News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 916 – 9th March 2018
Top Story
Namibia: Regulator CRAN’s decision to approve sale of MTC investor stake leaves telecoms sector all in Government hands
9 March 2018
Namibia is now one of Africa’s strangest telecoms markets, having taken up position just below Ethiopia. Its regulator CRAN barred the sale of a 34% private investor state in MTC to Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings (NPTH) in November but has flip-flopped and allowed it to go ahead. Russell Southwood looks at what’s happening. In September last year I looked at what I called the topsy-turvy world of telecoms in Namibia It’s a small market (with 2.48 million people) with just two operators: the historic incumbent Telecom Namibia and the formerly privately owned MTC. Telecom Namibia is owned through Namibia…
Telecoms
Orange and Nokia kick off Africa modernization project
9 March 2018
Orange and Nokia have announced a three-year modernization project to roll out single radio access network and network management technology across seven African countries in preparation for 4G. The project…
Telecoms
Benin implements West Africa free roaming
9 March 2018
The Abidjan protocol on free roaming is now active across Benin after the country became the eighth nation in West Africa to enforce the regional agreement which facilitates a reduction…
Internet
Cat videos for all mankind - Can tiny satellites bring internet access to remote areas?
9 March 2018
Last week, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz announced they’re leading an $13.5m investment in Astranis, a startup focused on building commercial telecommunications satellites. In recent years, a “new space race”…
Internet
Facebook faults South Africa's ECA Bill
9 March 2018
Facebook has criticized South Africa’s Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, warning in a submission to the department of telecommunications & postal services that creating a monopoly wholesale open-access network (Woan) will…
Internet
PCCW Global to link Rodrigues with high-speed undersea cable for Mauritius Telecom
9 March 2018
PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, has agreed with Mauritius Telecom to construct and maintain a high speed submarine cable connecting the…
Internet
IOX Cable and Angola Cables sign agreement to expand their reach across Africa, the Americas and Asia
9 March 2018
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 8th, 2018, -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- IOX Cable and Angola Cables have today announced the signing of a joint provisioning agreement aimed at developing and…
Internet
Sky-high tax scheme
9 March 2018
At 5:37pm on April 22, 2011, from a seaside launch pad in Latin America, a hulking satellite rose into the sky and took up its position over northern Tanzania. The…
Internet
Can African Tech Startups Succeed in a World Dominated by Facebook and Google?
9 March 2018
Last year Facebook became the second largest e-commerce company in Africa after Jumia, the industry leader. The American social media giant did not celebrate that feat, though, because it never…
Internet
SEACOM deploys 100Gbps Ethernet technology to support the growth of the African Internet
9 March 2018
Pan-African telecom company, SEACOM, has deployed 100Gbps Ethernet technology in its IP/MPLS data centre core PoPs (Points of Presence) in Teraco Johannesburg and Teraco Cape Town, as part of its…
Internet
In brief
9 March 2018
ITC Global, a leading provider of satellite communications to remote and harsh environments, announced today that it has been awarded a three-year contract renewal by Plan International for service to…
Computing
Africa needs more young women in tech - here's why
9 March 2018
As women, we're no strangers to the stereotypes that surround our often more detailed approach to getting tasks done. Too pedantic. Too fussy. We've heard them all. But the truth…
Computing
Epsilon and WIOCC Partner to Deliver On-Demand Connectivity between Africa and the Rest of the World
9 March 2018
Infiny by Epsilon’s on-demand connectivity platform will be deployed in Johannesburg and Cape Town, giving African service providers rapid access to Cloud-centric networking and assisting international service providers in extending…
Money Transfer
FINCA trailblazes digital financial inclusion drive in Tanzania
9 March 2018
Efforts to bolster digital financial inclusion in Tanzania and indeed other countries in Africa have received a shot-in-the-arm following a productive conference organized by FINCA Micro-Finance Bank Tanzania (www.FINCA.co.tz) in…
Money Transfer
Mastercard Uses Facebook Messenger To Help Small Businesses Go Digital
9 March 2018
Launches Masterpass QR bot for Messenger to enable Nigerian businesses to set up digital money accounts and accept QR payments. At Mobile World Congress, Mastercard today announced that it will…
Money Transfer
Angola embraces the enhanced security brought by EMV card payments with PURE solution
