda and Huawei have launched what they say is the country's first 5G industrial use case, rolling out the next-gen tech for the Hima Cement Company.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies to build data center in Zambia

Matshepo Sehloho
4/6/2023

Liquid Intelligent Technologies has pledged to build a data center in Zambia in a partnership deal with the country's government.

Visa Foundation pledges $5M to African women entrepreneurs

Paula Gilbert
4/6/2023

The Visa Foundation said it will invest $5 million in grants and impact investments to expand equitable access for women in Africa.

Mukuru opens fintech drive-thru in Zimbabwe

Matshepo Sehloho
4/6/2023

South Africa-based fintech platform Mukuru has launched a drive-thru service for domestic and international money transfers in the Zimbabwean city of Harare.

Mobile money taxation threatens financial inclusion – Vodacom

Paula Gilbert
4/5/2023

Pan-African telecoms operator Vodacom is calling for relaxed taxation on mobile money across Africa in a new policy paper which claims fintech taxation could threaten financial inclusion.

Ericsson, Smart Africa train African policymakers in digital skills

Paula Gilbert
4/5/2023

Ericsson and Smart Africa Digital Academy have successfully trained 100 senior policymakers and regulators across Africa to enhance critical digital skills.

Vodacom, Netstar bring free Wi-Fi to South African taxis

Matshepo Sehloho
4/5/2023

Vodacom Business and vehicle tracking and telematics company, Netstar, have partnered to offer free Wi-Fi to commuters of minibus taxis in South Africa.

Kenya to launch first operational satellite

Matshepo Sehloho
4/4/2023

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) is set to launch its first operational 3U Earth observation satellite on April 10, in partnership with SpaceX aboard its Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Base in California in the USA.

African operators facing FWA 'cannibalization' – WIM Technologies

Paula Gilbert
4/4/2023

Nik Angelov from WIM Technologies spoke to Connecting Africa about the risks of fixed wireless access (FWA) 'cannibalization' and how local operators can counteract this trend.

SA telecoms regulator appoints another acting chairperson

Connecting Africa News
4/3/2023

South Africa's telecoms regulator, ICASA, has announced that Yolisa Kedama will take over from Charley Lewis as acting chairperson on April 4, 2023, as it looks for a permanent chairperson.

Orange picks Vanu for Liberia's rural tower deployment

Matshepo Sehloho
4/3/2023

Orange Liberia has commissioned off-grid equipment and solutions provider Vanu to deploy at least 200 telecom towers in the West African country.

MTN to spend $84M to counter effects of load shedding and vandalism

Paula Gilbert
3/31/2023

MTN is budgeting over $84 million to be spent on alternative power sources and backup batteries and generators to counter ongoing load shedding power cuts, site vandalism and battery theft in South Africa.

Alpheus Mangale is Seacom's new CEO

Paula Gilbert
3/30/2023

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
3/29/2023

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.

Tanzanian fintech Nala pledges $1M investment after securing license

Matshepo Sehloho
3/28/2023

The Central Bank of Tanzania has granted fintech company Nala a Payment Service Provider (PSP) license to operate in the East African country.

Hybrid multi-cloud adoption model can assist with stability issues - Huawei

Matshepo Sehloho
3/27/2023

Huawei Cloud Sub-Saharan African Region CTO Harrison Li has urged African financial institutions to adopt hybrid multi-cloud services.

Huawei launches its Non-Stop Banking initiative

Matshepo Sehloho
3/24/2023

Chinese multinational Huawei has unveiled its Non-stop Banking initiative at the Intelligent Finance Summit 2023 in Cape Town.

Cell C CEO Douglas Craigie Stevenson resigns

Paula Gilbert
3/24/2023

South African operator Cell C's CEO Douglas Craigie Stevenson has resigned and will be temporarily replaced by Brett Copans.

Hot startup of the month: Rwanda's Smart Ikigega

Matshepo Sehloho
3/24/2023

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
3/23/2023

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.

Omantel enters Djibouti with Wingu Group deal

Matshepo Sehloho
3/22/2023

Omantel expands into Africa by partnering with data center operator Wingu Group to establish a point of presence in Djibouti.

Deep dive into East Africa's tech startup ecosystem

Africa Tech Perspectives
3/22/2023

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.

M-Pesa Africa invests $2M in Shared Service Operations Centre

Paula Gilbert
3/22/2023

M-Pesa Africa has launched a Shared Service Operations Centre (SSOC) in Nairobi to support operations in Kenya and five other African markets.

MTN, Microsoft trial 5G in cloud

Connecting Africa News
3/20/2023

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
3/17/2023

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.

South Africa's Rain to move beyond data into mobile voice

Paula Gilbert
3/17/2023

Data-only network Rain is looking to launch a full mobile service this year, expanding its offering to include voice services.

Nigeria launches $618M fund for young tech entrepreneurs

Paula Gilbert
3/16/2023

The African Development Bank, Nigeria's government and other partners have launched a new $618 million fund aimed at supporting tech and creative sectors for the youth in Nigeria.

MTN SA sells device insurance business to Santam

Paula Gilbert
3/16/2023

MTN South Africa is selling its device insurance book, worth $21.7 million in annual gross written premium value, to insurance company Santam.

Egypt's Flat6Labs launching $95M seed fund for African startups

Paula Gilbert
3/15/2023

Middle East and North Africa seed investor, Flat6Labs, is expanding its investment focus to West and East Africa with a new $95 million seed fund aimed at investing in 160 tech startups over the next five years.

Seacom now live on Google's Equiano subsea cable

Matshepo Sehloho
3/15/2023

Telecommunications services provider Seacom has announced that it is live on Equiano, the Google-backed subsea cable.

BFS to manage Burkina Faso's fiber route

Matshepo Sehloho
3/14/2023

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
3/13/2023

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
3/13/2023

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.

Telkom SA partners with Clikatell to launch Chat 2 Pay

Matshepo Sehloho
3/10/2023

Chat Commerce company Clickatell has launched its Chat 2 Pay feature for South African telecommunication company Telkom.

Online shopping growing in South Africa – World Wide Worx, Mastercard

Paula Gilbert
3/10/2023

There was a 40% increase in the total number of people shopping online in South Africa between 2021 and 2021 according to a new study by World Wide Worx and Mastercard.

Orange, OneWeb ink deal to connect Africa's underserved

Matshepo Sehloho
3/9/2023

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.

Vodacom has the fastest 5G network in South Africa – Opensignal

Paula Gilbert
3/9/2023

Vodacom has the fastest 5G download speed in South Africa, topping the 200 Mbit/s mark, according to a new report from mobile analytics company Opensignal.

African telcos, vendors make deals at MWC 2023

Paula Gilbert
3/8/2023

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.

View Content by Month

[close this box]

Latest resources

More Information resources

Innovation hub

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.

Story

Hot startup of the month: Pan-African fintech KamaPay

This month's hot startup is pan-African fintech KamaPay, which helps individuals and businesses make cross-border payments on the continent.

More Innovation hub

Latest video

Cybertech Africa: The pan-African event for innovation and networking
Kigali, Rwanda, Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Liquid, Nokia partner on Kenya-SA fiber route
Johannesburg, Thursday, February 2, 2023
Telkom SA to add MVNOs to network this year
Johannesburg, Friday, January 20, 2023

More Industry announcements

Flash poll

All polls

Africa Tech Perspectives

Story

Upcoming events

Guest Perspectives

Story

Omdia View: February 2023

By Omdia Analysts

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.

More Guest Perspectives

Twitter Feed

Tweets by Connects_Africa