Technology
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U.N. Telecoms Chief Houlin Zhao Says Huawei Allegations Driven by Politics Not Evidence
U.S. security concerns about 5G mobile networks built by Chinese telecoms giant Huawei appear to be driven by politics and trade rather than any evidence, the head of the U.N. internet and telecoms agency said on Friday. Houlin Zhao, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), told reporters in Geneva that security of 5G networks…
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WhatsApp Adds New Privacy Setting For Groups in an Effort to Clamp Down on Fake News
WhatsApp today announced another protection for users in an effort to clamp down on the spread of fake news and misinformation. Through a new feature, users can control who has permission to add them to groups. The company says this will “help to limit abuse” and keep people’s phone numbers private. Related to this, the…
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POTRAZ Adopts New Tariff Models as Service Provision Cost Increases By 23%
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has moved away from a fixed model for determining the various tariffs for telecommunications operators to a flexible model. The new model is meant to improve sustainability of the local telecoms firms’ businesses by taking into account their need for viability and customers’ need for affordable…
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Here’s What’s Behind Chad’s One Year Ban on Social Media
It’s been one year since access to social media platforms and messaging apps, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Viber, was blocked in Chad’s latest example of internet censorship. Initially, mobile operators attributed the problems to technical issues, but have since disclosed that the block was ordered by the government led by President Idriss Déby, according to observers. Leading…
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Capital Markets Evaluator, Akribos says Econet Wireless (EWZ)’s Shares Are Currently Undervalued
Capital Markets Evaluator Akribos Research Services (Akribos) says Econet Wireless Zimbabwe (EWZ)’s shares are currently undervalued resulting in low trading activities. This comes as Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe (Cassava), which demerged from the telecommunications giant in December 2018, is experiencing increased trade activity on the local stock exchange and its shares have for the most part…
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Europe Officially Denies US on Huawei Ban… For The Moment
The European Commission has unveiled its recommendations for security mechanisms for the 5G era, and Huawei lives to fight another day, at least for the next couple of months. While this is the proportionate response many telcos have been calling for, it does not quite give the concrete position of certainty they might have been…
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New Crypto Wallet Service Bringing Digital Currency to WhatsApp Users
In an effort to promote the widespread adoption of crypto, a team of developers have created a wallet that will allow its users to access digital currency services from within their favourite messaging applications such as WhatsApp. Using the Wuabit service users will soon be able to send, receive, trade, and perform other tasks relating to…
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Uber Buys Middle Eastern Rival Careem for $3.1bn
Ride-sharing firm Uber has announced it is buying Dubai-based rival Careem for $3.1bn (£2.3bn). Careem was established in 2012, and operates in 15 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The firm will continue to operate under its own brand as a subsidiary of Uber. “This is an important moment for Uber as we…
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MTN Rolls-out “World-First” WhatsApp Airtime Top-up Service
WhatsApp is extremely popular in messaging app used in Africa and it is not surprise that we shall see several 3rd party services crop out around it. MTN has launched a WhatsApp channel to let its customers buy airtime and data bundles through the messaging app which becomes a world first for the telco industry…
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TelOne, NetOne to be Privatised
Government has intensified efforts to partially privatise telecommunication companies Telone and NetOne and is offering the two entities to potential investors as a joint package. Cabinet yesterday gave the nod to this arrangement after a presentation by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube. Public enterprise reforms are espoused in Government’s Transitional Stabilisation Programme…
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NetOne’s OneMoney Records 33pc Growth
State-Owned mobile communications firm, NetOne, recorded the biggest growth rate of 32,7 percent on its mobile money platform, OneMoney in the fourth quarter of last year. OneMoney, which has been battling for acceptance by the market since launch about one and half years ago, saw subscriptions rising to 241 566 in Q4 2018, up from…
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Foreign Partners Desert Telecom Firms Due to Inability to meet Payment Obligations in Foreign Currency.
