Mobile and Telecoms
Airtel Africa and MoneyGram Enable Direct Mobile Wallet Transfers
Sourced from Comms MEA Airtel Africa has partnered with MoneyGram – an international money transfer company – to allow its 19 million customers to quickly and conveniently receive transfers directly into their mobile wallets. Once Airtel Money customers receive the funds, they can be accessed immediately and used to pay utility bills, goods and services, transferred to other individuals, or converted to cash at any of Airtel Africa’s branches, kiosks, and agents. “This partnership with Airtel will enable millions of consumers instant access to our global platform to receive money from over 200 countries & territories without having to even step outside,” says John Gely, Head of MoneyGram Africa. “We’re excited about how this customer-centric partnership with Airtel will expand our mobi...
MTN to Focus on African Markets and Ditch Middle East
MTN has announced that it is focusing its strategy on the African markets. “As part of our ongoing portfolio review, we believe the group is best served to focus in the future on our pan-African strategy,” says MTN Group CEO, Rob Shuter. “We will, therefore, be exiting the Middle East in an orderly manner over the medium term. As a first step, we are in advanced discussions to sell our 75% stake in MTN Syria.” The news comes after the telco announced that it added 11 million subscribers in the first six months of the year to reach a total base of 262 million. By the end of June 2020, MTN had 102 million active data users and 38 million active Mobile Money users. Despite lockdown restrictions impacting network rollout, MTN Group invested R10 billion in capital expenditure across...
Safaricom Appoints New Board Chairman
Sourced from CGTN. Safaricom has appointed Michael Joseph (the telco’s former CEO) as new board chairman, he succeeds Nicholas Ng’ang’a who has retired. Joseph will take up this position effective 1 August 2020. “Mr Ng’ang’a took up the leadership reins at a time when the government was starting the process of offering 25 per cent of its shares to the public through the Nairobi Securities Exchange in 2008. He has managed to grow shareholder value by 607 per cent since listing,” says Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa. “At the time of his appointment as chairman, Safaricom had slightly over six million customers, 1,000 employees and only eight Safaricom shops across the country. Mr Ng’ang’a retires from the telco that now serves over 35.6 million customers, across 50 shops and hundreds of service ...
Vodacom Just4You Platform Doubles Consumer Data
Vodacom has announced that it will give customers who buy selected bundles using the Just4You platform, a 100% bonus on daily, weekly and monthly bundles. This comes at a time when South Africans are under increased economic pressure. “As a brand that connects people for a better tomorrow by creating an inclusive digital society, this promotion allows us to give back to our customers by doubling their data allocation so that they can stay close to the things and people they love and need during these trying times,” says Jorge Mendes, Chief Officer of Vodacom Consumer Business Unit. “Just4You is a platform that presents personalised, discounted offers based on the individual usage pattern. This time around, we are offering our customers more value by doubling their data because we beli...
Somalia Has the Lowest Mobile Data Costs in Africa, According to Research
One of Somalia’s largest telecommunications providers, Hormuud Telecoms has announced that it’s aiming to reach 100% of the Somali population with mobile money financial services. Telecommunications have grown substantially in Somalia over the past 10 years. With over 11 different providers now present in the market, the average costs of 1GB bundles have fallen to the lowest levels compared with any other nation in Africa or the Middle East. For a country long affected by civil war and unrest, the news offers a rare insight into the changing shape of the business community within Somalia. In Somali urban centres, mobile money penetration now stands at over 80%. Even in rural Somalia the mobile money penetration rate of 55%. A World Bank report published i...
Has South Africa Run with 5G Before it could Walk?
A number of South African telecommunications companies have recently launched local 5G networks. “The decision to introduce 5G means the service provider has determined that there are enough people in one place who are able to pay for super-fast wireless internet. Yes, it is a great technology. It is fast. It is the cream of mobile terrestrial telecoms and it serves the elite few who can afford it,” says Victor Stephanopoli, COO of MzansiSat. When 2G was introduced to South Africa in 1992, 2G networks were the first to offer data services and SMS text messaging. 2G was followed by LTE, which became 3G and which offered faster data transfer and video calling, making it preferable for smartphones. In 2012, 4G was launched in SA, initially only covering small areas in Johannesburg. Stephanopo...
