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Vantage Capital Exits Vumatel

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Vantage Capital, Africa’s largest mezzanine debt fund manager, has announced that it has fully exited its investment in Vumatel, the largest fibre-to-the-home network provider in South Africa.

Vantage Capital Exits Vumatel

The company was established in October 2014 by Niel Schoeman and Johan Pretorius, industry veterans who had previously started up the Birchman Group and Conduct Telecom before creating Vumatel.

Vumatel started out its life rolling out South Africa’s first fibre optic network to homes in Parkhurst by partnering with internet service providers who provided connectivity to their residential customers whilst Vumatel remained the owner and operator of the infrastructure.

At the time of Vantage’s investment in 2016, Vumatel had deployed its open-access fibre optic network across fourteen suburbs in Johannesburg, passing 16,000 homes and had secured around 4,000 subscribers. It had also received an equity investment from Investec Equity Partners.

Whilst banks were unwilling to fund the company at this early stage in its life, Vantage recognised the tremendous potential of the business and supported it with R250m ($17m) of capex funding to accelerate its rollout.

Today, just four years later, Vumatel has become the largest provider of fibre to the home in the country. Over the life of Vantage’s investment, the number of homes passed has grown forty-fold and the number of subscribers fifty-fold as the company has laid thousands of kilometres of cable.

Vumatel has also played a major role in upgrading the infrastructure of South African schools by providing free uncapped fibre services to public and private schools that its networks bypass.

In 2018, Vumatel was recognised with a prestigious award from the South African Venture Capital Association for the best medium-sized South African growth champion.

Last year, CIVH majority owned by Remgro acquired full ownership of Vumatel after initially securing a 34.9% stake in 2018.

Vantage’s investors were beneficiaries of this transaction from both ends as Vantage had in a separate transaction provided New GX, a black owned and controlled investor, with mezzanine funding to part-finance their fibre-related assets including local manufacturing capacity.

Vantage exited the New GX transaction in 2018 and last week, Vantage’s mezzanine facility was refinanced by Vumatel after it secured substantial funding from a consortium of South African banks.

To date, Vantage has now successfully exited twelve investments across its three generations of mezzanine debt funds generating cumulative proceeds of R4.2bn ($360m) and x-money of 2.3x (1.8x in dollars).

Luc Albinski, co-managing partner at Vantage Capital, pointed out that “Vumatel is one of our many success stories, where we have supported businesses with mezzanine debt to achieve their growth ambitions. In this investment, we saw the opportunity to partner with an exceptional management team in a fast-growing sector and we are proud of the role Vantage played in unlocking the exceptional growth that Vumatel has since delivered.”

Warren van der Merwe, co-managing partner at Vantage Capital, added: “The Vumatel investment is an excellent case study of how mezzanine debt can unlock growth opportunities where banks remain risk-averse. In this way, Vantage plays an important role in supporting mid-size corporates before they are sufficiently established to fully fund their operations and growth ambitions with bank debt.”

Hugo van den Heever, associate partner at Vantage Capital, added “we have focused a lot of attention on the technology infrastructure sector with its high growth potential. In line with our pan-African mandate, we have looked at opportunities across the continent including markets such as Nigeria, the East African Community and Egypt. We hope to be able to announce further investments in this sector shortly.”

 


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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New CAMON Device Set to Redefine Mobile Content Creation

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TECNO is gearing up to launch the next CAMON series device, which promises to be the next evolution in mobile photography.

TECNO

The CAMON lineup has always been known for its innovation in capturing and sharing cherished moments. Now, TECNO is taking it to the next level with a groundbreaking camera innovation that aims to redefine what’s possible.

For years, the CAMON series has been the driving force behind countless memorable shots, empowering users to unleash their creativity and capture the world in stunning detail. With the upcoming device, TECNO promises to exceed your expectations and deliver an unparalleled photography experience that’s second to none.

The new CAMON device will feature cutting-edge technology and unparalleled performance, setting a new standard for mobile photography and content creation. Imagine being ten steps ahead of the curve, armed with a device that empowers you to capture the perfect shot every time.

Stay updated on the latest news and announcements regarding the upcoming TECNO CAMON device by following TECNO on FacebookInstagram, and X(Twitter). Join TECNO on this exciting journey towards the future of mobile photography!


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Data Protection: NIMC’s Licensees to Face More Scrutiny

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Following the reported incident of unauthorized NIN verification by expressverify.com, investigation reveals that a third-party who, among others, was originally authorized to provide verification services to citizens and genuine businesses might have allowed expressverify.com to use its NIN verification credentials to conduct verification. The circumstances surrounding this permission is still under investigation.

 

To remedy this incident, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), in line with established remediation protocols, barred all forms of access to its database.

Though necessary, barring all forms of access affected all genuine and crucial verification requests. After a painstaking review, limited access has been granted to few establishments that are providing pivotal public services such as education and security.

Ongoing investigation – by relevant agencies – seeks to establish the medium through which expressverify.com obtained the credentials of bona fide third parties and to determine the liability of persons involved in line with extant laws.

