Issue no 673 20th September 2013
Top Story
Vodacom Lesotho Launches M-Pesa and reaches a critical mass of users in three months
Lesotho is the fifth African market that Vodacom has launched M-Pesa in and it’s been learning the lessons from the other countries it has rolled out in. It has sought to ramp up numbers fast to get a critical mass and then switch to encouraging transactions. Muchangwe Ferrao looks at how Vodacom tackled the M-Pesa launch.You still hear wiseacres telling you that outside of Kenya m-money transfers have not really taken off. Perhaps their failure in the rather different circumstances of South Africa has something to do with it. M-money transfers are succeeding as a product in Kenya, Tanzania and…
Telecoms
Telecel switches off 100,000 unregistered SIM cards
Zimbabwe’s second largest mobile phone operator by subscriptions Telecel has switched off nearly 100,000 lines after the country’s telecoms regulator issued a directive ordering players to disconnect unregistered lines.Responding to…
Telecoms
Expresso JV Dolphin Telecom to land ACE cable in Nigeria
Dolphin Telecom, a global communications carrier and operator of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable system in West Africa, has announced at the NigeriaCom conference and exhibition that…
Telecoms
Airtel Zambia, Zamtel networks collapse
Widespread network disruptions have been experienced in Zambia this week following the collapse of Airtel and Zamtel networks.Airtel Zambia, the country’s largest network, has said that it has been having…
Telecoms
Mobilis, Nedjma, Djezzy approved for 3G auction
Algeria’s telecoms watchdog the Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications (ARPT) held a public bid opening for the award of 3G licences in Algeria on 15 September 2013, in the…
Telecoms
Nigeria: NATCOMS to Institute Legal Action against Telecoms Operators over QoS
The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has chosen to take the last option of instituting court action against MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat, after all negotiations failed.NATCOMS said it…
Telecoms
Telecoms - In Brief
- Comium Liberia, which was taken over by new investors in July 2012, has announced that it has relaunched under the ‘Novafone’ banner, with coverage of around 85%-90% of the…
Internet
Liquid Telecom signs partnership agreement with Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL)
The Liquid Telecom Group has announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Tanzania Telecommunications Company Ltd (TTCL) to interconnect with its fibre network in Tanzania.Liquid Telecom Kenya has…
Internet
LTT signs ADSL-2 internet contract with Alcatel
Libyan telecommunications company LTT signed a €2.3-million contract with the French company Alcatel-Lucent in Tripoli for the third stage of the development of ADSL-2 internet services in a number of…
Internet
Internet - In Brief
- The Wireless Access Provider’s Association (WAPA) last week announced a 25% increase in its membership for the year ended. “The increase in our membership to 164 dynamic wireless operators…
Computing
Kenya IT hubs launched for primary schools
Eighteen digital hubs for Kenyan primary schools, allowing pupils access to computers and the internet, have been officially launched.Funded by the British council and Microsoft, they are intended to serve…
Computing
Computing - In Brief
- Nairobi: Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said last week preparations for the class one laptop project will be completed by the end of September. He said a pilot exercise…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
MTN has clarified a press statement it sent out yesterday, which claimed "lowest international call rates to key African destinations" had been introduced for cash-strapped consumers contending with "financially strenuous…
Money Transfer
Rwanda: Travellers to buy bus tickets using Tigo Cash
People travelling to upcountry destinations are now able to pay their fares using Tigo’s mobile money service, Tigo Cash.“The facility will help all subscribers registered on the Tigo Cash mobile…
Money Transfer
Enthusiasm For Mobile Money In Togo Spills Out Onto Street
The only time banks get people dancing in the U.S. is in cheesy commercials. Not so in Togo, where Biz Tech Africa reports Moov sales agents were dancing on a…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Libya to allow private mobile phone company to operate
Plans to open the Libyan mobile phone market to the private sector have taken a step forward with the announcement by Communications Minister Osama Siala that a tender will be…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
KT considers bid for 35% TT stake, Tunisiana secures USD133m loan
South Korea’s KT Corp has announced that it is in the early stage of talks to purchase a 35% stake in state-backed telco Tunisie Telecom (TT) from Emirates International Telecommunications…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Safaricom to Increase Capital Spending as It Rolls Out Cable
Safaricom Ltd., Kenya’s biggest company by market value, plans to increase capital expenditure by 8 percent for the fiscal year through March as it extends cable to meet demand for…
Digital Content
Announcement: Top 10 entrepreneurs selected for VC4Africa’s September Cohort
Africa’s venture capital community VC4Africa announced its new cohort of 10 top fundraising entrepreneurs: The Able Wireless Company, FastCashier, Kiro’o Games, LPM/L’Espace, Mellowcabs, MMABON’, Mobile Charging Kiosk, My eCampus, Rethink…
Digital Content
Kenya to host Vodafone Appstar challenge
Kenya has been selected to play host to the second edition of the Vodafone Appstar Challenge, an international contest targeting mobile app developers from South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania and…
Digital Content
Nigerian Senate approves ‘spying’ bill
Despite opposition from civil and human rights groups, members of the Nigerian Senate have unanimously approved the bill seeking to empower relevant security agencies in the country to intercept communications…
Digital Content
Wiki Africa placing SA on the map
Cape Town - Wikipedia is today what the encyclopedia was about 20 years ago. But when it comes to the South African story, there are still many digital pieces missing.In…
Digital Content
ElWafeyat: Online Obituaries
ElWafeyat is a new online service that aims to help you during the most difficult times in life. Dealing with the passing of a loved one is never easy, and…
Digital Content
Meet The Mobile Apps Streaming Music To Africa
Africa’s mobile telecom market is second only to Asia in scale, and it’s growing almost as fast, Quartz reports. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, mobile penetration is expected to reach 75%…
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Events
The Social Media Week Lagos Team is excited to announce that our official schedule is now LIVE and registration is open! At present we have 84 events scheduled and will…
