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MTN Builds Own Messaging App to Integrate Its Mobile Money Service

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MTN has developed an instant messaging platform which it hopes will become the “African WeChat”, with plans to launch it in two markets in the next month or so.

 

“We intend to launch it across the entire portfolio, South Africa included, but we will start with the West and Central Africa (WECA) markets as a kind of a pilot or beta stage,” MTN group president and CEO Rob Shuter told a media briefing after the group’s full year results presentation in Johannesburg.

 

WeChat is a Chinese messaging, social media and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. Shuter said MTN’s messaging app also plans to integrate payments into the messaging platform.

 

“The plan is to integrate MTN Mobile Money (MoMo). This is obviously more relevant in markets where we have MoMo. I’ve made the parallel that it will be the African WeChat, but it will look like a messaging-centric app where you imbed a payment mechanism,” he said.

MoMo is active in 14 markets with plans to soon launch in four more, including SA. At the end of December 2018, MTN had a total of 27 million active MoMo subscribers.

Shuter said the messaging app will also be different from its peers as MTN is building in SMS integration.

“The existing instant messaging apps only really work from a data subscriber to a data subscriber. As the penetration of data customers increases in our market, increasingly they will be conversing with non-data subscribers, so this is going to be an important differential between the existing instant messaging apps and the one we are building.”

Shuter said MTN is doing a lot of local market customisation for the messaging app, including local languages, and already has 54 languages on the service.

“Another big thing is we will increasingly bundle it into the underlying data services as well. That is a key differentiator for the telcos.”

Shuter himself has been testing the beta version of the app for the last few months. He said his team built the app from scratch, “we didn’t white-label, we didn’t buy it” and he sees it as “a very exciting development for us”.

Besides the messaging app, MTN also wants to launch its own music streaming application in 2019 as an extension of its digital strategy and spread MTN Mobile Money into new geographies.

MTN will re-launch MoMo in SA and extend the service to Nigeria, Afghanistan and Sudan as well, boosting its MoMo reach from 14 to 18 countries.

Shuter announced last November that he wanted to bring MoMo back to SA, where it previously failed and was decommissioned in September 2016.

He said the previous version of MoMo was too focused on building a digital banking system that would compete with the commercial banks. The strategy this time would be to target the areas of SA where there are large unbanked or under-banked populations.

“What we see in the rest of the markets is we are successful when we set ourselves up to compete with cash. Because these are markets with large cash economies, and customers that are operating in the cash economy are already used to recharging for prepaid airtime and it’s very easy to basically transform that system to not be just airtime recharge but make it e-money recharge and then people can do person-to-person payments, remittances, bill payments, etc, and your primary objective is to displace cash,” Shuter said.

“So when my guys ask me who we are competing against I say you are competing against cash. A lot of the newer digital players, the commercial banks are competing against each other; that’s not really our sweet spot.”


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Airtel Nigeria Leads Telecom Market Surge

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In a recent revelation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Airtel Nigeria has emerged as a standout performer in the country’s telecommunications sector, marking significant gains in market share over the past year.

According to the NCC data, by the end of March 2024, Airtel Nigeria has grown its market share over the last year into a remarkable 29%, solidifying its position as a leading telecom provider in the region.

In stark contrast, other mobile network operators such as MTN and 9mobile have faced considerable setbacks, with MTN witnessing a notable 3.19% decline in market share and 9mobile experiencing a 0.5% decrease.

Even Glo, a prominent player in the market, saw a decline, albeit less pronounced, with a 0.58% drop in its share of internet subscribers.

Airtel Nigeria’s success story goes beyond market share gains. The company has also witnessed a substantial surge in its share of internet subscribers, boasting an impressive 165% basis points increase.

This surge correlates with the launch of Airtel 5G, which the company began rolling out in June 2023 and underscores the telco’s continued push to grow its customer base nationwide.

Airtel Nigeria’s ascendancy in the telecom market comes at a pivotal moment when mobile network operators face challenges of rising operations cost and exchange rates volatility. The company’s recent results solidify its position as a frontrunner in Nigeria’s telecom landscape.

 


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Airtel Boosts NIPR Public Relations Week with Onsite Unlimited Data Connection

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Telecommunications service provider, Airtel Nigeria has collaborated with the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to provide with unlimited internet access at the institute’s inaugural edition of the Nigeria Public Relations Week.