At the moment, data processing by licensees generally are to be scrutinized and only those that are cleared based on credible evidence of regulatory compliance will be permitted to carry out NIN verification going forward.

Furthermore, series of intensive trainings will be conducted in order to ensure that personnel and licensees are abreast of the duty of care and the standard of care mandated by the Nigeria Data Protection Act, NIMC’s Privacy Policy and other relevant regulatory protocols.

In the meantime, NDPC calls on members of the public to see NIN as an essential data for sustainable development. While existing technical and organizational measures are being strengthened to ensure the protection of this data, it is important for citizens to ensure that they are not left unidentified in various frameworks for development. It is equally important to be vigilant when sharing personal information on various online platforms.


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5 Common Backup Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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Are you confident that your valuable data is protected from unexpected disasters or cyber threats? Consider this: 1 in 10 computers fall victim to viruses, and a staggering 113 phones are stolen every minute every day[1].

With data loss being a sudden and potentially irretrievable nightmare, ensuring reliable backups is non-negotiable. March 31st, celebrated as World Backup Day, is a poignant reminder of this essential task. Let’s delve into the common backup mistakes people make and how to steer clear of those.

1. Skipping regular backups:

The most common mistake is forgetting to back up data regularly. Whether personal files or crucial business documents, not establishing a consistent backup routine leaves you vulnerable to data loss.

Unexpected system crashes or malware attacks can happen anytime, making your precious data inaccessible or permanently lost. But you can help avoid such a situation by setting up automatic backups.

SSD Backup Mistakes to avoid
2. Putting all faith in a single backup device:

A device can get damaged or stolen, putting your backups at risk, so depending entirely on one storage medium is playing a dangerous game with your data’s safety.

 Instead, diversify your backup storage solutions with a combination of external HDDs, NAS, and cloud storage.

Portable HDDs like those from WD like Western Digital’s My Passport offer up to 5TB for simple, cost-effective backups. For smartphones, 2-in-1 flash drives such as SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C and SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe are convenient options.

These drives, compatible with USB Type-C devices, automatically back up photos, videos, and more. Just plug and play for seamless data transfer across devices.

If you need a device to store huge amounts of data, then the desktop drive called My Book  from WD is just the product for you, with up to 22TB of storage capacity.

SSD Backup Mistakes to avoid
storage device

3. Forgetting version control:

Overlooking version control during backups is another blunder. Not keeping multiple versions of files increases the chance of saving corrupted or wrong data over previous versions.

Without a proper versioning system, fixing mistakes or retrieving older versions can become a challenge. To prevent forgetting version control, establish a system that tracks changes to your files over time.

This ensures that you can always revert to earlier versions if needed, helping protect against accidental data loss or corruption.

Regularly maintaining this system will help you stay organized and prepared for any unforeseen issues.

Additionally, it’s crucial to verify the version you’re backing up to ensure it’s the correct one.

This simple step can help prevent accidental overwriting of important data with potentially corrupted or incorrect versions.

Double-checking ensures that you’re safeguarding the most up-to-date and accurate information, minimizing the risk of errors during backups.

SSD Backup Mistakes to avoid
4. Ignoring off-site backup solutions:

Many people overlook off-site backup solutions, assuming local backups are foolproof. However, relying solely on local backups makes you vulnerable to site-specific disasters like fires or theft.

Using off-site backups means keeping copies of your data in different places so that if something bad happens in one area, your data stays safe.

As an alternative, you could use cloud storage. Cloud backup devices are popular for remote data storage accessible via the internet. Various online cloud services offer features like file synchronization, sharing, and encryption for secure data storage.

5. Underestimating encryption:

Not prioritizing encryption in backups can be a costly mistake. Storing unencrypted backups makes your sensitive data vulnerable to unauthorized access or breaches.

Implementing strong encryption ensures even if your backups fall into the wrong hands, the data remains protected.

However, it is equally important to remember not to opt for out-of-the-box encryption solutions, as they might make it difficult for you to retrieve the backed-up information later.

My Passport HDD and My Book from WD come equipped with built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with password protection that helps keep content secure.

Additionally, maintaining proper key management practices is essential to ensure smooth decryption and access to your data when needed.

SSD Backup Mistakes to avoid
Monitor and storage device

This World Backup Day, Western Digital urges you to back up your data safely, and at the same time, prepare for the unexpected by having a contingency plan in place for device mishaps like crashes, theft, or damage.

Worrying about losing data isn’t something you have to lose sleep over if you have an active data backup strategy.

A common rule of thumb for keeping important data from disappearing forever is the 3-2-1 Rule. It dictates that you should:

3. Have THREE copies of your data. One is a primary backup and two are copies.

   2. Save copies of your backups on TWO different types of media or devices.

   1. ONE backup copy should be kept offsite in case of disaster.

Determine where and how you’ll store backup files and identify support contacts for swift assistance.

These proactive measures ensure quick data recovery and safeguard your cherished memories for the long haul.


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