Telecoms
From telco data wars, to 5G, Techpoint Africa brings you the latest update on connectivity, telecom companies, Internet service providers, Internet infrastructure among others.
Top stories
MTN received over 1.6 million customer complaints via calls, emails, social media, and walk-in centres
Jane Egerton-Idehen started in tech earning ₦36k as a corps member, running 24/7 satellite shifts for extra pay. Now MD/CEO of NIGCOMSAT, she advises: chase challenging opportunities and skills first, financial growth will follow.
Starlink has expanded rapidly across Africa, but in South Africa, the service remains unavailable, held back by licensing requirements, ownership rules, and a growing regulatory standoff. Here’s how the dispute has unfolded.
Nigerians may soon get refunds for failed airtime and data purchases in as little as 30 seconds. A new NCC, CBN framework sets clearer rules for banks and telcos and promises faster resolution of failed transactions.
Ibikunle Peters has spent over 10 years making sure calls go through at different telcos. He shares how he works, and what it took to land a job at top telecom companies.
Lack of diesel in MTN and Airtel base stations has caused network outages in Abuja. The NCC blames activities of National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association.
Even as Nigeria’s data centre market grows, hyperscalers like AWS and Microsoft may never invest. According to a data centre builder, the challenges to building in the country are immense.
Kenya sets strict conditions for Vodacom’s 55% Safaricom takeover, insisting on Kenyan leadership, local suppliers, job security, and continued focus on domestic social initiatives.
Vodacom posted strong interim results, with revenue climbing 11% to R81.6 billion ($4.7 billion) and customer numbers reaching 223 million, driven by solid growth in South Africa and Egypt.
Lagos is Africa’s largest startup hub, valued at $15.3 billion. Top 10 companies: 7 are fintechs (Flutterwave, Paystack, Interswitch, OPay, Moniepoint), driving the ecosystem with 5 unicorns.
MTN Nigeria rebounded to a ₦750.2 billion profit after tax for the nine months ended Sept 2025, after two years of losses. Boosted by Naira gains, easing inflation, and a 57.5% rise in service revenue to ₦3.7 trillion.
In a dramatic turn in the Please Call Me dispute, South Africa’s Constitutional Court has ordered Kenneth Makate to pay Vodacom R13 million in legal costs, reversing his earlier victory in the Supreme Court.
Airtel Africa bounces back with $376m profit in H1 2025, riding Naira gains and booming data and mobile money growth.
MTN Nigeria will lease spectrum from T2mobile starting October 2025 in a deal linked to national roaming, marking a key move for both operators’ network strategies.
Nigeria’s NCC has issued over 46 MVNO licences since 2023, but very little has been heard about these companies. According to one of them, there’s a lack of talent in Nigeria’s telecom industry.
Ghana is betting on a Telecel–AirtelTigo merger to challenge MTN’s dominance in the telecom sector. But it’s $600m plan may not match MTN’s scale.
Djibouti Telecom will extend the DARE1 cable from Kenya to South Africa, adding new landings by 2028 to boost capacity and connectivity across the region.
Safaricom is building Kenya’s first locally controlled subsea cable with support from Meta’s Edge Network Services, aiming to fix recurring Internet blackouts by 2026.
Nigeria’s telecom regulator, NCC, is racing to implement a cybersecurity framework by 2026 to counter rising threats and protect the nation’s digital backbone.
From a 90% subscriber loss to a rare rebound, T2 posts its first growth since 2023, hinting at a potential turnaround under its new T2 Mobile identity.