Congo-Kinshasa: 4G Drives Uptick in Date Use and New Planned Fibre Connections Will Drive Further Growth

Big developments are afoot in DRC that will transform the country's connectivity. Nothing moves quickly but the new Government seems to be slightly more focused than its… Read more »

Uganda: Big Shifts in the Ugandan Market Bring New Opportunities - Roke Telecom Sees FTTH As Having Retail Potential

Africa's telecoms and internet markets are seeing big shifts. The number of MNOs are declining and the digital life is becoming a reality. Michael Mukasa, Chief Commercial Officer,… Read more »

Nigeria: Thema's Rok Studios Is Producing 300 Films and 20 TV Series a Year and Has Plans to Produce Outside Nigeria

Thema-owned Rok Studios is producing 300 films and 20 TV series annually making it one of the largest producers on the continent. Russell Southwood talked to Thema's Clementine… Read more »

Africa: New East African Cable Dare1 Will Be Operational in March 2020 and Ella Link Will Add New West African Connections This Year

This year looks like it will be a very good year for additional fibre links both within the continent and providing new international connections. Major new connections like the… Read more »

Africa: Next Generation of African Teachers Will Be Key Telco Customer Segment - Some Surprises With New Survey Findings

The next generation of African teachers should be a key customer segment for telcos as they are already likely to be connected with smartphones and buying their own bandwidth.… Read more »

Nigeria: Micromedia Group's Shileola Ibironke Pitches Here Next Two TV Series and Opens a New Cinema in Lagos

Establishing yourself in the Nigerian production sector is a tough business and requires a tricky combination of the ability to persuade sponsors to step up to the plate, a feel… Read more »

Djibouti: Telecom Corruption Scandal - Who Paid What to Whom and How Big the Bribe Was

In issue 995, there was a top story about Ericsson paying a bribe to secure a contract with Djibouti Telecom. In this issue, we lay out more detail drawn from US Court documents… Read more »

Congo-Brazzaville: Congo Telecom Plans to Make Major Bandwidth Increases for Its FTTH Customers but to Hold to the Same Prices

Despite some economic difficulties caused by falling oil prices, Congo-Brazzaville has been taking some significant digital steps forward. The incumbent telco Congo Telecom has… Read more »

Africa: BBC's World Service Wants to Increase Its Africa Audiences With Six New Laguages and Increasing Emphasis On TV and Digital

The £298 million commitment to the BBC's World Service over five years has been one of the biggest new investments in broadcast in Africa. Russell Southwood apoke to Mary… Read more »

South Africa: Telkom in Trouble As Key Players Struggle With the Implementing the New Digital Playbook

The shift to digital products and networks in South Africa is putting huge pressures on the existing large players. No-one in the industry wants Cell C to go out of business but it… Read more »

Angola: Isabel Dos Santos On Unitel's Plans to Expand Into Other African Countries

Love or hate her, Isabel dos Santos has carved herself out a significant business empire that stretches across telecoms, broadcast, retail and banking. Russell Southwood spoke to… Read more »

Africa: Africacom 2019 - for Four Days It's the Human Social Media of Africa's Communications Industry

AfricaCom organizer KNect365 said that it has had its biggest event yet with 15,000 visitors going to Cape for Africa's telecoms and communications mega-meet. Russell Southwood… Read more »

Africa: Start-Up Turn.io Upgrades Social Impact Messaging and Engagement to Smartphones

NGOs and other not-for-profits are beginning to migrate with their vulnerable, low-income users to social messaging apps like WhatsApp used on smartphones. Russell Southwood talks… Read more »

Africa: Discop 2019 Focuses On Free-to-Air Broadcasters Because They Are Still the Ones Delivering Mass Audiences Despite the Pay TV and VOD Hype

DISCOP's founder and CEO Patrick Zuchowicki says that this year's event will be focused on providing profile and business opportunities for Africa's Free-To-Air broadcasters,… Read more »

Africa: Balancing Act's News Update Reaches Its 1000th Issue - Looking Back Over Almost 20 Years and Looking Forward to What Happens Next

1 November 2019 Read more »

Africa: The Transition to E-SIMs Has Arrived in Africa - Digitalizing the Customer Experience and Getting Rid of Multiple Plastic SIMs

eSIMs are beginning to arrive in Africa and it may not be long before they start to displace traditional plastic SIMs. It will probably start on high-end phones and other non phone… Read more »

Africa: Vodacom Rolls Out Upstream's Free Data Platform Zero-D As Flex

Running out of mobile data is a cliff-edge moment: you either buy more if you can afford it or wait if you can't. Upstream's Zero-D is a kind of free data purgatory before you get… Read more »

Ethiopia: SES and AEB Launch New Satellite Platform in Ethiopia With 33 Channels, 12 of Which Are in HD - Looking for Hybrid Business Models

The launch of the Ethiosat platform is another strong signal that the Ethiopian broadcast market is heading towards full liberalization. Russell Southwood spoke to Clint Brown, VP… Read more »

East Africa: New Carrier Neutral Cable Will Be Complete By 2021

The recently announced PEACE cable adds another international link to Africa that is actually being built rather than being just at the planning stage. Russell Southwood looks at… Read more »

Djibouti: Telecoms Vendor Ericsson's Foreign Corrupt Practices Fine of Around U.S.$1 Billion Puts the Spotlight On Djibouti Telecom

Every few years a corruption case under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act blows the lid off Africa's often seamy way of doing business in the telecoms sector. Russell Southwood… Read more »

Namibia: Crisis At Namibia's Public Broadcaster Spreads As It Turns Off Two Other Private TV Channels

In June this year I wrote about the financial crisis affecting four of Africa's public broadcasters - SABC (South Africa), KBC (Kenya), UBC (Uganda) and ZBC (Zambia) (see link:… Read more »

Nigeria: Logistics Aggregator Kobo360 to Expand Out of Nigeria to Neighboring Countries

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… Read more »

Africa: Satellite Going Through Its Fibre Moment - How This Will Help Africa Reach Beyond Fibre Networks to More Remote Areas

There are so many different technologies bringing connectivity from the sky or space and all are promising to provide cheaper connectivity. With the implantation of fibre networks… Read more »

Kenya: Tifa Research Pitches Passive Research As the Next Stage of Understanding Audience Behavior

The increase in the use of smartphones is beginning to revolutionize African TV audience research. Kenya's TIFA Research has been pioneering passive research as a way of improving… Read more »

Africa: Kymeta Targets Africa's 'On the Move' and Remote Business Cases With Its Mobile Satellite Antenna

Kymeta has produced satellite-based based products that will create both voice and data connectivity "on the move" and in remote places. It's a niche product but one that will have… Read more »