The trailblazing event themed ‘Leveraging Public Relations as a Critical Asset for Nigeria’s Economic and Reputation Renaissance’ is set to run from Monday, April 22nd to Friday, April 26th, 2024, and will welcome thousands of delegates across Nigeria to the prestigious June 12 Cultural Centre, nestled in the heart of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Speaking on the strategic collaboration, Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “Airtel is proud to support the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations in its endeavor to advance the field of public relations.

“The relevance of public relations practice in Nigeria cannot be overstated, as it plays a vital role in shaping perceptions, managing reputations, and influencing public opinion. Hence, our support is a demonstration of our commitment to empowering individuals and organizations with innovative solutions that drive progress and create an enabling society.”

According to NIPR, through the PRWeek Organizing \Committee Chairman, Mr Yomi Badejo Okusanya, the NPRW will gather over 2,000 experts in the fields of economics, PR, and nation-building to discuss strategies for effectively communicating government policies and initiatives to the public.

Other activities at the NPRW will include conferences, the annual general meeting, workshops, induction of new members, breakout sessions with students as well as traditional rulers and a tour of some legacy projects in Ogun state.

With Airtel’s provision of onsite unlimited data connection, attendees and participants can enjoy unparalleled access to online resources, real-time updates, and interactive engagements throughout the duration of the event. This will significantly support the exchange of ideas, foster networking opportunities, and elevate the overall experience for all stakeholders involved.

Airtel Nigeria remains committed to offering unwavering support for initiatives aimed at driving innovation, collaboration, and nation-building.


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World Earth Day: Kuda Partners with Wecyclers to Clean up Communities in Lagos

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In a landmark partnership aimed at promoting sustainable waste management practices, Kuda Microfinance Bank and Wecyclers collaborated to commemorate World Earth Day on April 22, 2024. The collaboration featured a series of impactful activities designed to raise awareness and foster environmental stewardship.

The activities on the day included a webinar session facilitated by renowned expert in environmental management and head of ESG at Wecyclers, Omobolanle Olowu, during which she shared startling data on plastic pollution in Nigeria. She also discussed the importance of proper waste management and its significance in preserving the planet for future generations, providing valuable insights and practical tips on reducing, reusing, and recycling waste.

In a published study on plastic pollution in Nigeria, the country ranked ninth globally for plastic pollution with an estimated 2.5 million tons of plastic waste generated annually and less than 12% of those waste materials recycled.

Also on the day, Kuda staff volunteered for an environmental cleanup exercise, during which they took to parts of Apapa Road, Ebute Metta to empty gutters and collect plastics and other recyclable materials for recycling.

In addition, volunteers from Kuda gained firsthand knowledge of innovative waste management solutions during a guided tour of Wecyclers’ facility in Ebute Metta. The tour showcased Wecyclers’ pioneering efforts in recycling and waste upcycling, demonstrating how technology can be leveraged to address environmental challenges effectively.

Speaking about the collaboration, Emmanuel Femi-Adejobi, Senior Brand Manager at Kuda, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership’s potential to drive positive change. “We [Kuda] are committed to promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness. We also believe that our responsibility is not only to our customers and other stakeholders but also the environment that we all share. Partnering with Wecyclers allows us to inspire communities to adopt eco-friendly practices,” he said.

“Our initiatives towards achieving a sustainable environment and achieving a green earth goes beyond just recycling. We aim to inspire a broader commitment to waste minimization, reusing materials and proper sustainable waste management. As we commemorate World Earth Day, we encourage our staff, customers and general public as a whole to embrace actions that promote a green, safe earth for all,” he added.

Likewise, Esther Chibueyin Fagbo, Head, Human Resources and Partnerships at Wecyclers, emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental issues. “It is very important for organisations to collaborate on initiatives that help save the environment. We are excited about this partnership because such partnerships are crucial to creating awareness and educating people about the impact of plastic waste on the planet and how they can contribute to a change that we all deserve.”

Kuda’s collaboration with Wecyclers emphasises its commitment to sustainability and championing proactive efforts through education, engagement and action to create an environmentally conscious population and a sustainable tomorrow.


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