Author: Gugu Lourie
South Korean electronics giant Samsung is leaving its smartphone rivals in South Africa in its dust, according to market research. By Duncan Alfreds, NewsAgency Samsung grew its local smartphone market share to 56.6%, well ahead of Vodacom’s smartphone brands at 7.6% and Huawei (6.9%), according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). While Apple is involved in a global struggle for dominance with Samsung, the iPhone maker has just 4% market share in SA, behind Nokia (now Microsoft) at 5.3%, IDC data shows. “Samsung is a trusted brand in South Africa, has handsets across the affordability spectrum and is available in all…
Vox Telecom has launched Sitebuilder, a website development solution that enables end users and small businesses to create and maintain professional and fully responsive websites, with ease. By Staff Writer Small medium enterprises (SMEs) are an increasingly important, but underserviced market when it comes to digital communications tools, and in particular, website development. Sitebuilder provides small business owners with the ability to manage, build and add features to their website, without having to depend on an external party. “Sitebuilder is the first of many new developments in our easy-to-use digital management solutions and provides users with an extraordinary degree of…
“In what is a first-to-market response by Absa, customers now also have the ability to personally reverse unauthorised debit orders at any time by logging on to Absa Online” says Marius de la Rey, Chief Executive, Customer Channels & Distribution, Barclays Africa Retail and Business Banking. By Staff Writer Absa customers have been empowered to view all debit orders that have gone off their accounts during a given period of time, request that any debit order which has taken place in the last 40 days be reversed (and they will receive the money back in their account instantly) as well…
A little bit of good news after a really tough week for MTN, the Nigerian telecoms watchdog has renewed the mobile phone operator’s licence until 31 August 2021. By Gugu Lourie The Nigerian Communications Commission has approved the renewal,and extension of the tenure of MTN’s operating spectrum in the 900MHz and 1800MHz frequency bands. “With this renewal and extension, MTN’s operating spectrum which was issued along with the Digital Mobile License (DML) in 2001 (with an original expiry date of February 2016), has now been extended to 31 August 2021,” MTN informed investors on Tuesday. The South Africa-based operator…
Telkom is poised to provide fresh evidence of its turnaround on Monday 16 November, and to detail its further plans to retain and attract more customers on its network against Vodacom, MTN and other smaller players as the telco’s seeks to revolutionise broadband access in the country. By Gugu Lourie Africa’s largest fixed-line telephone group, which this year acquired tech firm Business Connexion and is keen on snapping up Cell C, continues to produce good growth and is likely to deliver better-than-expected performance when it reports its six months to end-September 2015 on November 16. The executives of the telco,…
A Cape Town tech start-up that successfully laid down the “tracks” for mobile payment apps like SnapScan to thrive has evolved into a dynamic business with aspirations to expand its value-added products. By Matthew le Cordeur, NewsAgency WiGroup founder and CEO Bevan Ducasse said that creating a common mobile payment thread for consumers, retailers and banks was crucial, but that making the transaction fee “free” was game changing. SA’s only interoperable point-of-sale mobile transacting network was founded in 2007 and in 2015 has developed into a 90-strong team. In August, Investec acquired a significant shareholding in wiGroup, with some reports valuing…
Africa’s biggest mobile network MTN could have avoided a $5.2bn fine in Nigeria, but regulators in that country have also been harsh on the company. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency This is according to Dobek Pater who is a director and analyst at telecoms, IT and media research firm Africa Analysis. On October 26, mobile network MTN announced that it was fined $5.2bn by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for failing to disconnect up to five million unregistered SIM cards in that country. The record fine came after Nigeria kick-started its SIM card registration process in 2013. This registration process in…
MTN, Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator, said on Monday afternoon that Nigerian talks are still ongoing and requested investors to exercise caution. By Gugu Lourie MTN has resumed trading on the JSE. Africa’s largest mobile phone operator said that “engagements with the Nigerian authorities are continuing and any material developments in these engagements will be communicated to shareholders through SENS.” Earlier today, the JSE halted trading in MTN Group Limited shares pending an announcement from the company. The operator, which is the biggest in Nigeria, said after midday that “shareholders should specifically exercise caution when reacting to information on this…
FNB on Monday announced that it has hit 100 000 active SIMs distributed for its mobile network service offering since its launch in June. By Staff Writer Customers are adopting the service offering that seamlessly integrates with its digital platforms, giving greater control over spend. “We didn’t expect to hit the 100 000 active SIMS mark before the end of the year but the strong organic uptake by customers is an indication that there’s a strong need for a transparent, flexible mobile service. 75% of the new SIMS are prepaid and 25% are post paid, and 40% of customers fall…
The JSE announced on Monday that it has suspended MTN Group shares with immediate effect. By Gugu Lourie “The JSE has halted trading in MTN Group Limited shares pending an announcement from the company,” the stock exchange operator said on Monday. Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator is already facing an investigation by the JSE for possible insider trading related to the timing of its first statement to shareholders that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had fined them $5.2 billion. Last week MTN announced that CEO Sifiso Dabengwa is in discussions with the Nigerian Authorities over the fine. Email TechFinancials.co.za at [email protected]