News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no. 875 – 5 May 2017
Top Story
Nous sommes une banque – Orange wants to make the transition to becoming a bank in France but Hello Group will do it in Africa
5 May 2017
Mobile operators seeking to create new business models for themselves are looking at business revenue streams where there are synergies with existing business. In Safaricom’s last results mPesa accounted for 21% of its total revenues. Orange has announced it will become a mobile only bank in France but Hello Group plans to do it in Africa. Russell Southwood spoke to its founder and CEO Nadir Khamissa about its plans.
Telecoms
Viettel eyes expansion to Indonesia, Nigeria
5 May 2017
Viettel Global, the international subsidiary of Vietnamese telecoms company Viettel Group, is planning to expand its footprint to Indonesia and Nigeria, as it continues to seek new investment opportunities in…
Telecoms
Ugandan government reassures UTL customers
5 May 2017
The government of Uganda has reassured customers of struggling fixed line operator Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) that it will continue to offer services despite being placed under receivership. Uganda Registration…
Telecoms
In brief
5 May 2017
FreeConferenceCall.com, the most recognized conferencing and collaboration brand on the planet, today announced it has launched free conference calling services in Tanzania. The country can access high-definition audio conferencing, audio…
Internet
Ad Boycott of YouTube hits African creators and channel operators as revenues sink – Brands need to know it’s costing African jobs
5 May 2017
The international boycott of Google and its platform YouTube is having a massive direct impact on YouTube Creators and channel operators. Russell Southwood spoke to Murphy Anawana, founder of Aforevo and probably the biggest operator of channels in Africa about the hit they and others have taken.
Internet
Africa’s broadband pays the price for bureaucratic fumbling
5 May 2017
Nigeria's performance on the 2017 Affordability Drivers Index decreased in the last year while Ghana's remained the same within the period according to country-specific highlights released by the Alliance for…
Internet
South Africa: Deputy Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams - Annual Performance Plan 2017/18
5 May 2017
The speech was delivered by Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Ms. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams when she presented the department's 2017/18 Annual Performance Plan in Parliament Chairperson and Honourable Members,…
Internet
Africa: Global-IP Announces the Selection of SpaceX to Launch its 150 Gbps GiSAT-1
5 May 2017
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global-IP Cayman, the innovative satellite communications company with the mission to bring cost-effective Internet and related value-added services to Sub-Saharan Africa, announced today it has signed…
Internet
Fighting Fire With Fire: African Regional Body Proposes High Costs for Internet Shutdowns
5 May 2017
Grace Mutung'u is an associate of the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet). She is currently an OTF Senior Fellow in Information Controls at the Berkman Klein Center for Information and…
Internet
SES: First Quarter 2017 Results
5 May 2017
Reported revenue up 12.2%, net profit increase of 11.5% The successful launch of SES-10 on SpaceX’s first ever mission using a flight-proven rocket serving the Andean Community for direct-to-home broadcasting…
Computing
How Girls Around the World marked International Girls in ICT Day
5 May 2017
International Girls in ICT Day was celebrated today 27th April 2017 around the globe at hundreds of events showcasing the technological skills of girls and young women. The day…
Computing
Africa: Microsoft 4Afrika Hands Its Intellectual Property Hub Over to Comesa
5 May 2017
Microsoft 4Afrika has transferred full ownership and management of its IP Hub to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), expanding its reach to more African countries in…
Money Transfer
NIGERIA: Stakeholders seek regulatory review to boost mobile money
5 May 2017
Stakeholders in the mobile money ecosystem have called for a review of the prevailing mobile money regulatory framework, so that the country can achieve the target growth rate in the…
Money Transfer
Kenyan President gives vote of confidence for the Huduma Card in driving financial inclusion
5 May 2017
NAIROBI, Kenya, 3 May 2017, -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The Kenyan Government has provided a vote of confidence in the implementation of the Huduma Card in the country, and its role…
Money Transfer
Kenya State agencies slow in uptake of mobile money payments
5 May 2017
Only two out of 10 public institutions have a mobile money or mobile payment account, indicating a sluggishness by the government to adopt a technology that has become common…
Money Transfer
Ghana: GFA installs MTN Mobile Money APP
5 May 2017
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 completed the registration of MTN Mobile Money Application platform to be used as the payment platform for the association. The…
Money Transfer
Safaricom Gives M-Pesa Users 24 Hours of Free Mobile Money Transfers
5 May 2017
Telecoms firm Safaricom on Tuesday said it had resolved a technical problem that caused Monday's network outage, leaving millions of customers stranded. Safaricom's network went down on Monday morning debilitating…
Money Transfer
TerraPay continues global expansion by launching Mobile Wallet based Cross-Border Money transfer services in Tanzania
5 May 2017
Africa – 02 May 2017: TerraPay, a mobile-first international payment network, today announced that it has successfully obtained regulatory approval from the Bank of Tanzania to launch International Money transfer…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
South Africa's MTN records higher Q1 revenue on strong data
5 May 2017
May 3 MTN Group reported a 7.1 percent rise in first-quarter group revenue helped by a strong performance in data services, Africa's biggest mobile phone operator said on Wednesday. Ratings…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Kenyan telecoms regulator CA trains lawyers in ICT rules
5 May 2017
Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has launched the first ever-capacity building programme on the ICT regulatory framework for legal practitioners in Kenya.…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Africa: Will Vodacom Allow Foreigners to Buy Shares After Missing Target?
5 May 2017
Vodacom Tanzania Plc, which recently offered 25 per cent of its shares in an initial public offering, has failed to meet the set threshold, raising questions about the ability of…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Algerian ICT minister announces restructuring of AT, Mobilis and ATS
5 May 2017
Algeria ICT minister Imane Houda Feraoun has revealed that the activities of state-owned companies Algerie Telecom (AT), Algerie Telecom Mobile (Mobilis) and Algerie Telecom Satellite (ATS) will now be managed…
Digital Content
MTN shuts down VU streaming service
5 May 2017
Remember MTN’s streaming service called Frontrow? We wrote about it here a few times after it launched. It launched at a time when suddenly it seemed everyone had woken up…
Digital Content
Youtube to review the 10.000 views rule for Africa
5 May 2017
Youtube the Google owned video broadcast platform is currently reviewing the famous 10,000 views rule. The regulation is stating that YouTubers can apply for a partnership in order to monetize…
Digital Content
Kirusa, Vodacom launch InstaVoice in Lesotho
5 May 2017
InstaVoice Channels service is one of the top 3 revenue generating VAS services in Africa supporting multiple carriers. Kirusa, a telecom and social media solutions provider has partnered with Vodacom…
Digital Content
15 African Artists To Follow On Instagram Now
5 May 2017
Gone are the days when you had to visit a gallery or museum—where works by black artists are usually underrepresented—to see the latest in fine art. Some of the most…
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Opportunities
5 May 2017
Mastercard, Inkomoko in $1m Rwanda startups, refugee initiative Mastercard’s Centre for Inclusive Growth has committed US$1 million grant funding to support Rwandan small businesses through Kigali-based Inkomoko hub, with special…
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Events
5 May 2017
Building Rural LTE Networks - a Webinar from WTL May 11, 2017 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM BST Would you like to learn how to extend LTE coverage to remote…
