This week in technology has been another exceptionally busy one. Not only did we attend the GSMA: Mobile 360 Series – Africa conference in Cape Town, but we will also be attending the 2015 rAge expo in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The rAge expo kicks off today at the Ticket Pro Dome, and will highlight some of the latest games to grace the Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4.
Making the headlines this week, in an exclusive video interview, was Yasmina McCarty, Head of Mobile for Development for the GSMA. In the interview McCarty discusses Mobile for Development in Africa, Mobile Money in Africa, and Barriers Preventing Women in Africa Going Online.
The video interview can be viewed below:
The team at IT News Africa hopes you have a fantastic weekend. The top tech stories for the week can be found below:
News
Facebook testing Reaction emoticons
Facebook is currently testing a new feature which has been dubbed “Reactions.” The feature is expected to extend the functionality of the Like button. Read More.
Nedbank chooses Bytes to accelerate ISO 20022 adoption
Partnering with Volante and Bytes as part of the bank’s payment infrastructure modernisation program to support new services and newly mandated instruments including Authenticated Collections in South Africa. Read More.
MTN to offer iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus from 16 October 2015
MTN has revealed that it will offer the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the most advanced iPhones ever, from the beginning on 16 October 2015. Read More.
Mobile operator investments fuelling innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa
The mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa contributed more than US$100 billion to the region’s economy last year… This is according to a new GSMA study published at the ‘Mobile 360 Series – Africa’ conference being held in Cape Town, South Africa. Read More.
Mobile subscriber growth is slowing in Africa
At the latest GSMA: Mobile 360 Series – Africa conference, it was revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa had 367 million unique subscribers and 680 million connections (excluding M2M) as of the second quarter of 2015. Read More.
Smartphone adoption is accelerating as device costs decline in Africa
At the latest GSMA: Mobile 360 Series – Africa conference, it was revealed that the growth of 3G connections in Sub-Saharan Africa largely reflects the rising smartphone adoption rate, which has doubled in the last two years to 20 percent of total connections. Read More.
GSMA report reveals mobile commerce is on the rise in Africa
According to a report revealed at the latest GSMA: Mobile 360 Series – Africa conference, digital commerce is on the rise in Africa, and is being supported by growing internet penetration. Read More.
Top Opinions
What are the biggest obstacles facing the emerging markets?
The emerging markets are challenging developed countries by producing innovative business services and products, for less cost than western nations. Countries including: Kenya, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, have emerged as up-and-coming investment hubs. Read More.
Mobile technology to address Africa’s healthcare challenges
Mobile technology can address some of the biggest health challenges in Africa, says Vuyani Jarana at Vodacom Business. Read More.
Featured Editorial
John Kotsaftis discusses South African VOD service “ShowMax”
Video on Demand (VOD) services have boomed in South Africa. In mid August 2015, the country saw the launch of a new, exclusive VOD service dubbed “ShowMax.” Read More.
Taking a closer look at Nigeria’s connectivity evolution
Recent research from the World Bank identified broadband and connectivity as key drivers for economic growth. Therefore, it is not surprising to see many countries and governments around the world investing significantly in their communication infrastructures. Read More.
Carrier WiFi in Africa: Key considerations for Mobile Operators
While many Carriers will continue to pursue technological advancements to handle demand, they maybe reticent about Carrier WiFi in their RAN portfolio because of high cost of integration, OaM and apparent lack of business case. At the same time, long-term spectrum availability, spectrum efficiency, LTE Femto cells and continued back haul improvements are likely to be a key focus to assure continued mobile broadband momentum. Read More.
Video Interview: Roger Lin discusses alternative grid energy for Africa
At the XON-NEC Summit, which was held at Sun City in South Africa, IT News Africa interviewed Roger Lin: Director for Product Management at NEC Energy Solutions. Read More.
Darryl Linington