Zimbabwe’s telecommunications companies are being deserted by their foreign partners that service and upgrade their systems due to inability to meet payment obligations in foreign currency. Telecommunication companies are not being prioritized in terms of foreign currency allocations by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), which has resulted in recent network problems. However, the regulator…
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Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) Record 36% Revenue Increase
Zimbabwe’s mobile network operators recorded a 36% increase in revenue to $1,1 billion in the full year to December 2018 despite a 25% increase in operating costs, POTRAZ reported. The country has three licensed operators, two of which are State-owned — NetOne and Telecel and a third which is privately-run, Econet. A sector report by…
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WhatsApp Business App Rollout Begins for iOS Devices
WhatsApp Business, a separate version of WhatsApp that’s designed to allow businesses to communicate with their customers, has begun to launch on iOS. WABetaInforeports that it discovered the app on the Mexican App Store, and users have subsequently reported that the app is also available in France and Brazil. WhatsApp Business was first released on Android…
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Washington Mkombodzi Creates a Free Online Shopping Application, ZimexApp
Washington Mkombodzi has created a free online shopping application, ZimexApp which provides a virtual platform for small businesses (SMEs) to reach out to the market. Mkombodzi said he saw the need for a central place that would allow people in Zimbabwe to post and list their products because the internet has become the main information…
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Samsung’s New Big-but-Small Chip Could Mean The End of the Mobile MicroSD Card
Samsung’s newest mobile tech innovation could make the need to slip a MicroSD card in your phone to boost the internal memory a thing of the past. It’s ready to begin production of a new universal flash storage chip with 1TB — yes, one terabyte — of space inside. This is twice the maximum we’re seeing on several expensive…
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Stadia is the new Streaming Gaming Platform from Google
Google announced Stadia, a new cloud-based gaming platform, at its GDC 2019 keynote Tuesday morning. It’s a major move for Google into the video game business, which is increasingly building toward streaming as a solution. Stadia is not a dedicated console or set-top box. The platform will be accessible over the internet on a variety of…
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Kwese TV Receives Permission to Broadcast TV Channels in South Africa
South Africa’s industry regulator Icasa announced that Kwese has successfully applied for a free-to-air television broadcasting licence, allowing the company to launch free-to-air TV services, like those operated by the SABC and Etv, in South Africa. Icasa also issued Kwese Free TV with a radio frequency licence on the DT multiplex MUX 3. This means…
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Apple Releases Latest iPad Air and iPad Mini, both with Pencil support and faster A12 processor
One week before it’s expected to lift the curtain on a long-rumored video streaming service at an event on March 25, Apple announced two new iPads. Starting at $499 (£479, AU$779), the new iPad Air features a 10.5-inch Retina display and the same A12 Bionic processor used in the iPhone XS. The new $399 (£399, AU$599) iPad Mini will…
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Zimbabwe’s Payment Systems Hit By Forex Shortages
Zimbabwe’s payments ecosystem faces collapse as players in the sector are failing to pay licensed and maintenance fees to foreign service providers. In recent weeks, the banking systems, which heavily rely on telecoms infrastructure, have come under strain with services being constantly disrupted. Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technologies (ZICT) Chairman Jacob Mutisi said the country…
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TelOne Gears up For Privatisation
TelOne says it has appointed a consultant who will advise the company on the restructuring of its staggering $380 million debt as it seeks to clean its books and attract private capital. TelOne is among a number of state-owned enterprises and parastatals that have been earmarked for reform as government moves to wean off the…
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POTRAZ New Board Members
We can exclusively confirm that we now have the newly appointed Postal and Regulatory Authority Of Zimbabwe, POTRAZ Board, after months of nudging the parent ministry, well done to the newly appointed ICT Minister Hon Kazembe Kazembe for finally putting this matter to rest. The minister once asked about the board he responded promising that…
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Telecel Zimbabwe Woes Continue As It Faces Eviction
Telecel Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd is set to be evicted from its two rented premises belonging to First Mutual Investment Company (Pvt) Ltd after accumulating rental arrears amounting to US$40 843. First Mutual is said to have approached the High Court in order to make Telecel settle the arrears and the MNO is yet to respond…
