This week Africa’s competitors within the continent’s high-growth ICT sector have published their efforts to attract greater market share. Clearly there is renewed focus on empowering the consumer with the means to connect and stay connected, as well as exploit advances in mobile device technology and applications.
Telecommunications service providers including Orange and Tigo have signalled their intention to make further inroads into the continent.
There has also been more movement within the mobile money arena, with an interesting article emerging from Nigeria announcing a daily EFT value of N80 billion (approximately $508 million).
In South Africa, consumers are monitoring the press for more details involving an ongoing and simmering feud between the country’s Minister of Communications and the Sunday Times.
We have listed our most popular stories for the week, from across Africa, that, together, reflect a market growing in stature and significance internationally.
Nigeria’s daily EFT value in the billions
Nigeria’s Daily Trust reports that according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) the total value of electronic funds transfer now stands at N80 billion (approximately $508 million) per day.
Rockefeller Foundation invests $100 million in Digital Jobs Africa
The Rockefeller Foundation has announced a new Foundation initiative that will focus on Africa’s youth and employment, called Digital Jobs Africa.
Tigo Rwanda launches BlackBerry Z10
Rwanda mobile service provider Tigo has announced that BlackBerry’s latest smartphone, the Z10, is now available for mobile subscribers in the country, and added that the Z10 is fully supported by the network.
BlackBerry to release BBM for iOS and Android
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announced during the company’s annual BlackBerry Live conference that their popular social messaging system BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), will be made available across multiple mobile platforms later this year.
Samsung unveils ultra-fast 5G technology
Electronics giant Samsung has announce that they have successfully introduced 5G technology by developing the world’s first adaptive array transceiver technology operating in the millimeter-wave Ka bands for cellular communications.
SA Communications Minister lodges complaint against newspaper
South Africa’s Minister of Communications Dina Pule has lodged a formal complaint with the Press Ombudsman in relation to the alleged smear campaign against her by the Sunday Times newspaper.
Ericsson partners with Airtel to deploy Connect to Learn in Malawi
Communications provider Ericsson has joined forces with mobile operator Airtel to expand the Connect to Learn Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solution to two schools in the Malawi Millennium Village of Mwandama, located in the southern region of Malawi’s Zomba district.
Tanzania: Telecommunication service providers must toe the line
The Tanzania Daily News quotes the country’s Minister of Communication, Science and Technology, Professor Makame Mbarawa as saying that telecommunication service providers who provide inadequate service to consumers, without a valid explanation, could face a penalty of fines or imprisonment.
Aviat Networks appoints a local technical marketing manager
Siphiwe Nelwamondo has recently been appointed as a Technical Marketing Manager with Aviat Networks, a leading global provider of microwave backhaul solutions.
City of Joburg Broadband Project to go live in July
The City of Joburg Broadband Project will go live on 1 July 2013 after a 3 year build phase, which BWired will operate for 12 years. The completion of the fibre optic network covers all 7 regions of the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) municipality, and will deliver a live network that will immediately be able to offer key services to all municipal buildings connected to the network. This fibre optic network was designed by Ericsson South Africa and uses world-class technologies utilized in Smart Cities around the world, and marks one of the biggest rollouts of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere in terms of its 1.2Tb core capacity and 940km coverage, giving the City of Johannesburg true Smart City Status.
*Image via Shutterstock
Chris Tredger, Online Editor
