News update Telecoms and ICT in Africa - Issue no 994 – 20 September 2019
Top Story
Logistics aggregator Kobo360 to expand out of Nigeria to neighboring countries – B2B applications are driving digital transformation and bringing new telco and ISP business
20 September 2019
The digital transformation of the logistics business in Africa will be good business for telcos and ISPs. Multiple transactions through the new platforms will require cloud services and data centres. Changes like this bring new smartphone customers into the business. Truckers will need the app on their phone to get new business. Russell Southwood spoke to Ife Oyedele, CTO and Co-Founder, Kobo360 about its recent investment round and what it’s planning to do. Kobo360’s co-founders Obi Ozor (ex-Uber Nigeria) and Ife Oyedele did the their university education in Michigan together and the seed of the idea for the company was…
Telecoms
Vodacom Tanzania Rolls Out Supa Network Campaign
20 September 2019
Vodacom Tanzania has rolled out a campaign, Supa Network, to raise awareness of the strength and capacity of its network. The network operator claims that it has the strongest network…
Telecoms
Redflow to deliver ZBM2 batteries for telco mobile phone tower sites in South Africa
20 September 2019
Australian energy storage company Redflow Limited has won an order to provide 68 ZBM2 zinc-bromine flow batteries for at least 20 mobile phone tower sites in South Africa owned by…
Internet
Angola Cables And TM Global Explore New Cable Route
20 September 2019
TM GLOBAL, the wholesale arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) has partnered with Angola Cables to explore another alternative using a new express route that would connect the Southern Hemisphere…
Internet
Rain launches its 5G network in Gauteng, deals priced at R1000 per month
20 September 2019
After months of talk, data-only network Rain today delivered on its promises, unveiling its first consumer 5G network in South Africa. At present, the 5G network “will only be available…
Internet
PCCW Global and DCConnect extend global reach with SDI collaboration PCCW Global
20 September 2019
PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, and DCConnect, a leading APAC on-demand connectivity, data center and cloud provider, have entered into a…
Internet
South Africa: SEACOM’s New Policy Cuts Off ISPs
20 September 2019
SEACOM has announced that it has implemented a new policy which will prevent the majority of South Africa’s Internet service providers (ISPs) from peering (exchanging data) directly with the company.…
Internet
Phase3 commences network technology upgrade across enterprise segment
20 September 2019
ABUJA, 15 September 2019: West Africa’s largest independent fibre optic infrastructure and telecommunications services provider - Phase3 Telecom announces that in addition to previous network scalability measures, it has commenced…
Internet
Internet shutdowns and the right to access in Sudan: A post-revolution perspective
20 September 2019
On 3 September, a Sudanese court ordered telecommunications companies Sudani and MTN to apologize to their customers for disrupting access to their networks at the behest of the military authorities…
Internet
PCCW Global, Orange and PEACE Cable International team up to deploy PEACE cable to connect Europe to Asia via East Africa by 2021
20 September 2019
PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, Orange, the leading telecommunications operator in France and a major investor in over 40 submarine cables…
Internet
The best place to find excellent fibre deals in South Africa
20 September 2019
If you are looking for a great fibre deal, then your first stop should be Fibre Compare. With fibre being such a hot product right now, all the Internet service…
Computing
Botswana: Minister Launches Africa Code Week
20 September 2019
Maun — Ministry of Basic Education has taken a deliberate decision to mainstream Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning, especially in this era of the 4th Industrial…
Computing
In brief
20 September 2019
In Cloudscene’s 7th publication of the Data Centre Ecosystem Leaderboard, Teraco’s JB1 East & West data centre, is ranked 3rd globally in terms of service providers available at the facility.…
Money Transfer
Stay ALAT this December with Africa’s first fully digital bank
20 September 2019
In recent years, research has shown that digital platforms remain a rising factor due to synergies of qualitative data, flexibility, and faster response to market changes. No banking app has…
Money Transfer
Malawi Post Corporation to introduce mobile money service
20 September 2019
Zaphweka (ZapCash) mobile money service will be launch before the end of the year. The announcement was made during a meeting with the country’s Minister of Information, Civic Education and…
Money Transfer
Savings startup Exuus winner of Seedstars event in Rwanda
20 September 2019
Savings platform Exuus has been named winner of Seedstars’ event in Kigali, Rwanda, securing a place in the global final to pitch for up to US$500,000 in equity investment. Seed-stage…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Vodafone Zambia put up for sale
20 September 2019
Amid continuing financial struggles, Mobile Broadband Limited, which trades under the Vodafone Zambia banner, has formally announced that the company is to be sold, after its current shareholders failed to…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Mattel inks deal with Huawei
20 September 2019
Mauritanian cellular operator Mattel has signed a cooperation agreement with Chinese equipment vendor Huawei for the upgrade of its networks. A report from Agence Ecofin cites Mattel’s managing director, Elyes…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
Safaricom Top Executives’ Shares Jump To $8.4Mil -Reports
20 September 2019
The number of shares bought by Safaricom in an effort to reward its top executives has jumped to 32.2 million units with a tremendous market value of $8.4mil. Regulatory reports…
Digital Content
Algeria protests: how disinformation spread on social media
20 September 2019
Amidst months of anti-government demonstrations, an online information battle is happening in Algeria. Protesters are trying to swat away annoying trolls - dubbed "electronic flies". The interim president of the…
Digital Content
Facebook cancels event in South Africa
20 September 2019
Facebook has cancelled its upcoming event in Cape Town, South Africa scheduled for October 3rd, 2019 due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’. It is unclear, however, if the cancellation is related to…
Digital Content
ViewMedia to launch digital broadcast platform in West Africa
20 September 2019
UK-based content distributor ViewMedia will launch a new digital broadcast platform on the Amos-17 communication satellite located at the 17 degrees east orbital position above Africa. ViewMedia's platform on Amos-17's…
Digital Content
Speeding up detection to slow down Ebola: Smartphone app is game-changer for contact tracing in hotspots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
20 September 2019
Standing in front of her house, Kavira Kasomo chats with Léa Kanyere as if they are old friends. Kanyere shows Kasomo something on her mobile phone that makes her smile.…
Digital Content
Video creators in Africa can now earn money from Facebook with ‘Ad Breaks’
20 September 2019
Facebook has rolled out Ad Breaks — a feature that allows video creators monetise their content from advertising — in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa. The feature, which was…
More
Events
20 September 2019
The FTTX Council Africa 2019 conference 7-9 October 2019 Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South AfricaIn 2018 the conference attracted more than 1000 delegates, firmly establishing this event as the number one…
