Author: Gugu Lourie
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a robust endorsement of its sustained impact, Raymond Crown, ICT Director at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), positioned the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) as the critical engine ensuring the region transitions from a consumer to a contributor of global technological innovation. Speaking at the 2025 conference, Crown emphasised that SATNAC’s 27-year legacy provides the essential “discipline of continuity” needed to build South Africa’s digital future on a foundation of tangible research and proven partnerships, not abstract ideas. “SATNAC remains one of the few forums that consistently brings research, industry, and…
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a compelling address that balanced ambition with caution, Dr. Mmaki Jantjies, Telkom’s Group Executive for Innovation & Transformation and Chairperson of SATNAC 2025, issued an urgent call for responsible innovation, stressing that Africa’s digital progress must not come at the expense of its people or planet. Speaking at the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC), Dr. Jantjies grounded the event’s high-tech theme, “Africa’s Ascent: Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future,” in the continent’s stark realities of poverty, inequality, and unemployment. She argued that technology’s value is only realised when it directly addresses these foundational challenges. “As…
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a keynote that reframed Africa’s position in the global tech space, Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong declared that the continent holds a crucial ethical compass for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking at the opening of the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) 2025, which Telkom is hosting, Taukobong argued that Africa’s unique cultural richness and principle of Ubuntu must guide the future of intelligent systems. Taukobong’s address, delivered without the 25-page presentation prepared for him, struck a resonant chord with industry leaders, policymakers, and academics gathered under the theme “Africa’s Ascent: Towards…
In a dramatic reversal of fortune, Eskom has announced the successful conclusion of its 2022-2025 Board’s term, a period marked by a historic financial and operational turnaround. The board, appointed during the utility’s most challenging period, is credited with laying the foundation for a stable, profitable, and investable Eskom. Eskom Chairman of the Board, Mteto Nyati, reflected on a term defined by difficult decisions, steadfast governance and a recovery that has fundamentally reshaped Eskom. “Reviving Eskom was never a simple task, but one of national importance. The obstacles were significant, yet through the Board’s firm planning and governance and Exco’s…
Samsung becomes the official mobile and consumer electronics partner for SA Rugby’s national teams and the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC), aiming to fuse cutting-edge Galaxy technology with the passion of the game. In a major move for South African sports and tech, Samsung has officially joined forces with SA Rugby. The new partnership, effective from September for the Vodacom URC and October for the Springboks, designates Samsung as the official mobile and consumer electronics partner across all national teams and the prestigious league. The two-year agreement is positioned as a strategic alliance focused on enhancing performance and revolutionizing the…
In a move set to democratise mobile innovation, Huge TNS, a subsidiary of JSE-listed Huge Group Limited, has launched a new MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) capability designed to break the high-cost, high-complexity model that has long reserved the market for major banks and national retailers. This breakthrough means that, for the first time, South African organisations of any size can embed mobile connectivity directly into their services and customer activities. They can do this without the need for significant capital investment, lengthy implementation timelines, or the technical complexity ordinarily associated with building an MVNO from scratch. The proposition is…
In a bold move to reinvent itself, the South African Post Office (SAPO) is officially opening its doors to strategic partners, with plans to launch a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), a network of e-commerce pick-up points, and even lease its building rooftops for telecom towers. This initiative, driven by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), marks a fundamental shift for the embattled state-owned entity as it attempts to pivot from a traditional mail service to a modern, hybrid logistics and digital platform provider. The DCDT has published a Request for Information (RFI), inviting private and public sector…
Telkom Consumer has reported robust financial performance for the six months to end September 2025, revealing a clear winning formula: its prepaid segment and data-led strategy are the twin engines driving substantial growth. For the 11th consecutive quarter, the mobile business has achieved market-leading service revenue growth, with operating revenue climbing 6.4% to R14.25 billion. The numbers emphasises a successful penetration of the mass market. Total mobile subscribers grew by 7.7% to 24.5 million, fuelled by a 9% jump in prepaid subscribers to 21.6 million. More critically, the mobile data subscriber base exploded by 26.7% to 18.5 million, now representing…
In a clear demonstration of strategic execution, Telkom has published robust financial results for the six months ended 30 September 2025. The figures reveal a company successfully monetizing its extensive network infrastructure, transforming its data-led strategy into sustained profit growth and a remarkable surge in its mobile,. fibre and IT businesses. The Group’s commitment to delivering quality earnings is reflected across key metrics. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 7.4%, a key indicator of improved operational performance. The EBITDA margin strengthened by 1.0 percentage point to 27.2%, slightly above the top end of the group’s medium-term…
Vodacom Group has announced a key agreement with Starlink, the world’s largest satellite broadband provider, to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to millions of businesses across Africa and to expand rural network coverage. A key requirement for the service to launch in South Africa, and other markets, is the completion of individual regulatory approvals. Asked in which markets would this partnership apply, a Vodacom spokesperson stated: “We aim to launch these services across our footprint once individual regulatory approvals are completed, including South Africa. “Individual market announcements will be made as and when the requisite approvals are obtained. “The master agreement…