MultiChoice offers Showmax users free trial access to DStv
AFRICA 07:34

MultiChoice offers Showmax users free trial access to DStv

MultiChoice has announced that it is offering eligible Showmax subscribers free trial access toDStv Stream Compact from 01 April until the end of May as part of a transition following the shutdown of the standalone Showmax app on 30 April. After the trial, qualifying subscribers can keep using DStv Stream Compact for the same price they paid for Showmax, which is ZAR 99 per month. The promotional price will remain in effect for twelve months, provided the subscriber's account remains up to date, and it repr

MTN named South Africa's most valuable brand
AFRICA 1 APR

MTN named South Africa's most valuable brand

MTN Group has been named South Africa's most valuable brand for the thirteenth year in a row by Brand Finance, which assigned the group a brand value of ZAR 50.9 billion in 2026. The Brand Finance award comes after MTN Group was inducted into the inaugural Brand Africa Hall of Fame in January. That honour acknowledged brands that have demonstrated sustained excellence and influence on the continent over the past decade.

Zain's brand valuation increases 16% in latest Brand Finance ranking
AFRICA 1 APR

Zain's brand valuation increases 16% in latest Brand Finance ranking

Zain Group said its brand valuation increased by 16.1 percent in the past year to reach a record USD 4.039 billion, marking the highest brand value in the company's history and a year-on-year increase of USD 560 million. In the Brand Finance Telecoms 150 ranking for 2026, Zain attained a Brand Strength Index score of 83.3 out of 100 with an AAA- brand strength rating. The Kuwait-based company was named the 25th strongest telecom brand globally.

African ministers adopt Algiers declaration on telecom sovereignty and integrated connectivity
AFRICA 1 APR

African ministers adopt Algiers declaration on telecom sovereignty and integrated connectivity

Relevant ministers at the Global Africa Tech Summit from 28 to 30 March have adopted the Algiers Declaration on African Telecommunications Sovereignty and Integrated Connectivity (2026–2030) to advance the continent's digital infrastructure and policy alignment. Kenyan ICT minister William Kabogo said the the declaration reflects a clear and unified continental position that telecommunications infrastructure is no longer a sectoral concern, but a strategic foundation for sovereignty, resilience, inclusion a

Algeria and Niger to deepen cooperation on telecom and digital development
ALGERIA 31 MAR

Algeria and Niger to deepen cooperation on telecom and digital development

Algeria and Niger have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of telecommunications and digital technologies, AL24news reported. The meeting between Algerian minister of post and telecommunications Sid Ali Zerrouki with his Nigerien counterpart Adji Ali Salatou focused on enhancing telecommunications infrastructure, with particular emphasis on expanding fibre-optic networks and strengthening interconnection to improve the quality and reliability of digital services

NuRAN Wireless files for Nasdaq listing, names strategic advisors
AFRICA 31 MAR

NuRAN Wireless files for Nasdaq listing, names strategic advisors

NuRAN Wireless announced it has submitted an application to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market and also appointed Navindran Naidoo, former network executive of MTN Group and current board member of NuRAN, and Gerard Lokossou, former executive at Orange and MTN, as strategic advisors to the company.

Ooredoo Algeria picks NEC to modernise enterprise network security
ALGERIA 31 MAR

Ooredoo Algeria picks NEC to modernise enterprise network security

NEC announced the deployment of high-performance next-generation firewalls for Ooredoo Algeria. The modernisation enhances enterprise network security while improving operational efficiency, scalability, and energy conscious performance, the vendor said. This initiative strengthens Ooredoo Algeria's internal network environment while accelerating its digital driven innovation and supporting the company's long term business growth through more agile and sustainable operations.

