Author: Staff Writer

MTN Group announced the appointment of Eliane Houphouet-Boigny as the CEO of MTN, effective 1 July 2021, the latest woman to take the helm at an MTN operation. “I would like to welcome Eliane to the MTN family and look forward to her taking MTN Guinea-Bissau to new heights, as we work to lead digital solutions for Africa’s progress,” said MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita. Houphouet-Boigny is a seasoned professional with a career spanning more than 20 years, and experience across multiple markets in Europe and Africa. Most recently, she held several leadership roles at Nestlé, including Head of Innovation,…

While we celebrate Youth Month, many young South Africans are facing enormous challenges exacerbated by COVID-19, including unemployment at an all-time high. In a recent survey by the University of Cape Town, more than half of young people polled said they were uncertain about the future. As part of Vodacom’s ongoing commitment to empower South African youth, Vodacom has revamped its NXT LVL (pronounced Next Level) platform to address the concerns of young people. Through this digital platform created to meet the needs of the youth, Vodacom NXL LVL will now offer young people opportunities to connect more, learn more…

Former Telkom chairman and businessman Jabu Mabuza has passed away. His family said in a statement that he passed away on Wednesday, South Africa’s Youth Day,  following COVID-19 complications. Mabuza has held a number of directorships within the Southern Sun and Tsogo Sun Groups as the Former Group Chief Executive of Tsogo Sun. He served on the Board of South African Tourism for nine years and as its Chairman, for six years, ending May 2012. He was also the chairman of Eskom. “He was a gallant fighter for the political and economic freedom of South Africans. On this day in…

MTN is leveraging our expansive footprint across Africa to test and ultimately deploy OpenRAN – an innovative technology that will enable us to launch new services more quickly, cost-effectively and seamlessly, supporting our strategy, Ambition 2025: Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress. “We plan to modernise our radio access networks using OpenRAN. This is in line with one of five vital enablers of our strategy: to build technology platforms that are second to none, thereby allowing for the rapid expansion of 4G and 5G population coverage across our markets,” said Charles Molapisi, MTN Group Chief Technology and Information Officer. “With…

Huawei announces much-awaited 2021 App development competition: Huawei HMS App Innovation Contest (Apps UP). Not all superheroes wear capes. Some sit behind a desk conjuring up ways in which they can use technology to make the world a better place. Whether it’s to improve health and education systems or to alleviate stress and improve mental well-being through fun and supportive video games, these apps are always in demand. A call has been made once again to developers around the world to put their skills to the test on a global stage with the launch of the 2021 Huawei HMS App…

Prosus, one of the largest technology investors in the world, announced today it has acquired a majority stake in GoodHabitz, a provider of online training for businesses. EdTech is a huge focus for Prosus, which invests in companies that help to democratize access to quality education around the world. Prosus entered the EdTech market in 2016 with investments in Brainly, Codecademy and Udemy, and has continued to expand its investments in the sector since then, with the portfolio now also including BYJU’s, Eruditus, Skillsoft, SoloLearn and now Stack Overflow. Now Prosus has bought a majority stake in GoodHabitz for approximately €212 million (R3.5 billion). GoodHabitz was founded…

In a move delivering clear benefits to Internet users in East Africa, Asteroid is setting up an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Africa Data Centres’ Nairobi facility. IXPs are great catalysts for improved local interconnection. An IXP enables networks to peer (the direct connection and exchange of traffic), which results in reducing costs and latency, and providing a better quality of service to Internet end-users. According to Dan Kwach, Managing Director of Africa Data Centres East Africa, welcoming Asteroid IXP in Nairobi will enhance the connections between big tech giants, international content providers and local Kenyan and African networks and…

Andries Delport, the current CTO of the company Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH), will take over as CEO of Dark Fibre Africa (DFA). The former Vodacom Group executive will assume his new role from 1 October 2021. Delport will replace Thinus Mulder, who will formally step down as CEO of DFA on 30 September 2021. DFA is a subsidiary of ICT-focused investment-holding company CIVH. CIVH group CEO and DFA chairman, Raymond Ndlovu, thanked Thinus for his immense contribution in overseeing DFA and the CIVH group’s growth during his tenure over the last thirteen years, first as the founding CFO at DFA…

Vodacom Financial Services announces its latest lending product, VodaLend | Business Cash Advance, which provides finance to smaller unregistered businesses in need of quick access to short-term cash advances. Offering finance between R3000 and R350 000 to customers using VodaPay point of sale (POS) devices, Business Cash Advance complements VodaLend’s range of lending products aimed at the SMME sector. Vodacom Financial and Digital Services, Chief Officer Mariam Cassim, says that Business Cash Advance will further underpin the financial security of partner SMMEs. “It often happens that a small business has intra-month cash flow challenges. While the business is liquid over…

Sanlam Private Equity, African Rainbow Capital and a minority shareholder have sold a 25.8% stake in MetroFibre Networx to a consortium of existing shareholders. The consortium includes African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), one of Africa’s largest infrastructure-focused private equity fund managers, along with a consortium comprising South African Housing & Infrastructure Fund (SAHIF), through its Digital Infrastructure Consortium platform and STOA, a foreign investment vehicle-based in France. This transaction follows the R1.5 billion equity funding round concluded in December 2020 by AIIM, SAHIF and STOA in order to support MetroFibre’s R3 billion capital expansion plan over the next three years.…