Sveiki,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Syria opens tender to replace MTN
- LearnFlo quietly grew to 30,000 users
- Canal+ to phase out Showmax platform
Syria opens tender to replace MTN
Telecom companies don’t usually leave a market without someone ready to take their place. In Syria’s case, the government is already lining up the next operator as MTN Group prepares to finally walk away from the country.
The Syrian government has launched an international tender for a new mobile network operator licence to replace MTN Syria. The bidding process, announced by the country’s Ministry of Communications during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, will run until June 15, 2026, and the winner will receive a 20-year licence to operate in the country’s telecom market.
What this means is that the move effectively clears the path for MTN’s long-delayed exit from Syria. The South African telecom giant abandoned its Syrian operations in 2021 after regulatory clashes with the government, despite owning about 75% of the local unit. The new licence will transfer that operational base to a new investor, with Syria’s sovereign fund expected to keep a minority stake.
Why it matters is that Syria is trying to rebuild and modernise its telecom infrastructure after years of conflict and economic sanctions. The new operator will inherit existing infrastructure while investing in upgrades and expansion, a project that analysts say could require over $1 billion in fresh investment.
For MTN, the development closes one of the most complicated chapters in its international expansion. The company once built a reputation for entering difficult markets across the Middle East, but in recent years, it has been retreating from the region, including Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria, to focus on growth opportunities across Africa instead.
LearnFlo quietly grew to 30,000 users
Some founders chase trends. Others quietly build for decades before the world catches up. Tolu Fagbola falls into the second category. From experimenting with early learning management systems for Nigerian banks in 2008 to building an edtech platform that has processed billions of naira, the Nigerian-British entrepreneur has spent more than 20 years turning technical ideas into businesses.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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His journey started between two countries. Born in London but raised largely in Nigeria, Fagbola studied in Ilorin before a university strike pushed him back to the UK at 18. After trying Law and realising it was not for him, he eventually settled into communications, later earning master’s degrees in Communications Management and Organisational Psychology. By the early 2000s, he was working in telecommunications, where his interest in how technology could transform learning first took root.
That curiosity led him to experiment with learning management systems long before edtech became fashionable. In 2008, he partnered with a friend in the US to introduce an LMS to Nigerian banks. The first attempt failed; bandwidth limitations made the software nearly impossible to use. Instead of giving up, he rebuilt the product with developers in Nigeria and pivoted into content production when clients demanded training materials. Years later, that work evolved into LearnFlo, a digital learning platform that now serves more than 30,000 users and has processed over ₦5 billion in training fees, all without external funding.
Now Fagbola is turning his attention to healthcare. Together with his brother and a US-based healthcare founder, he is building Vimedra, a platform that uses voice AI and predictive tools to help underserved communities prevent medical emergencies before they happen. For more on his journey from telecoms to edtech and now healthtech, check out Delight’s latest story.
Canal+ to phase out Showmax platform
African streaming just lost one of its biggest homegrown platforms. French media giant Canal+ plans to shut down Showmax, the African streaming service it has operated with MultiChoice, after years of mounting losses and intense competition in the global streaming market. The decision was revealed in an email sent to subscribers, confirming that the service will be discontinued in the near future, though a specific shutdown date has not yet been announced.
Launched in 2015, Showmax grew quickly and eventually expanded to more than 40 African markets, attracting over 2 million subscribers. It was widely seen as Africa’s most ambitious attempt to build a streaming platform capable of competing with global giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video while investing heavily in local content.
But building a profitable streaming service in emerging markets has proven difficult. MultiChoice disclosed that Showmax has racked up heavy losses over the years as it poured money into content production, technology infrastructure, and expansion. In 2024 alone, the service reportedly lost about $140 million, highlighting the tough economics of streaming in markets where subscription prices are low, but production costs remain high.
Canal+ says streaming remains central to its long-term strategy, suggesting the company could launch a new platform or restructure its digital offerings rather than abandon streaming entirely. For now, users can still access Showmax while the company works out timelines and transition plans.
The shutdown marks the end of one of Africa’s boldest attempts to build a continent-focused streaming giant. It also shows how hard it is for regional platforms to compete with global players with deeper pockets and larger content libraries.
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Have a fun weekend!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
