All Africa articles – Page 14
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Strategy & Change
Safaricom still keen on Ethiopia entry
Safaricom blocked from operating fintech service in Ethiopia, potentially making case for entry shakier, but operator reaffirms Ethiopian commitment and intention to enter bidding war. ECA offers spectrum auction update, amid escalating regional conflict.
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Strategy & Change
IoT.nxt rejigs management to further exploit Vodafone links
Vodacom acquisition anticipates faster international growth, prompting operational changes along territorial lines. Among the trio of internal appointments is Mark Beets, handed responsibility for developing business with Vodafone’s Partner Markets organisation.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Africa: Vodacom in SA and Tanzanian trouble
Vodacom reportedly tangled in murder scandal in South Africa, and taking political fire over Tanzanian election.
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Elsewhere in Vodafone Africa: Safaricom shareholder base sees changes
Big boys making their presence felt in Safaricom’s owner family; Loon nearing Mozambique launch.
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Public Affairs
Vodacom fights Lesotho decision to revoke license
Urgent interdict sought over license revocation and “staggering” fine. Insisting still business-as-usual for customers. Lesotho crisis adds to troubling incidents across Vodacom Group.
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Airtel–Telkom merger falls through
Let-off for Safaricom as its two major mobile competitors remain marooned in sub-scale no-mans-land.
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Public Affairs
Vodacom’s Congo CFO gets out of jail
Chutoo endures four-day stint behind bars. CFO reportedly quizzed on allegations of “forgery” and “falsification of financial statements”; but no formal charges. Vodacom DRC expresses surprise.
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Elsewhere in Africa: Vodacom ties with Cloudflare and Appsflyer
AppsFlyer and Cloudflare gain foothold within Vodacom ecosystem.
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Safaricom puts Aviat and Nokia to work on 5G prep
Kenyan operator taps old friend Aviat Networks for 5G backhaul as the country preps for commercial 5G rollout. Nokia’s Gigabit Passive Optical Networking will be deployed to combat increased bandwidth demands in the country.
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Accra fibre build begins
Vodafone Ghana CEO Obo-Nai launches Accra phase of copper-to-fibre upgrade project, but laments theft and vandalism setbacks.
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Public Affairs
Vodafone: Elsewhere in Africa
Ghana High Court authorises operators to share subscriber data with government for coronavirus contact tracing, and Vodacom Tanzania extends M-PESA’s reach with the launch of International Money Transfer.
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Products & Services
Vodacom tags Alipay to launch digital services “super app”
Partnering a world-leader may be indicative of ambitions for mobile payments, and maybe also e-commerce. Early stage African venture for Alipay, but strategic investor Alibaba has been spinning up regional strategy for several years. Where do M-PESA and Safaricom fit?
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Vodafone people moves: European towercos get new leadership
Three new managing directors at European infrastructure spin-offs in Germany, Ireland, and Spain. VfUK CEO Nick Jeffery joins COVID-19 Recovery Commission. Vodacom and Safaricom find temporary replacements for outgoing execs.
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Enterprise (B2B)
Vodacom Business Africa extends to Middle East
VBA now supporting IP-VPN services in twelve Middle East countries. Major footprint expansion beyond Africa — complementing Vodafone.
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M&A
Vodafone Egypt sale inches forward
STC reportedly completes its due diligence. Potential deal still muddied by questions over 45% stake held by Telecom Egypt.
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M&A
Mzimba: Vodacom remains on lookout for B2B buys
South African group still on hunt for venturing possibilities; aims to become “end-to-end digital transformation partner”.
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Network & Infrastructure
Safaricom continues to eye Ethiopian expansion
Kenyan operator continues to edge towards its northern neighbour for next expansive step, with Ethiopia opening its markets to two new mobile competitors. Vodafone and associates reaching out to investment groups to back bid.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vodacom’s IoT.nxt digs for in-house growth
Startup claims fears over absorption into the Vodacom super-structure have so far been unrealised. Internet of Things player wins central place in Vodafone’s private network package for mining businesses.
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Vodafone Q4 FY19–20 management update: staying the course, post-coronavirus
Read infers Group is better placed, post-Colao for economic downturn. Della Valle confirms new, AT Kearney-inspired €1bn cost-cutting plan, after trailering move in late-2019. No disruption to Read’s M&A overhaul, beyond Egypt. Targets hit but glitchy performance, both at OpCos and Vodafone Business.
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Vodafone jumps aboard 2Africa subsea cable project
Facebook features among consortium pals. Sign Vodafone Carrier Services has not been forgotten. Continent’s existing long-distance networks, including those co-owned by Group, seen as inadequate.