Teraco, Africa’s largest interconnection hub and vendor-neutral data centre provider, has made two recent announcements relating to expansion in the key South African market.

Vodacom Group reported an earnings hit due to macroeconomic conditions and loss in Ethiopia, however, its acquisition of Vodafone Egypt prevented further dips. 

Operator MTN Nigeria and the African operation of American Tower Corporation, a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate, have entered into a new agreement that, they say, is expected to enhance wireless connectivity across Nigeria.

Telecom Namibia has signed an N$100 million (US$5.2 million) agreement with Huawei to deliver a fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) core network as part of its ongoing digital transformation and network modernisation project.

The Republic of Djibouti has launched its first satellite, Djibouti 1A. It took off last weekend from the Vandenberg Space Force Base onboard the SpaceX Transporter-9, a dedicated SSO rideshare mission carrying a variety of payloads into sun-synchronous orbit.

It looks like the mobile money service that helped to make Safaricom the dominant player in Kenya is making reasonable headway in Ethiopia too.

The Somalian Ministry of Communication and Technology signed a cooperation agreement with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to develop connectivity in Somalia.

Kenyan operator Safaricom, mobile financial service M-Pesa Africa, and global trading and business investment company Sumitomo Corporation are to launch the Spark Accelerator, a programme to support early-stage start-ups in Kenya in their efforts to grow and scale their businesses.

Yet another SIM registration exercise has run into deadline difficulties. With only a few days left, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and operators are trying to get cardholders to act fast to avoid potential disconnection.

Fibre and satellite connectivity provider Paratus Group secured a US$31 million debt facility from Private Infrastructure Development Group, to expand its fibre and data centre business in Africa into 2026. 

As the MTN Group departure from Afghanistan gets closer, it seems Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry and Liberia are next in line for an MTN exit.

Regulators in several West African markets have signed agreements that will facilitate roaming.

Space X satellite connectivity subsidiary Starlink announced it launched broadband services in Benin, marking the sixth country in Africa to see the service. 

Vodacom Congo revealed it has began testing 5G technology but its strategy remains rooted to deploying 4G base stations to expand coverage, reported IT Web Africa. 

Equinix subsidiary MainOne, which provides connectivity and data centre solutions, has launched a new data centre in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) have signed a memorandum of understanding  (MoU) to develop, launch, and operate an earth observation (EO) satellite for Mauritius.

State-owned Ghanian operator AT (formerly Airtel Tigo) signed a joint venture agreement with private equity firm Hannam Investments, a move to invest into the nation’s telecoms market. 

Safaricom expanded its 5G network to 35 counties in Kenya while also launching consumer incentives to boost uptake of its high speed network. 

Chapel Hill Denham’s Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund has agreed to provide long-term financing to West African solar-based internet service provider Tizeti. The senior debt facility will be used to finance the rollout of Tizeti’s state-of-the art broadband network across 15 states in Nigeria.

MTN Nigeria's often impressive profit margin is facing threats on two fronts as earnings are hit by a weak naira and a tax demand threatens to remove tens of millions of dollars from its balance sheet.

East Africa Device Assembly Kenya (EADAK) Limited has opened this week. It’s Kenya’s first local smartphone assembly plant.

Gambia’s state-backed operator Gamtel has is set to upgrade and expand its core network with Chinese vendor Huawei.

Two stories – from Zimbabwe and Nigeria – again illustrate the often complicated relationship between Africa’s mobile operators and its tax collectors.

Another African country has begun a SIM card registration scheme. More accurately, Mauritius is bringing in registration for new cards and re-registration for existing cards.

Raxio Data Centres, a provider of carrier-neutral, Tier III data centres in Africa, has announced that it has secured an additional US$46 million in equity funding.

Kenya has enacted new health laws, among them a Digital Health Act, 2023, which provides for the establishment of an integrated telemedicine and m-health system.

As the benefits of the digital economy become apparent in countries around the world, the issue of digital inclusion has never been more paramount – particularly in Africa, which is brimming with digital potential that can be fully realized with the right amount of innovation and cooperation.

Airtel Africa unveiled what it labelled as the “most affordable 4G smartphone” to be launched in Rwanda, as part of wider plans to boost connections to its network. 

The Middle East and North Africa continued to be a bright spot in Orange Group’s financials posting a 12% increase in revenue as 10 markets recorded double-digit growth for the operator. 

Several high-growth sectors in South Sudan are to receive satellite-enabled connectivity solutions designed to serve specific requirements – with help from UAE-headquartered satellite solutions provider, Yahsat.

The government of Burkina Faso has announced a new bill that will limit SIM card ownership in the country.

Canadian RAN provider NuRAN Wireless secured an operating licence in Cameroon as part of wider ambitions to deploy 10,000 sites across the African continent.