9 March 2018
Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is supplying EMIS (Empresa Interbaricária de Serviços), Angola's domestic payments processor, with a PURE white label payment solution that will enable swift migration…
Money Transfer
Mastercard Acquires Oltio to Accelerate Digital Payments Adoption in Middle East and Africa
9 March 2018
March 6th, 2018 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/-Mastercard has completed its acquisition of mobile payments technology company Oltio from Standard Bank Group. The acquisition builds on Mastercard's longstanding relationship with Oltio,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Africa's Helios Plans IPO Seeking $2 Billion-Plus Value
9 March 2018
Helios Towers Plc, one of the largest sub-Saharan telecommunications tower operators, plans an initial public offering in early April to let shareholders such as Soros Fund Management LLC reduce their…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN South Africa shows strong data growth
9 March 2018
MTN has released its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2017, which show a relatively strong performance for its South African operation. MTN South Africa’s revenue increased by…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
SA’s IoT.nxt secures partnership with listed Dutch group
9 March 2018
South African startup IoT.nxt has entered into a partnership with listed Dutch company ICT Group N.V. as part of its ongoing expansion into Europe. The Pretoria-based IoT.nxt has developed a…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
African broadband operators increase investment to meet soaring data demand
9 March 2018
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 5, 2018/ -- An urgent requirement for new investment into telecom and broadband infrastructure in Africa is driving a fresh flurry of mergers, acquisitions, IPOs,…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
South Africa’s richest man in talks to buy Vumatel
9 March 2018
Remgro Ltd. is in advanced talks to buy fiber provider Vumatel Pty Ltd. as South Africa’s richest man seeks to consolidate the country’s expanding broadband infrastructure industry, according to people…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Internet Society and African IXP Association Partner with South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association for Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) at iWeek
9 March 2018
The Internet Society (www.InternetSociety.org) and African IXP Association (AFIX) (www.AF-IX.net) have announced that they will hold the 9th annual Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) in Cape Town, South Africa…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Smile Telecoms tackles Barclays Africa, seeks bid review for 9Mobile
9 March 2018
FINANCIAL WATCH — Smile Telecoms, one of the telcos shortlisted in the bid process for 9Mobile sale, has described as “untidy” the manner in which Barclays Africa, financial advisors to…
Digital Content
Kwesé and CENE Media partner for premium SVOD entertainment in Botswana
9 March 2018
Internet Service Provider, CENE Media in partnership with Econet Media’s Pan-African media company, Kwesé recently launched the best in on-demand content for Botswana through the broadcaster’s video streaming service, Kwesé…
Digital Content
#WeAreNigerianCreatives Is the Incredible Viral Celebration Taking Over Twitter
9 March 2018
It's hands down the best thing we've seen on the internet all week. Nigerian artists of all mediums—artists, photographers, writers and more— have taken to Twitter throughout the past week…
Digital Content
Online series Johnny Die Skopper puts PE on the social network map
9 March 2018
Johnny Die Skopper, an Afrikaans mini online drama series created by Benito Carelsen, has drawn massive interest on the South African social network Chomi. The 6-part short form series was…
Digital Content
Podcasts and ICT transforming farming in Zimbabwe
9 March 2018
[MUTARE-ZIMBABWE] Using podcasts and short message service (SMS) delivered to smallholder farmers is transforming farming production among rural Zimbabwe’s population, a project shows. The use of these technologies is cutting…
More
People
9 March 2018
Darren Roos appointed as CEO of IFS IFS, the global enterprise applications company, today announces it has hired Darren Roos as the Chief Executive Officer of IFS. The appointment is…
More
Opportunities
9 March 2018
Orange Announces 8th Social Venture Prize in Africa, Middle East Entrepreneurs from Liberia and 16 other countries around Africa and the Middle east have a chance to pitch their innovations…
More
Events
9 March 2018
IoT Forum Africa 2018March 14-15, 2018Gallagher Convention Centre JohannesburgTo find out more visit the site here Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Global Summit LondonMay 1-3, 2018The world’s largest and most prestigious conference…
