News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 1030 on 26 June 2020
Top Story
Worldwide Broadband Alliance wants to bring together a globally available Wi-Fi Federation with added punch from Wi-Fi 6– What’s in it for Africa?
26 June 2020
Hot-spots are often one of Africa’s most convenient ways of connecting, often providing free or low-cost access. But the process of getting access is nearly always a bit clunky and you’re not always sure how much you can trust the hot-spots. Russell Southwood talks to Tiago Rodrigues, World Broadband Alliance about creating a globally available Wi-Fi Federation and asks what’s in it for Africa. OpenRoaming was originally launched by Cisco as the basis for a globally available Wi-Fi federation that offers an automatic and secure connections for devices to millions of Wi-Fi networks. Its big selling point is that it…
Telecoms
South Africa: Telcos Gear Up For ‘Battle Royale’ Over 5G
25 June 2020
By all indications, South African telco majors are gearing up to might big battles over who get 5G access. Telkom, MTN and Vodacom are all readying the war-chest for winning…
Telecoms
MTN and Vodacom Pursue Interests As Ethiopia Opens Up Some More
25 June 2020
Africa’s largest telecoms networks are making strident overtures to secure interest in the Ethiopian telecommunications market, as the sizeable African nation begins to liberalise its telecommunications and ICT industry. It…
Telecoms
Vodacom, MTN partner with UN to fight coronavirus in Africa
25 June 2020
The United Nations is partnering with Africa-focused wireless carriers including MTN Group and Orange on a mobile data platform that delivers coronavirus-related information around the continent. The free-to-use service…
Internet
Amazon has added 3,000 jobs in South Africa for Alexa and customers in US, Europe
25 June 2020
Amazon has expanded its presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town by adding 3,000 new virtual customer service jobs to bring its total permanent workforce in South Africa to 7,000 people.…
Internet
Orange introduces 4G+ in Botswana
25 June 2020
Orange Botswana has rolled out LTE-A services, boosting data transfer rates on its 4G network. The upgrades are being branded 4G+ and have already been introduced in Greater Gaborone (which…
Internet
Mobile data traffic in Africa to grow 12 times by 2025
25 June 2020
Mobile data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is estimated to grow by 12 times the current figures, with total traffic increasing from 0.33 Exabytes (EB) per month to 4EB by…
Internet
Vodacom, Microsoft To Enable Remote Learning With Affordable Connectivity
25 June 2020
In South Africa, Microsoft and Vodacom have announced they will be joining forces to provide distant or remote learning with low-cost or ‘affordable’ connectivity plans. The Connected Digital Education Platform…
Internet
African countries unite to create 'one stop shop' to lower cost of Covid-19 tests and PPE
25 June 2020
African countries have pulled together to set up a one-stop shop to give the continent a fairer chance in the international scramble for Covid-19 test kits, protective equipment and any…
Computing
Content Provider, Summview will be hosted in Nigeria’s Rack Centre
25 June 2020
Hosting based in Rack Centre, West Africa’s Largest Carrier Neutral Data Centre LAGOS, NIGERIA, 9 June 2020 – Summview, the Paris based provider of end to end turnkey solutions and…
Computing
Microsoft, Vodacom South Africa launch online education platform
25 June 2020
Microsoft South Africa and Vodacom Business have partnered on a Connected Digital Education initiative, based on the rollout of a Connected Digital Education Platform for enable remote learning with affordable…
Money Transfer
Vodacom M-Pesa goes global
25 June 2020
Vodacom M-Pesa in Tanzania has announced the expansion of its International Money Transfer service portfolio. “Vodacom M-Pesa Tanzania going global is our way of adding efficiencies to our customers’…
Money Transfer
Why Nigeria’s biggest payments companies have entered e-commerce
25 June 2020
GT Bank, Flutterwave, OPay and Remita have developed e-commerce services on top of their core payments solution. A new competition is afoot in Nigeria’s payments industry. Since the start…
Money Transfer
MTN to launch MoMoPay in Congo
25 June 2020
MTN Congo has just added a new product, MoMoPay to its Mobile Money portfolio. The launch took place at the start of June in Brazzaville,Congo with the Director of Mobile…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
South Africa: Government Is Not Planning To Sell Stake In Telkom, Says CEO
25 June 2020
Mr Sipho Masego, Chief Executive Officer of Telkom South Africa, has responded to recent reporting indicating the South African government is planning to offload part or all of it’s more…
Digital Content
Digital Lab Africa unveils the winners of its Fourth Edition
26 June 2020
Digital Lab Africa (DLA), a springboard and incubation platform for African creatives in digital content, announced the nine winners of its fourth edition during an online conference on 19 June,…
Digital Content
Covibes, A Music Tech Startup For African Producers and Musicians
26 June 2020
Music has for the longest time been an integral part of the culture and religion of people. It has since evolved and takes a prime position on all our digital…
Digital Content
MultiChoice to offer JOOX VIP to its DStv subscribers in SA
26 June 2020
MultiChoice will be offering JOOX VIP to all its DStv customers, allowing everyone to stream music and live appearances. Subscribers will be able to karaoke all their favorite tracks, all…
Digital Content
Plentywaka Launches B2C Platform - ‘Logistics by Plentywaka’
26 June 2020
22 June 2020, Lagos, Nigeria: Plentywaka, the solution-based innovation tech company, has launched Logistics By Plentywaka (LBP), an expansion to the company’s bus transportation network in the city. In a…
Digital Content
Africa’s COVID19 platform for the new normal
26 June 2020
President Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel once said “you never want a serious crisis to go to waste. It provides the opportunity to do things that were not possible…
Digital Content
Facebook supports African SMB’s through Economic Impact Programmes offered virtually in wake of COVID-19 Pandemic
26 June 2020
These programmes, available virtually from June 23rd 2020 will include 90 minute long Instructor-led live webinar sessions featuring presentations, demonstrations, lectures and virtual discussions Facebook (www.Facebook.com) has announced that…
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People
26 June 2020
CEO Of Liquid Telecoms SA, Reshaad Sha, Resigns Ms Reshaad Sha, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Liquid Telecom South Africa, is reportedly leaving the company for greener pastures with…
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Opportunities
26 June 2020
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa selects 20 startups for virtual programme Twenty African tech startups have been selected for the fifth cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa,…
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Events
26 June 2020
East Africa.com 10 - 15 September 2020Radisson Blu, Nairobi Upper HillKenyaEast Africa Com, the regions leading telco and digital transformation event, brings together experts and industry stakeholders from across telecommunications,…