Ooredoo Algeria sponsors inaugural Global Africa Tech 2026
ALGERIA 30 MAR

Ooredoo Algeria sponsors inaugural Global Africa Tech 2026

Ooredoo Algeria has announced its sponsorship of the inaugural Global Africa Tech 2026 event from 28 to 30 March. It is organised by the ICT ministry and will bring together policymakers, telecom operators, technology providers, investors and innovators from across the continent. The event is expected to host high-level delegations from different African countries, alongside regional and international institutions, fostering dialogue on infrastructure development, investment strategies, and innovation ecosy

MTN appoints 5 new non-executive directors to group board, replaces South African chairman
AFRICA 30 MAR

MTN appoints 5 new non-executive directors to group board, replaces South African chairman

MTN Group announced the appointment of five new non-executive directors to its board, saying their collective and diverse expertise and experience will enhance the group as it works to extend digital and financial inclusion in Africa. Herman Bosman, Ouma Rasethaba, Stephane Richard, Ignatius Sehoole and Saf Yeboah-Amankwah join on 31 March. It said Stan Miller and Nkululeko Sowazi will retire from the board on 29 May, having served since August 2016. Mike Harper will step down as chairman of MTN South Afric

Vodacom Group non-executive director Otty retires
AFRICA 30 MAR

Vodacom Group non-executive director Otty retires

Vodacom Group announced the retirement of John Otty, a non-executive director who will step down from the board with effect from 31 March. Nadia Benabdallah, who holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering (Communications), will replace Otty on the board with effect from 1 April. Benabdallah is Network Strategy and Engineering Director at Vodafone Group and is a board member of ICCREA Bank, GSMA, CableLabs and ORAN. She is a member of the Vodafone Technology Committee shaping the strategic direction of Vodafone'

LPTIC plans to speed up telecoms work at Tripoli International Airport
LIBYA 27 MAR

LPTIC plans to speed up telecoms work at Tripoli International Airport

The Libya Telecom and Technology Company (LPTIC) chairman Ali Ben Gharbia has conducted a field visit of Tripoli International Airport to follow up on the progress of work and learn about developments in infrastructure and services there, the Herald reported.‎ Gharbia held a technical meeting with competent authorities there to follow up implementation and evaluate the current work stages. It was agreed to form a joint technical team from the telecom companies to speed up completion of the communications sy

Orange runs 16th Orange Social Ventures Prize in MEA
AFRICA 26 MAR

Orange runs 16th Orange Social Ventures Prize in MEA

Orange is running the sixteen edition of the Orange Social Ventures Prize (OSVP) in the Middle East and Africa from 26 March until 10 May and invites entrepreneurs from all seventeen countries where it operates in the regions to apply. Orange will showcase start-ups that use new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data or cybersecurity to benefit populations and the planet. Projects in sectors such as agriculture, education, environment and health are particularly encouraged to apply.

AFRICA 26 MAR

Westcon-Comstor signs distribution pact with Infoblox for southern Africa

Westcon-Comstor announced a new distribution partnership with Infoblox, a provider of hybrid, multi-cloud networking and pre-emptive security, across Southern Africa. The agreement will enable Westcon-Comstor's channel partners in the region to deliver Infoblox's unified platform that brings together networking, security and cloud.

AFRICA 25 MAR

Sunil Mittal to retire as Airtel Africa chairman in July

Airtel Africa announced that Sunil Bharti Mittal will retire as chairman of the board at the conclusion of the company's AGM in July. Mittal has served as chair since the Indian company listed its African subsidiary in 2019, and the board thanks him for his leadership and contribution during this period. Gopal Vittal, the CEO of Bharti Airtlel, has been appointed as the non-executive chairman with effect from the same date while Shravin Bharti Mittal will assume the role of deputy chair.  

AFRICA 25 MAR

Cisco appoints new VP to lead Middle East, Africa, Turkiye, Romania and CIS

Cisco announced that Shane Heraty has been appointed as the Vice President and General Manager for Cisco Middle East, Africa, Turkiye, Romania and CIS (MEA–TRC). Effective from 1 May, he will oversee Cisco's strategy and commercial operations in the region. Heraty succeeds David Meads, who is retiring after leading multiple Cisco businesses for 30 years.

AFRICA 25 MAR

MTN Group shuts down Ayoba super app

MTN Group is discontinuing its "super app" Ayoba, marking the end of a years-long attempt to build an African alternative to global platforms like WhatsApp, MyBroadband.co.za reported. The company confirmed that Ayoba is no longer be available for download on app stores from 20 March. Users were given a 30-day window from 20 February to reinstall the app before it was permanently delisted.  

