E-Business
Harnessing the Power of Mobile- “Let’s Talk”
In 2009, mobile effectively became the most pervasive mass medium in South Africa, surpassing radio and TV.
Yet the reality is that the marketing community has yet to harness the power of this incredible medium.
That’s the truth according to Marc Herson, director of 2go, an Africa-focused mobile social network that allows users to set up a personal profile, talk to friends, share files and picture, play games and meet new people in chat rooms, for free.
Since its launch in 2007, 2go has amassed a user base of over 10 million Africans, primarily due to its insightful and premeditated decision to support over 800 feature phones, which are still the primary mobile device in Africa.
Herson was speaking at the annual Habari Media Tuongee (Swahili for ‘let’s talk’), which was held on August 15 and 16 at Zebula Lodge, attracting 90 delegates from the cream of the local digital crop.
Herson was one of three digital gurus on the mobile panel, joined by Angus Robinson from Native, and Tim Bishop from Deloitte Digital.
According to Herson, the primary reasons behind the lagging spend remains the same as ever: a lack of understanding of the medium and its platforms on the part of advertisers and their agencies.
“The major problem is that that advertisers and agencies are not themselves using many of the mobile platforms out there, and as a result, they are not always sufficiently familiar with specific mobile platforms, and their potential in terms of creating and driving brand awareness and engagement,” he said.
Herson believes that the responsibility to educate marketers about the potential of the mobile market lies not only with publishers such as himself, but also with agencies.
“Agencies need to help brands understand mobile platforms and the benefit that each audience can bring to the table,” he says. “And it’s high time they also showed how often mobile applications can deliver superior results to traditional above-the-line advertising!”
In explaining the benefits of the mobile medium, Herson compared mobile devices to traditional media radio and TV:
“The mobile medium is the only medium that consumers carry with them. In many ways it beats traditional media such as TV and radio for pure reach, because the vast majority of people are not only economically poor but also time poor – they either do not have a television, or if they do, they seldom have the time to watch it. Our statistics show that 30% of our user base does not watch TV.
“But because these users rely heavily on public transport, they spend hours and hours every day commuting – up to four hours every day, when they often pass the time interacting with friends on platforms such as 2go.”
Herson adds that 2go often sees unique click-through-rates of over 10%, and in some cases these rates can reach upwards of 30%.
“Mobile is also highly targetable and measurable in real-time. A brand can more accurately reach its target audience and measure engagement in real-time,” said Herson.
For instance, on 2go, a brand can reach males aged 18-25 in Gauteng with one message; and females aged 20-30 in the Cape with alternative messaging. And the system can test and track engagement using different copy, allowing advertisers to adjust the copy to make a better connection.
Last, but certainly not least, Herson pointed out that agencies need to understand that although they and their peers might have smart phones, the vast majority of Africa is still dominated by older generation feature phones.
“If you want to interact with the mass market, choose your platform wisely, and work closely with media houses and mobile publishers to ensure the right technology fit with your strategy,” he advised.
Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a new Online Citizenship and Business Management Platform in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
A statement signed by Dr Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior’s said the initiative forms a key part of its ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency, and significantly improving service delivery to the public.
The new digital platform is designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services, ensuring faster turnaround times and improved user experience.
The platform allows users to apply for and manage business permits, ensuring that both local and foreign businesses operate legally in Nigeria.
It includes an Expatriate Quota System to manage work permits for foreign employees, helping companies hire skilled workers while complying with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
The Citizenship Administration and Management System provides a streamlined online process for applying, tracking, and managing Nigerian citizenship applications and related services.
Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are expected to access the platform through the ministry’s website: https://interior.gov.ng , Direct Portal Access: https://candb.interior.gov.ng , or contact candb-support@interior.gov.ng for support and inquiries.
“The Ministry of Interior remains committed to establishing a more efficient, transparent, and secure framework for citizenship administration, while continuously enhancing service delivery through digital transformation,” the statement read in part.
Fifty selected young unemployed Nigerians have completed a four-week intensive digital skills bootcamp under the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, gaining practical training in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IT Essentials.