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Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Struggles to Remove New Zealand Mosque Shooting Videos
The shooter in at least one of the two mosque attacks in New Zealand on Friday used social media to stream his deadly rampage live. Shortly after, tech giants scrambled to remove his accounts, but versions of the video remained on some sites hours after the shootings, which killed at least 49 people. Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube all said they…
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ZICT Chairman Jacob Mutisi Urges The Govt to Stop Using Free Email Services Such As Gmail and Yahoo
The Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technology (ZICT), a division of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers, has been leading from the front in the growth of ICT and responsible internet use in Zimbabwe. Chairman of the Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technology, Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi reiterated that they have always supported the responsible use of Facebook,…
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Kwese Sports Partners With 234Bet For Premier League Broadcast
Kwese Sports has partnered with 234Bet, an online betting company for an advertising deal for the Premier League broadcast. The deal, which was signed on Monday, will be aired on Kwesé Free Sports and its sub-license stations such as NTA and AIT. Kwesé Free Sports is Africa’s largest free-to-air channel with operations in 29 countries.…
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Top Gamer Tyler Blevins ‘Ninja’ Made $1 Million to Promote EA’s ‘Apex Legends’ Launch
What are a few hours playing videogames and a handful of tweets worth? $1 million if you are Tyler Blevins, known to millions as “Ninja,” the world’s most-followed computer gamer. Blevins was one of a few select professionals with huge followings pulled in by videogame giant Electronic Arts Inc to play and promote its latest…
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YouTube Music Launches in South Africa
YouTube has announced the launch of YouTube Music in South Africa. The new music streaming service offers music videos, official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, and covers from YouTube. While fans can enjoy the new ad-supported version of YouTube Music for free, YouTube has also announced YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership that gives you…
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Safaricom’s M-Pesa Partners With AliExpress to Enable Kenyan Shoppers to Make Payments Online
Kenya’s Safaricom recently revealed that it had secured a deal to use its M-Pesa mobile payment service for online shopping on one of Alibaba’s platforms, part of a move to expand its most profitable product beyond Kenya. AliExpress customers in Kenya can now pay for goods using M-Pesa following a partnership deal with Safaricom and…
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POTRAZ Director-General Gift Machengete Trial Postponed To Next Week
The trial of Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, POTRAZ Director-General Gift Machengete who is being charged of criminal abuse of office failed to kick start yesterday as his lawyer Selby Hwacha told the court his client was attending a business conference in Victoria Falls. George Manokore representing the state consented to a postponement to the…
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Google Chrome Browser Users Adviced to Update Amid Security Alert
Google Chrome users need to update the desktop version of their web browser as soon as possible, its lead security engineer has warned. Justin Schuh gave the warning after the internet giant announced it had uncovered a bug – known as a zero-day exploit – in its software which is actively under attack by hackers.…
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MTN Set to Launch an Instant Messaging Service Akin to WeChat and WhatsApp
MTN Group has announced it will launch an instant messaging (IM) service akin to China’s WeChat and Facebook’s WhatsApp as it seeks to expand revenue from digital services and mobile money. With the IM platform, which will form part of the group’s mobile money initiatives, MTN wants to build what group CEO Rob Shuter calls the…
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Taxify Rebrands as Bolt
Uber rival Taxify is changing its name to Bolt, the Internet ride-hailing company said on Thursday. “This update brings the brand identity in line with the company’s broader vision of transportation that has already expanded from ride-hailing with cars to motorbikes and scooter-sharing,” it said. CEO Markus Villig said in a statement that when the company…
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Lillian Barnard Replaces Zoaib Hoosen As New MD for Microsoft South Africa
Zoaib Hoosen has resigned as MD of Microsoft’s South African subsidiary and will be replaced by Lillian Barnard, the software giant recently announced. Hoosen, who has been at the helm of Microsoft South Africa for nearly five years, replaced Mteto Nyati in the role. Nyati, who joined MTN South Africa as CEO, is now CEO of…
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How To Use Steward Bank’s WhatsApp Banking
