Vodacom news
9 out of 10 Kenyan SMEs Use M-Pesa for Payments, via New Survey
Image sourced from WeeTracker /* custom css */ .tdi_4_9b7.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_9b7.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } A new survey conducted by Amethyst Consultants on SME perceptions of banking products in Kenya showed that up to 95% of SMEs (9 out of 10 companies) in the country use M-Pesa, Vodafone’s mobile money service, according to Business Daily Africa. The survey, commissioned by SNDBX, took place between the months of March and April 2021 and included 131 small to medium enterprises (SMEs) across 17 “key sectors”. “The survey highlighted that SMEs continue to be resilient through the pandemic season and a third [of SMEs] are looking forward to a better future in 2021,” says Amethyst Consultants Founding Director, Sharon Mbugua. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_7f1.t...
South African National Treasury Awards Vodacom New Mobile Services Contract
The South African National Treasury has awarded Vodacom with a new mobile communication services contract. “Truly, we are excited to continue our partnership with government for another five years and we will deliver to accelerate its digitalisation programme through the new RT15-2021 transversal contract,” says Chief Officer for Vodacom Business, William Mzimba. “Through the previous contract, we successfully delivered significant financial benefits in costs savings, expedited and streamlined procurement of services and ushered unprecedented digitalisation of government departments, agencies, State-Owned Entities and municipalities” The RT15 served as a platform for Vodacom Business to support government and amplify their productivity while increasing efficiency. To achieve the expec...
LCA could Retract Vodacom’s Operating Licence
Vodacom has revealed that the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) could revoke its license to operate in the country. According to TechCentral, the LCA has imposed a R134-million fine for ‘allegedly flouting its licence conditions and for allegedly being in breach of local legislation governing companies’. In an official response, Vodacom says that it plans on lodging an urgent high court interdict – while assuring local customers that business will continue as usual. “In the same application, Vodacom will be challenging the lawfulness of the LCA’s decision, set out in a notice dated 8 October 2020, revoking its unified licence,” it said. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_441.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_441.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Vodacom Lesotho MD, Philip Amoateng sa...
Vodacom Zero-Rates COVID-19 Alert App
South Africa’s National Department of Health (DoH) and Discovery have partnered to launch a COVID-19 Alert app in an attempt to strengthen the existing contact tracing methods in the country. The app is a free exposure notification tool that lets users know if/when they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. It uses Bluetooth contact tracing technology, which simply tracks close contact (proximity) between smartphones and not the actual locations of the smartphones. Once users have downloaded and installed the app, it runs in the background. Bluetooth and notifications must be enabled for the app to work and users need to have access to a mobile or Wi-Fi network to send and receive exposure alerts. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_517.td-a-rec-img{ text-align:...
Vodacom Appoints New Group CFO
Vodacom has appointed Raisibe Morathi as its new Group chief financial officer (CFO), effective from 1 November 2020. Morathi joins the telco after resigning from her position as Nedbank CFO – a role that she has held since 2009. Morathi is also expected to be appointed to the Vodacom Group Board. “As one of the most experienced and one of very few African black female CFOs of a listed company in South Africa, Raisibe’s appointment underscores Vodacom’s commitment to driving diversity across the workplace,” says Vodacom in a statement. TechCentral reports that Morathi is a “chartered accountant and has completed an Advanced Management Programme with Insead (France). Her other qualifications include a higher diploma in taxation from Wits University and she is completing a master’s in philos...
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...
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 ...
Vodacom Introduces Data Bundles for the Google Play Store
Vodacom and Google have introduced new Play Store data bundles that will allow customers to browse, download and update their favourite apps, without the anxiety of additional data costs. This collaboration is said to make Vodacom the world’s first mobile network operator to implement such a service. “Vodacom prides itself on being a leading digital telco that strives to offer innovative services, solutions and continuous value for all our customers. We’re extremely proud to be the first telco in the world to offer Google Play Store bundles, enabling our customers to connect to the apps they love on the Google Play Store on the Vodacom network,” says Zunaid Mahomed, Vodacom’s Group Digital and Fixed Officer. “As we continue our pricing transformation journey, we have set our sights on redu...
Vodacom Nigeria Appoints New MD
Vodacom Business Africa announced that it has appointed Valentine Chime as the new managing director for its Nigeria operations. Chime joins the Company from Aruwa Capital, a private equity company investing across West Africa. Prior to this, he was at Kaizen Venture Partners, a private equity company focused on distressed assets. He has held various C-suite positions in a number of portfolio companies in different sectors. As MD, Chime will drive the Company’s vision of becoming Africa’s leading cloud and digital service provider, bringing to market a very relevant suite of next-generation technology solutions in the fields of Edge AI, SD-WAN/NFV and Cloud. “Vodacom Business Africa is well-known and very respected in the industry, and I look forward to taking up this mission. COVID-19 has...
How to RICA a Sim Card Using Vodacom’s ChatBot TOBi
With social distancing as the new norm, one of the most innovative and convenient ways to Self-RICA is through TOBi – Vodacom’s chatbot and trusted self-service team member – which allows existing Vodacom customers to RICA prepaid SIMs from the comfort of their own homes. Since the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA) came into effect in 2011, Vodacom is said to have been working on ways to simplify the process, making it as quick and efficient as possible. Traditionally customers would have to visit a store and present some form of identification, proof of residence and the SIM card. Now customers simply need to take a picture, scanning a new prepaid SIM card, an ID document or passport for foreign nationals and then re...
MTN to Launch its 5G Network Next Week
Sourced from Business Tech MTN South Africa will finally launch its 5G network next week, 30 June 2020, becoming the first of the telecommunications group’s 22 operations to launch the next-generation broadband technology. The pan-African telecom is hosting a live event on its YouTube channel that same day. The event will be hosted by CEO Godfrey Motsa, chief consumer officer Mapula Bodibe and chief technology & information officer Giovanni Chiarelli. [embedded content] At the beginning of the month, MTN began announcing that it would launch 5G networks in major cities across South Africa. The exact locations for these launches have been confidential. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_3b3.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_3b3.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Initially, MTN had been ...
Safaricom Eyes an Opportunity to Expand into Ethiopia
Sourced from CGTN. Safaricom PLC is planning to extend its reach into Ethiopia, Kenya’s northern neighbour. Although not initially successful with its first few attempts, new changes within the Ethiopian government may prove beneficial for the mobile carrier to finally establish a presence within the country. Last month, the Ethiopian government said that it would be impossible for Safaricom’s M-PESA service to have any space in the market. The Ethiopian central bank about reiterated that no foreign financial institutions would be allowed to offer mobile money services in the country. Now, the good news for Safaricom is that the company was recently offered a window to buy into Ethio Telecom, the country’s mass-monopoly provider whose privatisation process is currently underway. This is on...