Openserve Supports Increased Internet Consumption Amidst Pandemic
South African-based infrastructure provider, Openserve has launched another data-led wholesale broadband proposition called Openserve Pure Connect. The genesis of this proposition lies in utilising the value of both copper and fibre infrastructure to connect more households to the internet. Seeing the value that the vast copper and fibre network plays in the greater connectivity ecosystem, Openserve CEO, Althon Beukes, says that “the wholesaling of the hybrid copper and fibre broadband access product compliments Openserve’s overall fixed broadband strategy which is focused on providing fast and consistent connectivity to as many people as possible”. The demand for affordable broadband connectivity has significantly grown as consumers adapt to the prolonged effects of COVID-19. The new norm...
Telkom to Transition Customers from Copper-based Internet to Fibre
Image sourced from My Broadband Telkom has announced that it is transitioning its South African customers from copper-based internet to new-generation fibre technology in all fibre-ready regions. The telecommunications provider says that it is currently hard at work upgrading its customers from copper ADSL internet to fibre-based internet. This migration applies to all customers residing in fibre-ready regions around the country where the current DSL infrastructure overlaps with the FTTH footprint. Telkom notes that fibre promises a significant improvement in users’ connectivity experience and assures customers that they will receive the support that they need to undergo the upgrade with minimal stress and disruption. “With technology advancing so rapidly, we want to help keep our customer...
Vodacom and Alipay Partner to Create a New Super-App
Vodacom and Alipay have partnered to create a super app that’ll allow South African consumers to manage their entire lives and business through their smartphone – which includes playing music, paying for morning coffees, listening to podcasts, sending money to family, paying utility bills, shopping online and ordering new stock for their businesses. According to the companies, the app will not only offer a stellar digital customer experience but will also bring to life a market place of goods and services tailored to the South African customer needs. This will be underpinned by a progressive digital payments ecosystem designed to serve both the banked and unbanked parts of the population. Customers and merchants will all find each other on one affordable platform, operated by Vodacom ...
Rain Launches the First Standalone 5G Network in Africa
Image sourced from MyBroadband Rain has rolled-out Africa’s first commercial standalone 5G network – powered by Huawei. The South African data-only provider currently covers suburbs in Cape Town including Sea Point, Claremont, Goodwood, Bellville, Durbanville and the CBD. “Standalone 5G will further improve 5G network performance with increased uplink rate, lower latency, and improved reliability, ushering in high-end cloud VR and cloud gaming services, more diversified enterprise and home broadband services,” says Khaya Dlanga, Rain CMO. “Standalone 5G will demonstrate how 5G is powerful in realising South Africa’s 4IR future. Powered by Huawei’s global leading 5G solutions, our Standalone 5G will enable the industry’s digital transformation in the future, such as smart healthcare, smart ...
Airtel Africa Expands Network with WorldRemit
Airtel Africa and WorldRemit have partnered to expand operations to Rwanda – which means Airtel Money is now available in DRC, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Niger. Airtel Money enables mobile money users to send local and international money transfers, make utility payments, pay merchants, save money in their mobile wallets, purchase airtime and access a range of mobile financial products. WorldRemit will enable customers from across the globe to receive money into Airtel Money wallets. Users can use the free mobile app; choose Mobile Money and Airtel as the operator, then follow the prompts. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_195.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_195.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } “The connection to more Mobile Money accounts through Airtel Africa allows us to ...
Fixed Wireless Access Unlocks a World of Opportunity
5G networks are now being built out, with performance and capacity gains available to be tapped by new use cases. One of the first will be fixed wireless access (FWA). Around half of all households in the world – over 1 billion – do not have a fixed broadband connection. Given the current speed and capacity of cellular networks with LTE and its evolution to 5G, there are opportunities for operators to deliver broadband services to homes and small and medium-sized enterprises economically using FWA. Fixed wireless access (FWA) connections are forecast to grow threefold and reach close to 160 million by the end of 2025, accounting for 25 percent of total mobile network data traffic globally, according to Ericsson Mobility Report. FWA in the broadband context /* custom css */ .tdi_3_acf.td-a-...
