News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 917 – 16th March 2018
Top Story
Orange’s Intrapreneurship Start-Up Bizao allows local start-ups and digital service providers to get access to opco APIs across Africa
16 March 2018
One of the major barriers to both fledgling African start-ups and established multi-country service providers is getting access to operator APIs. You need to be across operators in a market and across the vastly different countries of the continent. Bizao has set itself up as a cross-network hub for APIs to solve this problem. Russell Southwood talked to Aurélien Duval-Delort, Bizao’s Managing Director. Bizao is one of Orange’s first intrapreneur projects and this makes it quite unusual. An intrepeneur is someone in a company who has responsibility for generating innovative products that are sometimes spun off as separate companies:”We are…
Telecoms
NCA formally notifies Expresso of intention to terminate licence, readies June 4G auction
16 March 2018
Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has formally notified Kasapa Telecom (Expresso) of its intention to terminate the company’s Mobile Cellular Licence. The move comes after the NCA had warned both…
Telecoms
UCC Explains Ban on SIM Card Vending; Orders Recall Of Cards In Stock
16 March 2018
Uganda Communications Commission has come out to explain the tough regulations it imposed on Telecommunication Companies in the country, in the quest to stamp out the loopholes being exploited by…
Telecoms
South Africa: Telkom customers migrated to new technologies in rural areas
16 March 2018
Telkom is migrating customers in selected areas to newer technologies, partly due to regulatory issues. This information followed a meeting with civil rights organisation AfriForum, which complained about the discontinuing…
Telecoms
WIOCC Appoints APTelecom as Channel Partner for commercialisation of Africa connectivity with a focus on clients in Asia and USA
16 March 2018
NAIROBI, Kenya and NEW YORK, March 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Africa's carriers' carrier WIOCC, today announced that it has engaged APTelecom, a facilities-based telecom consulting and service company specialising in…
Telecoms
Vodacom adds new network sites in rural areas to improve coverage
16 March 2018
Vodacom has deployed new network sites in deep rural areas of Umhlabuyalingana Municipality, KwaZulu Natal. This follows the call by the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyabonga Cwele for…
Telecoms
In brief
16 March 2018
Nigeria: The Federal Government has solicited for the support of other African Telecommunications Union (ATU) member states to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to ensure Nigeria is re-elected into the…
Internet
“You Just Killed Me”: The Internet Meme Defying Angola’s Government
16 March 2018
Meet “You just killed me,” the viral meme challenge sweeping Angola where youth share images pretending to be dead under various objects: cement blocks, fridges, cookers, or cabinets — and…
Internet
South Africa's ISPs supports MNP regulations
16 March 2018
The Internet Service Providers' Association of South Africa (ISPA) has welcomed proposed amendments to the Independent Communications Authority's (ICASA's) Numbering Portability Regulations, CAJ reported. The draft regulations being debated would…
Internet
Gridhost increasing domain hosting and registration fees
16 March 2018
Gridhost has announced price increases across its services, which are due to the upcoming hike in VAT and increasing operating costs. “We’ve done our best to keep the adjustment aligned…
Internet
Activate Group and SqwidNet sign IoT partnership agreement
16 March 2018
Activate Group, an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT), mobile solutions and IoT-as-a-service provider, has signed a partnership with SqwidNet, the licensed Sigfox IoT network operator in South Africa. Sigfox, a…
Internet
Kenya: Moi University Lecturer Wins Facebook Research Award
16 March 2018
Moi University lecturer Duncan Omanga has won the inaugural Facebook Research Award beating other applicants from across the globe. The award was given by the social media giant under the…
Internet
Is Censorship Coming Back to Tunisia? Court Order Bans ‘Blue Whale’ Online Game
16 March 2018
A Tunisian court has ordered authorities to censor two online games that allegedly lead teenagers down a path to suicide. The issue has raised public concerns about self-harm — but…
Computing
Rwanda to take help from satellite technology to monitor SDG implementation
16 March 2018
NASA has awarded Orbital ATK a contract to build the next-generation Earth observation satellite, Landsat 9. Preparing itself for monitoring the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the…
Computing
Serianu sets up cyber-security training and testing centre in Nairobi
16 March 2018
Serianu, a cyber security consultancy firm, has opened its Cyber Immersion Center, a training centre which targets cyber security professionals in Africa to hone their skills and ramp up their…
