Telecom
Tigo @M360 Africa GSMA Conference Showcases Transformative Financial Inclusion
Tanzania’s leading digital lifestyle company, Tigo (www.Tigo.co.tz) has outlined its strategic priorities that are meant to drive the company’s long-term social investment objectives.
Speaking at the just-ended Global System Mobile Association (GSMA) Mobile 360-Africa Conference held on 26th-28th July 2016 at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre in Tanzania’s commercial capital City, Dar es Salaam, Tigo General Manager, Diego Gutierrez cited the telecom’s core social priorities as digital inclusion, education and business entrepreneurship. Gutierrez was one of the key Tigo Tanzania panelists at the conference that included Shavkat Berdiev, Tigo Tanzania Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Head of Mobile Financial Services, Ruan Swanepoel.
“At Tigo, creating positive change is part of our DNA as we bring the digital lifestyle to our customers and communities”, Gutierrez said adding: “we take our responsibilities to the communities where we work and strive to deliver positive social impact to the people”.
Gutierrez explained that in the current fast-changing dynamics in the mobile telecom industry, there was a need to change the goal-posts through innovation and synergy to leverage diverse models of doing business.
Giving an example of Tigo’s mobile money service, Tigo Pesa, the GM alluded to its dramatic growth, noting that currently, it has the largest network with over 50,000 merchants across the country.
Talking on Tigo’s contribution to driving financial inclusion in Tanzania, Gutierrez said that through Tigo Pesa, the company had given its customers access to Africa’s first universal mobile money exchange system.
“Cumulatively”, he said, “Tigo Pesa users have earned Tsh. 40.7bn (US$18,397,406) in profit share since the scheme was started in 2014”.
The return to customers is calculated based on Tigo Pesa customers’ average daily balance stored in their mobile wallets and is in line with the Central Bank’s (Bank of Tanzania-BoT) Circular issued in February 2014.
Tigo Tanzania became the first telecom company in the world in 2014 to share profit generated from its mobile money Trust Account in the form of a quarterly distribution to its customers.
The Tigo boss also reiterated the company’s pioneering role in localizing digital content and offering zero-rated products and services that are meant to transform the lives of its customers.
In a keynote debate entitled, “Creating Opportunities for Local Digital Content”, the General Manager said, “Tigo was the first telecom in Tanzania to introduce free Facebook and affordable Smartphones whose interfaces are fully embedded in Kiswahili, the country’s national language so as to open the doors to our customers to access our products and services in a language they can easily understand”.
On his part, Tigo Tanzania Head of Mobile Financial Services, Ruan Swanepoel stressed on leveraging the mobile money ecosystem through a market-driven approach that incorporates all players in the telecom industry.
Giving an example of interoperability where different mobile money providers can conduct cross-network services, Swanepoel said through the new ‘NitigoPesa’ campaign, customers from across all mobile networks in the country can seamlessly send and receive money to any Tigo customer through its secure and convenient Tigo Pesa service.
“All other financial mobile money networks will be able to transact to Tigo Pesa through buying and paying from our widest network of Tigo Pesa merchants that are spread all over the country”, Swanepoel told the media on the sidelines of the GSMA event.
He lamented that in Tanzania, 98% of transactions were still cash-based, emphasizing that the end-game of the evolution of interoperability was to avoid cash-outs in the payment of utilities in future.
Shavkat Berdiev, Tigo CCO, waded into the topical issue of closing the mobile gender gap and fostering financial inclusion among the underprivileged, especially the low-income women in the country.
He re-affirmed the company’s commitment to continue contributing in closing the mobile gender gap to the underprivileged women in Tanzania through the provision of mobile phones and supporting income-generating micro-finance schemes that target low-income women in a program dubbed, ‘Connected Women Project’.
“Tigo has already set the pace in contributing to closing the mobile gender gap by providing 400 mobile phones and training on mobile phone use to needy women in Kilwa and Rufiji Districts in the Coastal Region in Tanzania. This is a deliberate move by our company to open up the barriers to both access and use of mobile phones such as cost, cultural issues and low levels of digital literacy”, Berdiev told the media at the conference.
According to GSMA 2015 report on the gender gap in mobile access and usage, 27 million fewer women than men own mobile phones in Africa.
In Tanzania, statistics indicate that only 58% of women owned a mobile phone in 2014 compared to 78% of men, a situation that is mainly attributable to the high cost of a mobile handset.
Noting that Tigo’s target was to reduce the gender gap in Mobile Financial Services by 5%, Berdiev explained that mobile phone ownership and usage by women had the potential to unlock benefits for women as well as the mobile industry and broader economy.
A research conducted by Tigo and REPOA (a leading research organization in the country) last year showed that cost was the greatest obstacle to obtaining a mobile phone handset. That is why, according to Berdiev, the telecom is championing the empowerment of low-income women who cannot afford the phones, hence enhance digital and financial inclusion.
According to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, women could bring in an extra $170 billion in revenue to the telecommunications industry by 2020 if their contribution to the sector is fully exploited through bridging the mobile gender gap.
Through Connected Women Commitment initiative, Tigo Tanzania is among other 75 operators that plan to tackle the many barriers that hinder women from owning mobile phones.
