Telecom
iSON Xperiences Secures $51 Million Investment from Gulf Capital, AfricInvest
Gulf Capital, one of the largest and most active alternative asset management firms in the Middle East, and AfricInvest, a leading pan-African mid-cap-focused private equity firm, have partnered for the first time to provide a US$ 51 million structured loan and equity investment to iSON Xperiences (formerly iSON BPO Limited), one of the largest outsourcing and customer experience partner/delivery partner operating in 14 countries in Africa and in India.
Gulf Credit Opportunities Fund II, Gulf Capitals’ second private debt fund, and AfricInvest Fund III, the firm’s third generation pan-African fund, provided a total debt and equity commitment of US$ 25.5 million each. Proceeds from the co-investment will be used for growth and working capital, as well as for acquiring shares from a minority investor.
iSON Xperiences is the largest customer experience partner / delivery partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for an estimated 75% of the market, excluding South Africa. The company’s operations serve 425 million telecom end-users through 27 call centres in 13 Sub-Saharan countries, South Africa and India.
Today iSON Xperiences is a valued partner and consultant for clients looking to remain ahead of the customer experience management curve, in a dynamic global environment.
Founded in 2010, iSON Xperiences (formerly iSON BPO Limited) launched its operations in six countries in Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Nigeria and in India with a focus on offering call centre services to the telecommunication sector.
The company rapidly expanded and transformed its business to offer related outsourced experience services and technology solutions for the banking and insurance (BFSI), retail, travel and hospitality, media and entertainment, aviation, and e-commerce sectors in addition to the telecommunication industry.
Dr. Karim El Solh, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Capital, said: “iSON Xperiences is another success story in Africa that we are delighted to support through this co-investment with AfricInvest.
“Our private debt solutions remain a flexible financing instrument for market leaders who are looking for growth and working capital to implement their next phase strategy.
“We commend iSON on its sharp focus on delivering superior customer experience to the end customer for all its clients. This is Gulf Capital’s second investment in Sub-Saharan Africa over the last year, and we look forward to expanding our franchise across the region.”
Adam Hadidi, Managing Director Private Debt at Gulf Capital, commented: “iSON Xperiences is an inspiring example of how a company can grow from a single country, single sector provider to achieve impressive growth across markets and sectors.
Very early on, iSON graduated from being a call center services provider to an end-to-end customer experience partner, thus providing a seamless experience to the end customer.
The management team has a clear vision and a proven track record of building first-class operations. We are pleased to be partnering with AfricInvest to support iSON in its growth journey.”
Hakim Khelifa, Executive Partner of AfricInvest added: “The BPO industry is an important sector for the continent of Africa, providing many opportunities for employment.
AfricInvest has considerable experience investing in outsourcing companies and recognises the significant opportunities that lie ahead for iSON Xperiences.
As the leading customer experience delivery partner in sub-Saharan Africa, the company is well placed to continue its geographic expansion as well as to benefit from the implementation of innovative digital strategies.
We believe the iSON edge lies in going the extra mile for every client and providing a seamless experience to their end customer. We look forward to partnering with Gulf Capital as together we accompany iSON Xperiences on this exciting path.”
Ramesh Awtaney, Founder and Chairman of iSON Group, said: “At iSON, as we continue to transform ourselves to provide our clients solutions for complete Digital Customer Experience Management covering both processes and technology, we are excited to welcome our new investment partners Gulf Capital and Africinvest.
They bring with them deep industry and geography knowledge. We are confident that with this fresh investment, we are now on an accelerated trajectory to be the largest Customer Experience Partner company in emerging markets. We remain committed to rapid innovation and enabling business transformations in emerging markets, so as to ultimately deliver on our vision.”
The deal marks the sixth investment for Gulf Capital from its US$ 251 million second debt fund and is the second for the company in Sub-Saharan Africa. With this commitment in iSON, Gulf Credit Opportunities Fund II is now 52% invested. It is the 10th investment for the US$273m AfricInvest fund III that is now more than 80% deployed.
SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.
SHELT
The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.
SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.
“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”
The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.
Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.
Dina Powell McCormick
The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.
A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.
The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has suspended the @Twitter account, replacing its profile with a standard notice citing violation of platform rules.
Musk
The action, which occurred on Sunday, January 11, left users encountering the handle greeted by a bold “Account Suspended” message on a black screen, with no details provided on the specific rules broken or the duration of the suspension.
The development has sparked widespread confusion and nostalgia among users, given that Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X in July 2023, approximately six months after acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late 2022.
The @Twitter handle had remained dormant since before Musk’s takeover, serving as a legacy remnant of the platform’s original branding, and its suspension appears to mark the final erasure of the Twitter name amid X’s ongoing efforts to combat spam, impersonation, and rule violations.
X’s official statement on the suspended page simply reads: “X suspends accounts that violate our rules,” without offering an appeal process or further explanation, unlike standard user suspensions.
Public reactions on social media ranged from humorous laments of “RIP Twitter” to speculation that the move resulted from automated moderation or a deliberate cleanup of legacy trademarks.
xAI’s Grok AI described it as a purposeful retirement of outdated elements rather than a genuine infraction, while neither Elon Musk nor X spokespeople issued any comment as of Monday morning.
This incident underscores the evolving identity of the platform under Musk’s ownership, which also saw a domain shift to x.com in 2024, further distancing it from its Twitter roots.
Industry observers note that while the suspension aligns with X’s stricter enforcement policies, the lack of transparency has fueled debates on consistency in applying rules to high-profile legacy accounts.
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