Deal-making and best practice sharing at AfricaCom 2008

The event, organised by Informa Telecoms and Media with the support of over 20 sponsors and major industry associations, gathered 3500 people representing the whole telecommunications ecosystem: from operators (fixed, mobile, wireless and integrated) to ISPs, investors, vendors, regulators, industry analysts and more.

At the conference, some of the leaders in the business presented their strategies to maximise their companies' growth in Africa's booming market. Major investors Zain, MTN, Orange, Vodacom, Essar/Econet Wireless, Atlantique Telecom/Etisalat all confirmed their ambition to expand their presence on the continent (or, as Zain Africa's CEO Chris Gabriel put it: “we are shopping”), as well as to improve their margins by increasing revenues and saving costs.

Broadband opportunities were one of the key topics discussed at the event. Connectivity is set to improve considerably in the coming years thanks to the launch of new submarine cables, the deployment of high-speed mobile technologies (3G and HSDPA), the launch of wireless networks across the continent, and new satellite technologies lowering costs for operators. Although voice and SMS services still account for a vast majority of African operators' revenues, the opportunities opened by broadband services for operators and customers alike are vast.

African markets have been evolving at an incredible rate in the last few years, and the trend is set to continue. New launches in a number of markets have forced all operators to maximise their differentiation strategies. Speakers at the event agreed on the main points to ensure success: quality of the network (and coverage), relevant services, and a strong brand.

These themes were well represented at the AfricaCom Awards gala too, held on Tuesday, 18 November to celebrate excellence in Africa's dynamic telecoms markets. In its inaugural year, the awards ceremony presented its expert judges with difficult decisions, as they reported that submissions were high in both quality and quantity. Seven companies were rewarded, including three with two awards each: Zain group received awards for its re-branding campaign and its One Network roaming service, Safaricom (Kenya) for best rural market solution and the coveted ‘Changing Lives' award for its M-Pesa service, Warid Telecom Uganda was named as best new entrant and best customer service provider, while Cell C (South Africa) won the best network quality initiative, Wana Enterprises (Morocco) won the best enterprise solution, and Ericsson received the award for most innovative new service. The event was hosted by the charismatic Francois Pienaar, rugby world champion, and a proportion of the takings was donated to Unicef.

The exhibition, according to Informa, was also a great success with impressive showings from 170 exhibitors.

AfricaCom 2009 takes place in Cape Town in November 2009. For more information visit www.comworldseries.com/africa.