News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 933 – 6 July 2018
Top Story
New taxes on OTT services will damage Africa’s digital transformation and its benefits – Uganda’s “big man” says:” Social media chatting is a luxury”
6 July 2018
Digital content and services is Africa’s next wave of growth. The largest mobile operators have “got it” but some of Africa’s Governments seem to see many of its key services as a threat. Russell Southwood looks at how Uganda’s new taxes on OTT services and mobile money will impact this new and growing industry sector. The new digital services sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is growing but is less visible than its telecoms and Internet counterpart. For example, Jumia has 4.2 million customers for its e-commerce business. MTN’s mobile games business has a US$100 million turnover and 9.3 million subscribers. Its…
Telecoms
Adrian Kenya Selects New GenCell A5 Fuel Cell Solution to Provide Green, Off-Grid Power to 800 Telecom Base Stations
6 July 2018
Petach Tikvah, Israel – July 2, 2018 - GenCell Energy, the fuel cell power solution provider and manufacturer, has announced that Adrian Kenya, a leading African telecom integrator, will install…
Telecoms
IMImobile South Africa launches MiniMailers
6 July 2018
IMImobile South Africa has launched a new commercial messaging service, MiniMailers. MiniMailers is a media messaging solution that is delivered directly to a consumer’s messaging inbox. According to IMImobile, it…
Telecoms
Zimbabwe - TelOne accused of double dipping
6 July 2018
Government has rapped TelOne for allegedly demanding money from schools for the provision of Internet services, yet the company was already benefiting from a grant availed by the State for…
Telecoms
Government moves to block VPN as Ugandans vow to dodge social media tax
6 July 2018
KAMPALA. Government has moved to block Virtual Private Networks (VPN) that several Ugandans have installed on their mobile gadgets in a bid to dodge government’s social media tax. The Shs200…
Telecoms
In brief
6 July 2018
The government of Senegal has introduced a new tax named the ‘Special Contribution from the Telecommunications Sector (CST)’ to replace the special levy on the telecommunications sector and the contribution…
Internet
Nokia and Sudatel to collaborate on delivery of ultra-broadband services in Sudan
6 July 2018
Espoo, Finland - Nokia and Sudatel are to trial Nokia 4.5G Pro, 4.9G and 5G mobile technologies along with Nokia's fixed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) portfolio to enhance the mobile and residential…
Internet
Togocel marks 20th anniversary with 4G launch
6 July 2018
Togo First reports that local mobile network operator (MNO) Togo Cellulaire (Togocel) has used the anniversary of its 20th year of operations to announce the successful launch of commercial 4G…
Internet
FibreCo to Boost Broadband Connectivity in Kroonstad
6 July 2018
Internet connectivity in Kroonstad will benefit from a substantial enhancement as FibreCo Telecommunications completes its roll out of fibre in the town, making reliable high-speed broadband connectivity more accessible to…
Internet
Nigerian wireless ISP startup targets top-15 cities in Africa
6 July 2018
Nigerian wireless ISP startup Tizeti is aiming high: The goal is to roll out our services in Africa’s top 15 cities representing 120 million people, says CEO Kendall Ananyi. Tizeti…
Computing
Africa's largest data-centre firm plans R1bn investment
6 July 2018
Teraco Data Environments plans to invest about R1bn as Africa’s largest data-centre operator expands infrastructure to meet rising demand. The closely-held business will have spent R4.5bn on building data-services centres…
Computing
MainOne’s MDXI achieves TCCF… now most certified Data Center in Nigeria
6 July 2018
LAGOS, Nigeria, July 2, 2018/ -- MainOne’s Data Centre subsidiary, MDXI has just received its Tier III Constructed Facility certification (TCCF) from the Uptime Institute. With this new milestone, MDXI…
Computing
Sophia the robot meets Ethiopia PM, attends ICT expo
6 July 2018
Sophia, the famous humanoid robot, has finally met Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, after her lost body parts were found. A bag containing some parts of the robot was lost…
Computing
In brief
6 July 2018
Nigerian cloud accounting platform, Accounteer, won the inaugural MEST Africa Challenge organized by the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, a training program, seed fund and Africa’s largest tech incubator based…
Money Transfer
Digital banking fraud is at an all-time high in South Africa
6 July 2018
Columinate has published its latest annual digital banking report, revealing the state of the current digital banking landscape in South Africa – including worrying new scam trends. According to the…
Money Transfer
New M-Pesa transaction charges take effect July 1
6 July 2018
Kenyans started paying higher mobile money transaction fees following the increase of taxes by government. The National Treasury in the budget presented this month raised mobile money excise tax from…
Money Transfer
Nigeria: Glo Moves to Reduce Unbanked Population, Backs Initiative
6 July 2018
Telecommunications company, Globacom has thrown its weight behind federal government’s new cashless payment solution, mCash, in an effort to promote financial inclusion in the country.This is coming as the Central…
Money Transfer
Ethiopian Airlines Selects CellPoint Mobile As Its Global Payments Solution Provider
6 July 2018
Ethiopian Airlines, the largest aviation group in Africa and SkyTrax certified global airline, is partnering with CellPoint Mobile, a leading provider of sales and payment-side technology solutions for the worldwide…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Tanzanian tycoon set to offload shares in Vodacom
6 July 2018
Tanzanian tycoon Rostam Aziz is in the process of selling off his remaining shares in Vodacom Tanzania, The Citizen reported citing unnamed sources. The daily said Aziz may sell his…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
9mobile buyer requests payment deadline extension
6 July 2018
Teleology Holdings has sought an extension to pay the final bid price for Nigerian wireless operator 9mobile, which was known as Etisalat Nigeria until July 2017, reports News Agency of…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Nigeria Records $32bn on Foreign Investment in ICT
6 July 2018
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the country recorded over $32 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) over the last 15 years as a result of revolution in the Information…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Cote d’Ivoire secures loan for fibre rollout
6 July 2018
The government of Cote d’Ivoire has obtained a EUR110 million (USD128 million) loan to help it complete the rollout of a 7,000km fibre backbone network. The 20-year financing facility has…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
In brief
6 July 2018
South Africa: GloCell has agreed to cede its Cell C contract customer base to the mobile operator, after being appointed as service agent for Cell C’s customers who were migrated…
Digital Content
Algoa FM ditches WhatsApp for Telegram in ‘first for SA’
6 July 2018
Radio stations across South Africa usually request audience interaction through SMS, calls, or more recently WhatsApp. But an Eastern Cape radio station has ditched the latter in particular for a…
Digital Content
Uganda telecom operators to start charging social media tax
6 July 2018
Uganda’s major telecom operators, including the local division of South Africa’s MTN Group, said they will ask customers to pay a new government tax on social media accounts before they…
Digital Content
Twitter Salutes Congolese Woman Who Climbed the Statue Of Liberty to Protest Trump's Immigration Policies
6 July 2018
Therese Patricia Okoumou told authorities that she wouldn't come down "until all the children are released." There are many ways to protest. For some it's taking to the streets…
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People
6 July 2018
MobileIron has appointed Kenny van Midden its new business development manager EMEA, with effect 1 July. In this new position, Van Midden will develop and maintain strategic partnerships with technology…
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Opportunities
6 July 2018
Google has opened applications for class two of its Launchpad Accelerator Africa programme, extending it in the process to a further 12 African countries. Disrupt Africa reported in March…
