Orange's 15% nightmare in Burkina Faso

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October 8, 2024
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5 min read
telco

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Ciao,

Victoria and Delight from Techpoint here,

Here's what we've got for you today:

  • Orange's 15% nightmare in Burkina Faso
  • Hamster Kombat: Tapping into disappointment
  • CitizenApp: Ghana's new digital town square

Orange's 15% nightmare in Burkina Faso

Orange

Orange Burkina Faso is reportedly facing major challenges as it can’t access nearly 15% of its telecom sites because of the ongoing conflict between the military government and Islamist armed groups. 

This situation is making it difficult for the company’s tech teams to carry out maintenance, which is causing service issues in affected areas. 

Jérôme Hénique, the executive director for Orange Africa and the Middle East, explained that the company won’t risk the lives of its workers by sending them into dangerous zones.

The conflict in Burkina Faso, which started around 2016, involves Al-Qaeda-linked groups and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), who entered the country from Mali. 

These insurgents have been targeting government forces and civilians, creating dangerous conditions that affect not only security but also the country’s telecom infrastructure. So far, over 20,000 people, including many civilians, have lost their lives due to the violence.

In August, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Digital Transition, Aminata Zerbo-Sabane, acknowledged that terrorist attacks on telecom infrastructure have caused mobile and internet services to drop by 10% to 20%. However, the government has committed to investing XOF3 billion (about $5 million) to restore services in these affected areas.

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A report from the country’s telecom regulator, ARCEP, showed that as of August 2023, 681 telecom sites were either out of service or inaccessible. This marks an increase from 632 the previous year, highlighting the growing impact of the conflict on communication services.

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Despite these setbacks, the government has plans to improve mobile and internet access. Over the next three years, they aim to bring telecom services to 1,000 remote areas currently without coverage. As it stands, mobile services cover about 85% of Burkina Faso, with 3G covering 64% and 4G covering 46% of the country.


Hamster Kombat: Tapping into disappointment

Someone tapping Hamster Kombat

A few months back, I remember getting bombarded with links from friends, acquaintances, and even family, all urging me to join this tap-to-earn crypto game called Hamster Kombat on Telegram. 

I couldn’t help but laugh! Honestly, it didn’t catch my attention at all because, well, things like that just don’t appeal to me. Why would I spend time tapping away with the promise of earning big money? Maybe if I had no job, I might’ve been tempted. But even then, I doubt I’d have bothered — it’s just not my thing.

Unfortunately, some people actually quit their jobs to go all in on Hamster Kombat, only to face disappointment later on. Don't believe it? Well, one pharmacist shared their frustration on X (formerly Twitter), saying they left a stable career they’d built for years, expecting a big payout from the game, only to be given peanuts. Now, they’re stuck wondering where to begin again.

Social media has been flooded with videos of frustrated players ranting about how these tap-to-earn schemes crushed their dreams. From WhatsApp to Instagram, people have been sharing their stories of regret.

Whether you quit your job dreaming of cashing in with Hamster Kombat or spent ages grinding for tokens and points only to realise they’re basically worthless, this article is like a virtual support group just for you!

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Bolu dives into the world of crypto, gaming, and the people who got burned in the process. If you know anyone affected by the current situation, be sure to share this with them!


CitizenApp: Ghana's new digital town square

phone on table
Image by Ekaterina from Pixabay

The Ghanaian government has launched a new app, CitizenApp, as part of President Akufo-Addo’s economic strategy to connect its citizens with the government. 

Launched on October 7, 2024, the citizen platform will allow Ghana citizens to access government services, report issues and get updated information regarding public matters.

It is especially geared towards promoting transparency and utility in government proceedings, hence ensuring a national industrial revolution and digital innovation.

Highlighting the benefits of the digitalisation tool, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia stated that in the global space, there is growing empirical evidence supporting the transformative potential of digitalisation in creating jobs, boosting the economy, and ensuring productivity and that the country will not pass up such an opportunity to join the list of developed countries. 

Available on the App Store and Play Store, this platform aims to reduce bureaucracy and foster communication between the public and state institutions. Once fully operational, this app will manage tax payments, business registration, passport documentation, and business monitoring.

Sidebar: In July 2024, Ghana launched a mobile app for road maintenance, which allowed users to upload pictures and descriptions of road defects and update the locations via GPS. It seems the government is working hard to ensure its plans for digitalising government services. 


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What I'm watching

Opportunities   

  • Kuda is looking for a Product Manager. Apply here.
  • Quidax is hiring a Head of Growth and Partnerships. Apply here.
  • Kuda is hiring a Senior IOS Engineer. Apply here
  • Meta is hiring software engineers here.
  • Follow Techpoint Africa's WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.

She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.
She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.
She's autistic and interested in mental health and how technology can help Africans with mental disorders. Find her on Twitter @latoria_ria.

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