EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND TRENDS WITH CABSAT

CABSAT 2023, the flagship event for satellite, broadcast, content creation, production, distribution, digital media, and entertainment industries, is set to unite industry leaders and experts to highlight the sectors’ emerging technologies and trends from 16-18 May 2023, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The three-day show will feature products and services for all users involved in the satellite-enabled communications industry in the MEASA region and beyond, including market segments such as aviation, broadcast, government, maritime, space agencies, and other sectors.

The much anticipated 29th edition of CABSAT is set to shed light on emerging trends in the Satellite Communications market, which is predicted to reach US$53bn by 2027 and grow at a CAGR of 14% by

2030, and also place a strong emphasis on the industry's capacity to leverage cutting-edge technologies. It is noted that satellite technology will continue to expand and become more important to how businesses operate, as a result of the development of the connected digital economy. As a major diary date in the satellite and space technology industry calendar, CABSAT is committed to supporting stakeholders in their efforts to collaborate and make a difference.

“With the potential to create entirely new business models, the African blockchain industry is understandably experiencing rapid growth, with investors readily embracing it. Africa exhibits a magnetic collaborative environment among developers and organisations in the space. This supportive ecosystem drives the industry. As investors continue to express confidence in the blockchain industry's sustainability and prospects, we anticipate further growth and investment in Africa in the coming years.”

GIDEON GREAVES

MD

CV VC Africa three target sectors for cyberattacks globally. As energy grids become more resilient through the application of digitalisation, attention must be paid to the design and implementation of cybersecurity.”

MALVIN NAICKER MD

Hitachi Energy

“

The customer and ESG – these are the leading issues across the META region. While it is still in the early stages, we are seeing an increasing number of companies implementing programmes aimed at reducing the energy consumption of their IT infrastructure, extending the lifecycles of their IT equipment and centralising datacentres to reduce their environmental footprint.”

JYOTI LALCHANDANI

Group vice president & regional managing director (META)

IDC

“

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is fueled by innovation and knowledge. Technology offers a great opportunity for Africa to embrace new opportunities to boost digital transformation and contribute to the global economy.”

“The DPF offers new financing instruments that benefit MSMEssometimes considered too risky for traditional banks - including crowdfunding for new businesses, private equity for innovative and high-potential companies, and debt funds that mobilise institutional investors to finance existing SMEs."

Cyril Desponts

Economist and programme co-leader World Bank

“MEA is a diverse region with many countries at different stages of development, and that is reflected in our report. Data consumption with high-speed networks is increasing exponentially across the MEA market in both urban and rural areas. Reliable 4G and 5G networks are critical for bridging the digital divide in the region, in addition to supporting dataintensive applications for communities and businesses. Nokia is helping both operators and enterprises unlock new opportunities with 5G, building the evolution towards future technologies that will enable enhanced experiences such as the Metaverse.”

MIKKO LAVANTI Head of Mobile Networks Nokia MEA

“Mobile money is highly beneficial to those who rely on cash in their daily activities. These are often people in lowincome or marginalised communities.

Reliance on cash causes problems. Afrimoney is harnessing growing mobile penetration in Angola to offer users a simple, safe and accessible alternative, accessed through mobile phones.”

KÁTIA DA CONCEIÇÃO,

Director

Afrimoney Angola

“We are pleased to partner with Mastercard to digitise the lending space and introduce new innovative products that serve growing segments such as BNPL, microfinance and SME. The partnership with Mastercard reflects the trust of global financial institutions in egabi FSI as a fintech technology enabler and the quality of egabi’s products. We believe that this partnership will open doors for wider market coverage and together with Mastercard will be able to redefine the digital lending industry in the region.”

AHMED SAMEH CEO egabi FSI

WI-FLIX PARTNERS WITH MTN FOR STREAMING SERVICES IN ZAMBIA

Janine Rebelo, founder and CEO of ThinkWiFi.

“Working with Mawingu and TIP OpenWiFi provides social upliftment where everyone can get connected to enterprise-grade Wi-Fi through an easy-to-use advertising platform. It’s a win-win-win where brands win by gaining access to high growth consumer segments, consumers win with free, uncapped, high speed connectivity, and the community wins by getting unfettered access to the digital economy through free Wi-Fi networks powered by advertising revenue,” states Rebelo.

Netactuate Launches Third Data Centre In Nairobi

Wi-flix has expanded its presence to Zambia by collaborating with telecommunications company, MTN. Through this partnership, Wi-flix will offer MTN subscribers in Zambia access to premium content. Apart from this, the partnership will provide consumers daily, weekly, and monthly data packages of different price points, making the service accessible to all customer segments.

Louis Manu, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Wi-flix, speaking to the launch of the streaming service in the South-Central African country, said the move forms part of the company's ambition to become the leading content provider for the African continent and the diaspora.

Kenya Tackles Digital Divide With Openwifi Deployment

ThinkWiFi, an Africa-based ad-tech free WiFi internet service provider, and Mawingu, an internet service provider backed by Microsoft, has launched the first outdoor Telecom Infra Project (TIP) OpenWiFi network in Kenya.

“ThinkWiFi’s mission is to empower people by giving them access to the internet. We are a purpose-based business working to close the digital divide,” said

NetActuate, a leading global provider of network and infrastructure solutions, has announced the launch of services from a new data centre location in Nairobi, Kenya. This brings NetActuate’s total footprint in Africa to three strategic locations for maximum reach: Nairobi, Accra, and Johannesburg.

Located at Sameer Industrial Park, this data centre is the most connected in East Africa. The new Nairobi facility will provide customers with direct access to major African markets, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt. This data centre offers lowlatency connectivity to major Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in Africa, and is certified compliant for ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, PCI DSS, ISAE3402, and ISO 22301.