The programme, a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Cisco, was hosted at NITDA’s South West Zonal Office in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa , the Head of the South West Zonal Office, Mrs. Chioma Okee-Agugwo, described the initiative as a vital component of Nigeria’s digital future. “This is not just a closing ceremony. It is the launchpad for new journeys—anchored in digital knowledge and powered by innovation,” she remarked.
According to the Director General, the initiative is rooted in NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) and reflects key focus areas including Digital Literacy, Emerging Technologies, and Youth Empowerment. It also aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to accelerate economic diversification through digitisation, innovation, and skills development.
Inuwa noted that the DL4ALL initiative forms part of Nigeria’s broader commitment to digital inclusion—ensuring that no one is left behind in the evolving digital economy. It also supports the ambitious goal of achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027, championed by the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. This national vision aims to equip millions of Nigerians with the skills required to thrive in a tech-driven world.
He further emphasized the importance of empowering youth with globally relevant skills. “They are no longer just consumers of technology. They are creators, innovators, and future employers,” he said.
The NITDA boss explained that throughout the bootcamp, participants engaged in hands-on learning experiences designed to build both technical proficiency and digital leadership capabilities.
“This is only the beginning,” he stated. “Through our zonal strategy, we are bringing innovation closer to local communities. This is how we democratise access and unlock Nigeria’s full digital potential.”
Inuwa expressed appreciation to Cisco for delivering high-impact training and called on stakeholders to continue investing in partnerships, people, and platforms that drive digital inclusion.
He asserted that the newly certified participants are now equipped to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s digital economy—armed with the skills to build solutions, secure infrastructure, and launch tech ventures that solve real-world problems.
At the end of the bootcamp, participants demonstrated their knowledge through impressive presentations that showcased the integration of skills acquired across Data Science, AI, and IT Essentials. Many spoke passionately about how the programme had expanded their technical competence and sparked a drive to create job opportunities—not only for themselves but also for others—as entrepreneurs and digital solution providers in their communities.
Coinbase forecast a hit of between $180m and $400m from a cyberattack that breached account data of a “small subset” of its customers, the crypto exchange said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.
The company received an anonymous email on May 11, claiming to have information about certain customer accounts as well as internal documents.
While some data — including names, addresses and emails — was stolen, the hackers did not get access to login credentials or passwords, Coinbase said.
Still, it will reimburse customers who were tricked into sending funds to the attackers.
Hackers had paid multiple contractors and employees working in support roles outside the US to collect information.
The company has fired those involved, it said.
Separately, the New York Times reported that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was investigating whether the company had misstated its user numbers.
Coinbase shares extended losses after the report and were last down 6.5%.
“This is a hold-over investigation from the prior administration about a metric we stopped reporting two-and-a-half years ago, which was fully disclosed to the public,” said Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s chief legal officer.
“While we strongly believe this investigation should not continue, we remain committed to working with the SEC to bring this matter to a close.”
The SEC declined to comment.
The latest developments come days before the company is set to join the benchmark S&P 500 index, casting a shadow over what was expected to be a landmark moment for the crypto industry.
Security remains a challenge for the crypto industry despite its growing mainstream acceptance.
In February, Bybit disclosed a hack in which about $1.5bn worth of digital tokens were stolen — widely described the biggest crypto heist ever.
“The cyberattack may push the industry to adopt stricter employee vetting and introduce some reputational risks,” said Bo Pei, an analyst at US Tiger Securities.
Funds stolen by hacking crypto platforms amounted to $2.2bn in 2024, according to a report from Chainalysis, a US-based blockchain analysis firm.
“As our nascent industry grows rapidly, it draws the eye of bad actors, who are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the scope of their attacks,” said Nick Jones, founder of crypto firm Zumo.
Coinbase has refused to pay a ransom of $20m demanded by the attackers and is working with law enforcement agencies. Instead it has established a $20m reward for information on the hackers.
The company is also opening a new support hub in the US and taking other measures to prevent such cyberattacks, it said.
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