MTN vs Vodacom: Network infrastructure war intensifies

Our partners at ITWeb have been providing in-depth coverage of telecoms longer than pretty much anyone else in the country – and they reckon competition among the mobile operators has reached unprecedented levels. The price war sparked by Cell C has delivered a huge increase in traffic (predictably – drop the cost, people buy more). … Read more

Arthur Goldstuck: Low-cost smartphones changing the playing field in SA

As the face of the global environment is changed by smartphones, so too is the face of Africa and the way in which it interacts with technology. Although South Africa has one of the most advanced financial sectors on the African continent, it does not have the highest smartphone and internet penetration on the continent. … Read more

Schindehutte resigns: no place for CFO in Telkom Dream Team

Telkom’s Jacques Schindehutte saga has finally ended. It was announced today that the suspended former CFO had resigned and left the building. Some months back, my reading was that he had backed the wrong horse in supporting the proposal to sell a chunk of the business to the Koreans. That gave him little chance of integrating … Read more

Post AKC, too popular Cell C throttling back on customer growth

I had the most extraordinary discussion with Robert Pasley, the financial director of Cell C after our CNBC Africa Power Lunch interview last week. Having moved service providers a couple years back in my small show of support for its new CEO Allan Knott-Craig, I’ve lately lived to regret it. My phone rarely rings – … Read more

Vodacom targets 10m banking customers in second try with M-Pesa

By Bonnie Tubbs, Telecoms editor at ITWeb: From acquiring one million users over four years, to signing up 10 million users in five – this is the turnaround Vodacom is hoping for, as it tries for the second time to get its M-Pesa mobile money service off the ground in SA. But, is Vodacom’s ambition of having about a … Read more

Furore grows over R1m job for Zuma’s youngest daughter

From ITWeb: The Public Service Commission (PSC) is set to investigate the appointment of Thuthukile Zuma – the youngest of President Jacob Zuma’s daughters – as chief of staff at the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS), according to the office of the Public Protector. Kgalalelo Masibi, spokesperson for the Public Protector, says a formal complaint … Read more