News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa Issue no 147 on 7 March 2003
Top Story
AFRICA’S NEW COMMUNICATIONS USERS - WHAT DO THEY USE AND WHY?
The explosive growth of communications technologies has given potential users a wide range of new tools to communicate. Yet beyond the familiar numbers generated by the growth of mobiles, very little has emerged about how these new users communicate. A recent survey from Gamos and the CTO looks at patterns of behaviour for a range of users, particularly poorer users and those in rural areas. Nigel Scott of Gamos summarises the research findings. Gamos Ltd. and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) have carried out field research through local universities in Ghana (University of Legon), Botswana (University of Botswana) and Uganda…
Telecoms
ECONET INTERESTED IN BUYING VIVENDI’S KENCELL STAKE
Econet Wireless International has said it is examining prospects of buying out Vivendi’s 60 per cent stake in KenCell Communications Ltd. Strive Masiyiwa, Econet CEO, said: "It is a fact…
Telecoms
NIGERIA: ECONET AND MTN DISAGREE ON MOBILITY FOR PTOS
According to a report by Nigeria’s Vanguard, the two largest mobile providers, Econet Wireless and MTN Nigeria disagree on allowing Private Telecom Operators (PTOs) to offer limited mobility services. MTN…
Telecoms
TAZANIAN GOVT AND MSI/DETECON APPOINT INDEPENDENT EXPERT
Tanzania’s government and MSI/Detecon will appoint an independent expert in a last ditch effort to end a dispute over outstanding dues for a stake in a state-owned telecoms firm, officials…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- South Africa’s regulator ICASA is pointing out that although the 2.4 to 2.5 GHz band has become very popular to provide connections between users and computer networks, it can…
Internet
BURKINA FASO: CYBER-CAFÉ EXPLOSION BUT CONNECTIONS SLOW AND EXPENSIVE
The explosion in the number of cyber-cafes in Burkina Faso is making the web more accessible, writes Florence Santos da Silva of Afrik.com. But this is in spite of a…
Internet
SECURITY BREACHES OCCUR MOSTLY AT COMPANIES WITH LAVISH SECURITY SYSTEMS
Ninety percent of high profile security breaches occur at companies with lavish security systems in place. So said Clifford Katz of Information Security Architects (ISA) South Africa at a Sun…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- South African state-owned signal carrier Sentech has acquired the remaining 30% stake of Infosat from Ared. The move means Sentech will now fully own Infosat, which provides value-added…
Computing
EGYPT TO GET NEW PRINTER ASSEMBLY UNIT
A letter of intent (LoI) has been signed between three organisations to set up a printer assembly facility in Egypt.The promoters are the Electronics Factory of the Arab Organisation for…
Computing
SUN APPOINTS PYTRON AS ITS SA DISTRIBUTOR OF STAROFFICE
Sun Microsystems has announced that it has appointed Pytron Technologies as the first South African distributor of its StarOffice productivity suite. StarOffice is being promoted as an increasingly popular alternative…
Computing
RECENT NIGERIAN COURT CASE STOPS PIRATING COMPANY IN ITS TRACKS
Anyone who thought wild Nigeria was a land of unbridled opportunity for devious gains, take note. Not only has Thoroughbreed Software Consulting, a Nigerian company been barred from dealing in…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Some 139 clients of SA’s First National Bank will have their Visa cards cancelled after a hack into a card processing company’s database last week - Research house Forge…
digtool
KACE LAUNCHES MOBILE FARM PRICES SERVICE
Farmers will be able to receive farm prices through mobile telephones in order to enhance their bargaining power. This new service was announced last week by Dr Adrian Mukhebi, the…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SA’S ETHOS TECH FUND 1’S FIRST ACQUISITION IS INGO INFORMATION SOLUTIONS
Ethos Private Equity’s new venture capital technology fund, Ethos Tech Fund 1, has made its first investment, leading the management buyout of information solutions provider INGO Information Solutions. The effective…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
CTO INVESTMENT SUMMIT IN GHANA HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR LOCAL CAPITAL
Reconciling the interests of government, operators and investors was the focus of the Digital Africa Summit, held in Accra, Ghana, from 19 to 21 February 2003. The summit’s theme was…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- Econet Wireless, the only listed technology company on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, released its interim results last week for the six months to December 2002, which showed a dramatic…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
CORRECTION: ISSUE 145 - ECONET WIRELESS NIGERIA’s DECISION TO FIND NEW OPERATOR SPLITS BOARD
Due to an attack of the gremlins the above story appeared when it should not have. It is one of our company archive stories and is well over a year…
Digital Content
NON-PROFIT NIGERIA INTERNET GROUP WILL HOST .NG DOMAIN
www.nig.org.ng) The NIG is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to administer the domain name. The chief executive of Zenith International Bank Jim Ovia…
Digital Content
ALLAFRICA OFFERS CORE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM THROUGH iNETWORKING PROJECT
US-based content company AllAfrica Global Media has launched a new project. The iNetworking Project is attacking that problem through an Internet operating system designed to facilitate effectiveness and accountability in…
Digital Content
FIRST RAND GROUP’S eBUCK’S CLAIMS STRONG SUCCESS
The FirstRand Group’s e-commerce venture, eBucks.com, last week was claiming success as the Internet banking portal for First National Bank, Origin, WesBank and Ansbacher as well as establishing itself as…
Digital Content
African Web News - In Brief
http://www.ginks.org/ http://www.scidevforum.net/forum/list.php?bn=scidevforum_sustain http://www.africanartville.org http://www.soi.city.ac.uk/~ck521/papwec http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews.html
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PEOPLE
* RDC Dr Aristo Gubare of Uganda’s Bundibugyo district recently called for new investors in the local telecommunications business:"We are grateful to MTN for getting us connected. But the network…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
- The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation is looking for a new Chief Executive. For details click on the top banner ad.
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EVENTS
SOUTHERN AFRICAN INTERNET FORUM, KWA MARITANE GAME LODGE, PILANESBERG, SOUTH AFRICA (11-13 APRIL 2003) The Southern African Internet Forum has three key objectives: 1. To help create a shared strategic…
