News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 969 – 29 March 2019
Top Story
Moving from VAS to Visual Notification Ads – Supa Pesa takes on a major FMCG brand to compete with the likes of Facebook and Google
29 March 2019
Digital advertising on African mobile phones has the potential to become a huge business. Mobiles are the most owned devices after radios and well ahead of TVs. Visual Notification Ads (VNA) are still in their infancy but offer one route to grabbing users’ attention. Russell Southwood spoke to Sean Pashley, CMO, Supa Pesa about its largest campaign yet. In the autumn of last year, a large, multinational FMCG brand placed the largest ever order for Visual Notification Ads with mobile marketing and VAS company Supa Pesa. According to Pashley:”The product comes out of the text ads mobile operators like MTN…
Telecoms
Liquid Telecom selects Nokia to deploy upgraded channel network in East Africa for expanded broadband services
29 March 2019
Liquid Telecom Kenya, part of the pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom, and Nokia have announced a two-year partnership to upgrade their existing fiber network to support OTN/DWDM technology with an…
Telecoms
Nigeria: Govt Insists On MTN Paying U.S.$2 Billion Tax Penalty
29 March 2019
The Federal Government has insisted that telecommunications firm, MTN, must pay the $2 billion tax penalty slammed on it by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. At hearing…
Telecoms
Uganda: Government Orders Fresh SIM Card Verification
29 March 2019
Kampala — The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has directed all telecom companies to verify the identity of their subscribers who hold multiple phone SIM cards. Officials from the UCC say…
Telecoms
In brief
29 March 2019
The Togo First newspaper reports that pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom, which is part of the Mauritius-based, Zimbabwe-owned Econet Global group, is considering setting up shop in the country and…
Internet
Onatel switches on ‘4G+ Advanced’ network
29 March 2019
Burkina Faso-based Onatel, a subsidiary of Maroc Telecom, confirmed the launch of its new ‘4G+ Advanced’ service on 26 March – just hours after obtaining an operating licence from the…
Internet
Film and Publication Board recognises authority of Press Council to regulate online press content
29 March 2019
Johannesburg: The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has, in principle, recognised the authority of the Press Council of South Africa (PCSA) to regulate online press content published by PCSA members.…
Internet
One year without internet in Chad: Citizens have been offline since March 2018
29 March 2019
For nearly one year's time, citizens in Chad have been unable to access the internet, in spite of the UN Human Rights Council resolution of 1 July 2016 condemning any…
Internet
Maroc Telecom, Ericsson demonstrate 5G in Morocco
29 March 2019
Ericsson and Maroc Telecom (IAM) have staged a live 5G demonstration at IAM’s headquarters in Rabat, in order to showcase the capabilities of the new technology. The demonstration presented several…
Internet
Ghana's AfricaOnline to broaden its core service
29 March 2019
Ghanaian ISP AfricaOnline, a Gondwana International Networks (GIN) subsidiary, has appointed Foster Plender as its Managing Director. In a statement the company said Plender, who was in a consulting capacity…
Internet
In brief
29 March 2019
Somaliland-based telecoms firm Somtel is rolling out LTE-A technology to enable it to offer maximum speeds of 150Mbps, reports Radio Dalsan. The network will initially cover 40 sites across the…
Internet
Data centres launch offers opportunities for female entrepreneurs
29 March 2019
The launch of two Microsoft Azure data centres in South Africa presents opportunities for women entrepreneurs, says Charlene George, managing director at Verve Digital. Microsoft, earlier in March, opened two…
Computing
Djibouti: Weco Weco and Telsam have signed with the government for the installation of a data center in the country
29 March 2019
The companies Weco Weco, specializing in renewable energies, and Telsam, dedicated to telecom equipment, signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Djibouti, represented by Djibouti Telecom and Electricité…
Computing
Standard Bank Group selects AWS as its preferred cloud provider Standard bank
29 March 2019
Amazon Web Services, Inc, an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), announced that Standard Bank Group has selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider with the intention of migrating its production workloads,…
Computing
Malawi's immigration moves ahead on digitisation
29 March 2019
Malawi's Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services (DICS) is looking to fully digitise its operation by the end of 2019. Techno Brain Group was awarded the contract to migrate the…
Money Transfer
MTN Targets 60m Unbanked Nigerians With PSB Licence
29 March 2019
MTN said it was targeting between 40 million to 60 million addressable unbanked adult population in Nigeria for the implementation of mobile money in the second half of this year.…
Money Transfer
Kenya: Lender taps diaspora cash with pact
29 March 2019
Gulf African Bank’s deal with remittance firm to allow Kenyans living abroad to send money home through their mobile phones. The Gulf African Bank (GAB) and WorldRemit have entered into…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
TelOne and NetOne to be privatised
29 March 2019
Zimbabwe government-owned telecoms company, TelOne, and its mobile subsidiary NetOne, will be partially privatised by September 2019 according to the country’s finance minister, Mthuli Ncube. The government is looking to…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Cell C reports drop in revenues, net profit in 2018 27 Mar 2019
29 March 2019
South African mobile operator Cell C reported its financial results for the twelve months ended 31 December 2018, with its total revenue decreasing from ZAR15.715 billion (USD1.1 billion) in 2017…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Republic Bank, Vodafone Ghana partner on mobile money transactions
29 March 2019
Republic Bank (Ghana) Limited, a subsidiary of Republic Financial Holding Limited has unveiled its partnership with Vodafone Ghana. Republic Bank is now a partnering bank to the Vodacash services offered…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
MTN invests in reviving South Sudanese unit
29 March 2019
MTN Group’s South Sudanese mobile unit plans to invest up to USD35 million in modernising and expanding its operations following a period of cutbacks, reports Bloomberg. As a new deal…
Digital Content
MTN South Africa partners with Clickatell to launch chat commerce on WhatsApp
29 March 2019
MTN South Africa has partnered with global customer engagement company Clickatell to launch MTN Chat, enabling its customers to engage with the company over WhatsApp. MTN Chat will enable customers…
Digital Content
Social Media Is Doodling On Pictures of Burundi's President In Support of Arrested Schoolgirls
29 March 2019
Folks online are using the hashtag #FreeOurGirls to remind Burundi's president that scribbling is not a crime. Last week, three Burundian schoolgirls were taken into custody after doodling on a…
Digital Content
After social media ridicule, Burundi has freed three girls who doodled on president’s photo
29 March 2019
Three school girls arrested for doodling on the face of Burundi’s embattled president, Pierre Nkurunziza in their textbooks have had the case against them dropped. Although seven students were initially…
Digital Content
Taking African Short Stories To The World
29 March 2019
Africans have been telling stories for centuries, passing nuggets of cultural knowledge and heritage from one generation to the next through fables, folktales, and epic narrations. Newly launched storytelling app,…
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Opportunities
29 March 2019
Sub-Saharan Africa Huawei ICT Competition Reveals Its Final Winners TechInAfrica – Sub-Saharan Africa Huawei ICT Competition has come to an end with positive results. The event has brought Nigeria and…
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People
29 March 2019
ICASA appoints an acting chairperson The council of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has appointed Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng as acting chairperson, effective 25 March 2019. In accepting…
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Events
29 March 2019
Africa Pay & ID ExpoMarrakech, Morocco29th - 30th March Africa’s largest payment and identification eventAPIDE 2019, through its 3000 m2 exhibition area, is a great opportunity to network, discover the…