Computing
Andela Hosts Women In Tech Summit In Lagos
16 March 2018
Andela, the company that is building a network of technology leaders on the African continent hosted the Andela Women in Technology Summit. The event, in celebration of International Women’s Day,…
Money Transfer
Interswitch to build and rollout Telkom’s new T-Kash
16 March 2018
Interswitch, the Africa-focused integrated electronic payments and commerce company, has partnered with Telkom Kenya to develop and deploy App solutions to enable their push towards integrated digital services in the…
Money Transfer
Telkom unveils T-Kash mobile money platform
16 March 2018
Telkom Kenya has launched a revamped mobile money platform dubbed T-Kash which promises customers reliability, value and convenience with an initial outlay of 20,000 agents in urban centres. T-Kash replaces…
Money Transfer
Kenya: Opera Launches Okash Loan App in Kenya
16 March 2018
Opera Group the FinTech Company has announced the launch of OKash, the new stand-alone mobile app that will provide users access to short-term loans at their fingertips. The group through,…
Money Transfer
Kenya Looks To Blockchain Technology
16 March 2018
Kenya has for years regarded blockchain technology and digital currencies with suspicion, comparing bitcoin to a “pyramid scheme,” and emphasizing that it had no legal footing. That wariness has been…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN may sell R27bn stake in top Africa tower company
16 March 2018
Johannesburg - MTN [JSE:MTN] could cash in from an initial public offering of Africa’s largest telecommunication towers company by selling a stake valued by the wireless carrier at about R27bn…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ntel partners MTN, 9mobile for national roaming service
16 March 2018
Telecom network operator, ntel, has formed a partnership with two mobile network operators, MTN Nigeria and 9mobile, to roll out a national roaming service in the country. The roaming service…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Remgro in talks to acquire Vumatel
16 March 2018
Remgro, the investment vehicle of South African billionaire Johann Rupert, is in advanced talks to buy fibre-optic provider Vumatel in a bid to consolidate the country’s broadband infrastructure industry, according…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Africa's Helios ditches London IPO plans, Congo turmoil weighs
16 March 2018
LONDON (Reuters) - African mobile phone mast firm Helios Towers on Thursday pulled its plans to list in London, with one banker saying the expected IPO price was too low…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
In brief
16 March 2018
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has granted approval for state-owned Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings (NPTH) to increase its ownership of Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) to 100%, reports The…
Digital Content
Spotify Launches Music Streaming Service In South Africa
16 March 2018
Global music streaming service Spotify has officially launched its services in South Africa this week. The Swedish music streaming giant makes South Africa its first market on the African continent,…
Digital Content
Digital Virgo Africa acquires exclusive Mobile Video Content Rights 2018 Football World Cup
16 March 2018
Currently present at the Mobile world congress in Barcelona, Digital Virgo, a French company specializing in digital marketing, has acquired the exclusive rights for mobile exploitation of video content related…
Digital Content
Kenya: Taxify Unveils Boda Boda Passenger Service
16 March 2018
Nairobi — Ride-sharing firm Taxify has introduced a new motorbike hailing service that works within their existing smartphone application being used by vehicles. Chisom Anoke, Taxify Kenya Operations Manager says…
Digital Content
Uber launches Incident Response Team ‘call-back’ in South Africa
16 March 2018
Uber South Africa now has its own Incident Response Team, the company announced Tuesday. This incident system has been operational as trial since December 2017, however the system is this…
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People
16 March 2018
SAP appoints industry expert Cathy Smith to lead Africa South Africa, March 12th 2018, -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- SAP Africa today announced the appointment of Cathy Smith as Managing…
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Opportunities
16 March 2018
Applications open for SA FemBioBiz Acceleration Programme The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has partnered the NEPAD Southern Africa Network for Biosciences (SANBio) to implement the second season…
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Events
16 March 2018
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Global Summit LondonMay 1-3, 2018The world’s largest and most prestigious conference on wireless spectrum sharing returns on May 1-3, 2018 to focus on next generation networks across…
