Vodafone and Project Kuiper, Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite (LEO) communications initiative, have announced a strategic collaboration through which Vodafone and Vodacom plan to use Project Kuiper’s network to extend the reach of 4G/5G services to more of their customers in Europe and Africa.
Africell Angola, a telecommunications operator, has begun the expansion of its network coverage into the Huíla Province, located in the southeastern part of the country. The company's commercial director, Mário Mateus, stated that while Africell's network is currently accessible solely in Lubango and Humpata cities, efforts are underway to establish a more permanent presence by enhancing infrastructure. The objective is to extend network coverage and services to other regions within the province.
In a first of its kind in South Africa, Vodacom signed a Virtual Wheeling agreement with Eskom that will help accelerate efforts to solve the country’s energy crisis. In addition to adding capacity to the nation’s power grid, this agreement — a Vodacom innovation that has been co-developed with Eskom — will also play a significant role in moving Vodacom closer to its goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity demand from renewable energy sources by 2025. This agreement will now enable Vodacom to execute the next phase of this innovative solution: securing Independent Power Producers (IPPs) under the same terms and conditions that underpin its agreement with Eskom.
MTN South Africa has announced its expansion into the financial services sector with the introduction of budget-friendly funeral coverage for South African consumers. Operating under the newly launched Khava brand, MTN's prepaid funeral insurance is the initial offering in a series of insurance products tailored for the local market. The coverage, called MyMTN Prepaid Funeral Khava, starts at just R75 per year.
MTN Group has revealed that Marina Madale will assume the role of Group Executive starting September 1, 2023. Formerly serving as General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Group, Marina's new position will oversee the strategic direction for Sustainability and Shared Value, along with the foundations' work across all MTN Group markets.
Telkom's timeline for finalizing the sale of its tower assets appears to have been extended beyond its initial deadline. In mid-June, Serame Taukobong, the company’s CEO, informed TechCentral that the complete sale of Swiftnet, which manages Telkom's masts and towers, would occur within a few weeks.
Safaricom Ethiopia has achieved a notable milestone by garnering 5 million subscribers within a year of its launch in the densely populated East African nation. The company aspires to double this count by March.
Airtel Tanzania, the mobile telecommunications operator, has launched its 5G mobile network. Currently, this network is available in specific areas and accessible to subscribers with compatible smartphones or dedicated routers.
Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) has set forth an ambitious goal to bring high-speed fiber-optic Internet services to an additional 1 million households by the year 2027. The primary objective behind this initiative is to eliminate obstacles to digital access, especially for individuals residing in distant and underserved communities.
MTN has revealed that multinational payment processing company Mastercard is set to acquire a minority share in its fintech division. In their mid-year 2023 group results presentation, MTN announced that Mastercard has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a minority investment in MTN Group Fintech. The finalization of the agreement is pending the completion of customary due diligence and standard closing conditions.
