MTN Rwanda has become the first provider in Rwanda to gain the GSMA Mobile Money Certification. The certification scheme, which was launched in April 2018, is a global initiative that relies on an independent assessment of a mobile money provider’s ability to deliver secure and reliable services, to protect the rights of consumers and to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. These efforts are measured against global industry best practice, and a pass mark of 100% is required.
MTN Group and Telecom Infra Project (TIP) have joined forces to support the evolution of MTN’s communication transport infrastructure, which will become a platform for future revenue growth and profitability.
According to information from Jeune Afrique Business +, the funds from the Public Investment Bank (Bpifrance) will enable the company, which achieves more than 10 million euros in annual turnover - 60% of which is linked to the supply capacity for telecom operators in landlocked countries in the region – to extend its fiber optic network throughout the Greater Cotonou agglomeration (30,000 to 40,000 homes). Currently deployed over 90 km, it will be approximately 500 km at the end of the project. The company’s goal is to acquire at least 10,000 subscribers over the next three to five years in addition to the 500 customers already served through FO.
Affordability of devices remains one of the most significant barriers to smartphone adoption in Africa. The average cost of an entry level smartphone in Africa still exceeds 60% of average monthly income making smartphones largely inaccessible for the majority of the population. As part of the line-up of activities for the GSMA Thrive Africa 2020, Orange announced the Sanza touch – an exclusive Orange smartphone and the most affordable 4G Android (Go edition) device globally. This exciting new launch is supported by Google and builds upon efforts since the launch of Android (Go edition) in 2018 to accelerate the pace of digital adoption across the continent. The device will retail around 30 US$ and the ultra-affordable price point is intended to make it the most accessible on the market with the goal of driving digital inclusion and providing more people access to mobile internet.
MTN Group has been named the most valuable African brand in the Brand Finance Africa 150 2020 ranking, which ascribes a brand value of US$3,3 billion to MTN.
Schneider Electric, a leader in digital transformation, energy management and automation, and Orange, a global telecoms operator and leader in digital services, announced the first deployment of indoor 5G in the industrial sector in France on experimental frequencies as part of a trial. Operating since March, this first co-innovation project in the Le Vaudreuil factory aims to use 5G in a modern industrial environment to build reliable, scalable and sustainable connectivity solutions for future industrial needs.
MTN Group announced the appointment of the new chief executive officer for MTN Liberia Lonestar Cell. Rahul De, the current Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria. He will take the helm at the company on November 1, 2020. Rahul replaces Uche Ofodile who departed Lonestar Cell MTN in July to become the CEO of MTN Benin.
Kenyan telecoms giant Safaricom is seeking to transform itself into a technology company, offering new financial solutions to anyone from small businesses to farmers, new CEO Peter Ndegwa announced.
Liquid Telecom South Africa (https://www.LiquidTelecom.com/) announced that Deon Geyser has been appointed as its new CEO, effective from January 1st 2021.
Somalia’s largest private employer and leading telecommunications operator, Hormuud Telecoms, has announced that the number of month-on-month mobile money transactions on its platform EVC Plus increased between the months of April – August, despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia.