Tigo’s drive towards offering cheaper phones and micro-finance loans will not only connect Tanzanian women to the world of digital lifestyle but will also contribute to their economic wellbeing and hence better life.
The Office of the African Union Chairperson’s Youth Envoy and Google today announced the launch of the #DiscoverMyAfrica Shorts Challenge, a month-long initiative to celebrate the rich diversity, heritage, and vibrant spirit of the African continent. Throughout May, YouTube creators across Africa are invited to share short videos capturing their unique perspectives, using the hashtag #DiscoverMyAfrica.
“#DiscoverMyAfrica empowers African youth to share their stories and rich cultural heritage globally,” said Chido Mpemba, African Union Chairperson’s Youth Envoy. “Partnering with Google fosters creative expression and dialogue on content responsibility, digital preservation, and AI’s impact on Africa’s creative industries. This aligns with our vision for a digitally-enabled Africa harnessing cultural wealth for economic growth and social progress.”
The YouTube Shorts Challenge encourages creators to showcase various facets of African life, from music and art to food, fashion, and local landmarks. To further celebrate Africa’s vibrant music scene, YouTube is turning up the energy with YouTube Music Nights in Nigeria and South Africa, showcasing the infectious rhythms of Afrobeats and Amapiano. Two dedicated playlists, “Africa’s Next Wave” and “Africa Superstars,” will highlight both emerging talent and iconic voices that have made the continent a global music powerhouse.
Nollywood superstar and style icon Osas Ighodaro will immerse viewers in the luxurious side of Lagos with her new show “Spa with Osas.” Enioluwa and The Geng will unravel the drama and secrets of high school elites in their highly anticipated series “All of Us.” And comedy superstar Broda Shaggi is guaranteed to bring the laughs with his hilarious new project, “Shaggi’s Palava.” These exciting new shows will premiere exclusively on YouTube.
Aspiring filmmakers and content creators can also take advantage of specialized workshops designed to hone their skills and expand their reach. A dedicated Nollywood workshop in Nigeria, and broader #DiscoverMyAfrica workshops for content creators will offer valuable insights and resources to creators at all levels.
“We are committed to supporting the diverse voices and talents that make up Africa’s creative landscape,” said Addy Awofisayo, Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa at YouTube.
“These initiatives provide valuable resources and platforms for African filmmakers, musicians, and content creators to share their stories and connect with global audiences.”
To learn more about #DiscoverMyAfrica and how to get involved, visit www.blog.google/africa or follow #DiscoverMyAfrica on social media.
In a remarkable acknowledgment of its excellence in public relations and communications, QNET, a leading lifestyle and wellness direct selling company, proudly announces its victory in three distinguished categories at the 11th annual PR Awards. Demonstrating its prowess in crisis management, corporate strategy, and technological innovation, QNET is setting new standards for excellence in Direct Selling.
This year, QNET was honoured with the following recognitions:
Silver Award for Best Corporate Strategy – An endorsement for QNET’s Fingreen financial literacy programme that has been rolled out in three countries over the last 18 months and has helped over 7000 people, including college students, home makers, street vendors, and female small traders, with the tools they need to take charge of their financial future.
Silver Award for Best Use of Technology – An important recognition for QNET’s QBuzz Blog, an innovative platform that leverages technology to foster community engagement and provide insightful company and industry content.
Bronze Award for Best Crisis Management Strategy – Celebrating the success of the “Truth About QNET” campaign, which effectively navigated the company through challenging times with transparency and integrity.
The PR Awards, renowned for highlighting the best in the PR and communications sector across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, saw entries from the most prominent brands and organisations in the region. An independent panel of senior industry experts from leading brands selected this year’s winners, underscoring the credibility and prestige of the awards.
Trevor Kuna, Chief Transformation & Reputation Officer at QNET, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are profoundly honored by the recognition at the PR Awards 2024, which reflects our unwavering dedication to excellence, innovative strategies, and our commitment to providing outstanding value to our customers.
“These awards are a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our team, and they motivate us to continue setting new benchmarks in the industry.”
QNET’s success at the PR Awards is not just a celebration of its achievements but also a promise to its stakeholders of its dedication to excellence and innovation. As the company looks forward to future challenges and opportunities, it remains committed to upholding the highest standards of quality and service in the industry.
For more information about QNET and its achievements, please visit QNET’s website.
Bismarck Rewane, managing director/chief executive officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited has backed telecommunication companies’ move to increase tariffs.
Recall that telecom companies recently reiterated calls for an increase in prices of calls, data, and other services.
They argue that current prices are insufficient to maintain their business operations.
This request is contained in a communique signed by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
The telecom providers are advocating for cost-reflective tariffs, claiming that adverse economic headwinds are threatening their financial viability.
The operators stated that its general service pricing framework has not been reviewed upward in the last 11 years because of regulatory constraints.
“For a fully liberalised and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence,” the telcos said.
The telcos called on the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with its industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with their financial viability.
This push for higher prices coincides with MTN Nigeria reporting a loss due to foreign exchange losses in 2023 and Airtel experiencing declining profits amid an economic downturn in the country.
While the development has triggered a backlash in some quarters, Rewane said telco pricing needs to reflect current realities.
He was a guest on weekend’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today
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