AFRICA 23 MAR

Subex to implement enterprise asset management for North African telco operator

Telecoms IT vendor Subex has secured a deal to implement Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) on behalf of an unnamed North African carrier. The operator, part of a leading multi-national group, picked Subex's product for its flexible, governance-first EAM approach that integrates seamlessly with ERP, GIS, and NMS/EMS systems, Subex said. Powered by HyperSense, Subex's no-code platform for creating and deploying machine learning, the solution aims to produce comprehensive asset visibility and workflow automati

AFRICA 23 MAR

African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute hosts GSMA to discuss climate resilience

The African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI) has hosted a delegation from the GSMA to discuss innovation and climate resilience. AFRALTI presented its ongoing collaborative project with Kenya's Wireless Planet concerning hyper-localised weather services, demonstrating that strategic partnerships can scale climate adaptation efforts across the region. A key highlight of the visit was a tour of the weather station deployed at the AFRALTI campus, showcasing that up-to-date environmental in

AFRICA 23 MAR

Ruckus appoints First Distribution as distributor across southern Africa region

First Distribution, a value-added IT distributor, announced its appointment as an authorised distributor for Ruckus Networks across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. This strategic addition to First Distribution's Networking Division strengthens its portfolio with wired and wireless products designed to deliver reliable, secure and high-performance connectivity. through this partnership, First Distribution will provide partners with access to the full range of Ruckus Networks product

MOROCCO 20 MAR

Mynk launches mobile app in Morocco to simplify peer-to-peer payments

Moroccan fintech platform Mynk has launched a mobile app designed to simplify peer-to-peer payments by allowing customers to send and receive money using only a phone number. This eliminates the need for IBANs or detailed bank information. Mynk is positioned as a digital wallet and allows transfers, bill payments, digital purchases and event ticketing.

AFRICA 20 MAR

MultiChoice shuts down Showmax on 30 April, moves Originals and selected titles to DStv Stream

MultiChoice has announced that the Showmax streaming service shutdown will occur on 30 April. It says Showmax Originals and selected titles will move to DStv Stream in a dedicated Showmax section within the app. DStv Stream brings together on-demand entertainment and live TV, including sport. The titles will become part of the live streaming available on DStv's standalone streaming service.

TUNISIA 19 MAR

Tunisie Telecom teams up with Viamobile to launch Kashy digital wallet

Tunisie Telecom (TT) has officially entered the fintech space with the launch of a digital wallet app, developed in partnership with payment services specialist Viamobile. This new mobile app is marketed under the Kashy brand, powered by TT. It offers a comprehensive selection of features, with the user's mobile number serving as unique identifier. Customers can make money transfers, bill payments, and cash withdrawals, among other capabilities. The operator is also supporting Kashy through its retail store

AFRICA 18 MAR

Axian Telecom announces new COO

Axian Telecom has announced the return of Kamal Okba as chief operating officer, marking a strategic leadership move during a period of significant growth for the company.

MOROCCO 17 MAR

Morocco's 5G internet connections reach 7% share in December

Morocco ended 2025 with 38.53 million mobile internet connections, up 2.9 percent annually, according to telecom regulator ANRT. Within this total, the 5G segment accounted for a 6.8 percent share, following the launch of the country's first 5G commercial offers on 07 November. Across wireless and wireline connections, the internet installed base rose 3.1 percent year-on-year to 41.46 million.

Just In

10:50

MTN South Africa to invest ZAR 22 bln in network improvement by 2028

10:40

MTN Uganda runs Digital Literacy Programme training in Western region

10:36

Vi to expand 5G footprint to 18 cities of Maharashtra by May

10:32

Cyan meets FY outlook, forecasts further sales growth in year ahead

Commentary

11 FEB 12:29

Odido shareholders face tricky exit after abandoned IPO

2 FEB 13:49

KPN results show little bother from the competition

2 JAN 13:21

Open Dutch Fiber's new management team takes up turnaround challenge

15 DEC 2025 13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

Background

29 MAR 22:46

The week in telecoms: Italy brings back PTT, US bans foreign routers and social media on trial

23 MAR 00:38

The week in telecoms: OFC and Nvidia events drive data centre networking talk, Orange debuts full French office stack

16 MAR 00:25

The week in telecoms: Pakistan ready for 5G, Google exits FTTH market and Canal Plus works on pay-TV turnaround

6 MAR 16:00

The week in telecom: MWC brings 5G advances, AI and satellite integration, plus first robot phone