Steward Bank has came up with yet another innovation that’s quite revolutionary in our banking sector with its introduction of WhatsApp Banking. Steward Bank customers are now able to access Steward Bank’s banking services on WhatsApp. Being able to buy airtime, make payments and all that other banking stuff on WhatsApp makes Steward Bank relatable…
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EcoCash Launches Remittance Service in South Africa With New, Unique Remittance Services
Harare, Zimbabwe – EcoCash, Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe’s mobile money Fintech business, has partnered with Cassava Fintech South Africa to provide an enhanced cross-border money transfer service from South Africa to Zimbabwe. Announcing the launch of the service, Cassava Fintech International Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Darlington Mandivenga said he was confident the service would do…
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Strive Masiyiwa Buys Back Mascom Botswana For USD$300 Million
The Founder and Executive Chairman of the Econet Group, Strive Masiyiwa, has bought back Mascom Botswana from MTN for US$300 million, 14 years after losing control of the telecoms giant. Mascom was Strive Masiyiwa’s first mobile company before he obtained a licence to launch Econet Wireless after a protracted court battle with government authorities. The name…
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Rwanda Launches First Coding Academy #BornToCode
Rwanda has embraced technology and is now preparing its young population for the future by launching a coding academy. The school’s motto “born to code” encourages young people interested in coding to pursue it as a career. The academy focusses on cyber security and software programming, and 30 girls and 30 boys enrolled in the…
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Meng Wanzhou, Huawei CFO Sues Canadian Government Over Arrest
Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese technology company Huawei, is suing the Canadian government, its border agency and the national police force over her high-profile detention. Meng claims they detained, searched and interrogated her before telling her she was under arrest. Lawyers for Meng said that they had filed a notice of civil claim in…
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Huawei Sues The US For Being Blocked From Selling to Federal Government
Huawei is suing the U.S. over a law that bans government agencies from buying the Chinese technology giant’s equipment, claiming the legislation is unconstitutional, as the company goes on the front foot following months of political pressure. The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday local time, focuses on a provision in a law known as the National Defense…
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Rivals BMW and Daimler Merging With a $1 billion Investment on the Future of Transportation
BMW and Daimler are putting more than $1 billion into a joint venture that will develop ride-sharing, charging and parking services. The rival German carmakers announced the investment in Berlin, describing their mobility business as a “global game changer” that could help fend off challenges from upstarts including Uber. “Our mobility services have developed a…
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Rwanda in Partnership With OneWeb Launches Icyerekezo Satellite to Connect Rural Schools to The Internet
Rwanda has launched a satellite named Icyerekezo, which will bring internet connectivity to students at Nkombo Island, in Lake Kivu. Rwanda wants to bridge internet connection in rural areas around the country. A satellite named Icyerekezo by students from Nkombo Island in rural Rwanda at Lake Kivu was launched on the 26th of February, 2019.…
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Zimbabwe Telecommunication Firms Seek Tariffs Hike
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) says it is reviewing proposals by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) for a tariff hike in light of movement in the exchange rate as determined on the inter-bank market. Potraz acting director general Kennedy Dewera yesterday said following the country’s Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) — which introduced…
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Econet Emerges Victorious Against Zimra’s $100m Tax Evasion Case
Yesterday the Supreme Court dismissed claims by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) that it was owed $100 million by Econet Wireless through tax evasions. The curtain closed on a near 10-year battle between Zimra and Econet, wherein the tax authority claimed that the latter owed millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. A panel of judges,…
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Econet Adjusts Roaming and International Calling & SMS Services Tariffs Effective February 26
Econet Wireless has revised its roaming services and international outbound calling & SMS services tariffs following the Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) announced by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on the 20th of February 2019. The MPS designated RTGS balances, Bond notes and coins as RTGS dollars, effectively differentiating the same from any…