Sub-Saharan Africa

Orange and online education provider Coursera launched free certification training programmes for entrepreneurs and young people in Africa and the Middle East, with a focus on emerging technology areas including AI and cybersecurity. 

Telecel Group CEO Moh Damush told Bloomberg the company had struck deals to acquire two west Africa units from MTN Group, as it continues to scale its operations following its buyout of Vodafone Group’s Ghana business last year.

MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita cautioned currency volatility in Nigeria and elevated inflation across its markets would likely persist this year, as the company reported a sharp drop in post tax profits for 2023 on tough macroeconomic headwinds.

Telkom South Africa reportedly progressed its proposed sale of tower business Swiftnet, as Bloomberg reported infrastructure-focused investment company Actis is in line to make an acquisition worth more than $330 miilion.

Vodacom Group reportedly plotted to cut jobs from its domestic operation in a bid to lower costs, though the company stated the move also related to a shift towards a more technology-oriented approach.

IDC reported smartphone shipments in Africa were up 12 per cent year-on-year in Q4 2023 to 19.8 million units, due in part to strong uptake of low-end Chinese brands across the region.

Open RAN vendor Parallel Wireless lauded a milestone of installing equipment in 1,500 sites across various African markets through partnerships with authorities and operators in a number of countries.