Telecom
4G LTE Shipments to GCC Grow 400%, MEA Smartphone Market Booms
Statistics released on Tuesday showed that GCC shipments of 4G LTE handsets have increased more than four times over the last year and are now close to accounting for one half of all smartphones sold in the Middle East and Africa regions.
A GCC an acronym for General Certificate of Conformity must “accompany” the applicable product or shipment of products covered by the certificate.
According to the latest figures from International Data Corporation (IDC), the market intelligence firm’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker shows that smartphones now make up 75% of the phones shipped in the GCC, with buyers increasingly moving toward 4G handsets as the market matures.
“The GCC is less than a year behind the market development already seen in Western Europe,” said Simon Baker, program manager for IDC’s handset research in Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “However, the market is further behind the U.S., where 4G already makes up three quarters of the smartphone market.”
Competition and falling prices are playing their part in boosting the uptake of 4G LTE in the GCC. “All Apple handsets from the iPhone 5C and 5S now offer LTE, but there is much greater choice when it comes to 4G Android models,” said Nabila Popal, research manager for IDC’s handset research in Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. “Samsung is now the region’s largest vendor of LTE-enabled devices, and while the average price that a Gulf consumer currently pays for a 4G handset is close to $600 and has not fallen much over the last 12 months, cheaper models are arriving, most notably from Lenovo and Huawei.”
Elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa, the overall smartphone market is rapidly expanding, with growth rates picking up over the last two quarters.
IDC research shows that in Africa as a whole and in the wider Middle East beyond the GCC and Turkey, the number of smartphones sold in Q3 2014 was up 300% year on year. “We are in the midst of a boom,” said Isaac Ngatia, a research analyst at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. “The technology levels are more basic than those seen in the GCC and 4G phones remain relatively uncommon, but many consumers are now getting their hands on a smartphone for the first time.”
“It is a very different kind of market from the Gulf,” adds Baker. “Cheaper phones are the ones selling in high volumes, and prices are tumbling; the average price paid is not much more than half that in the GCC. The brand situation is different too; beyond Samsung and Chinese brands like Lenovo, Huawei, and ZTE that are making a push in the region, many of the bigger players just focus on single countries or sub-region and aren’t well known beyond them.”
There are also a number of brands in this market that typically focus only on distribution and marketing, and mainly source their phones from the production catalogues of independent manufacturers in China. “It is a different sort of brand from the international names the handset industry is usually associated with, and as a model it is working very well at the moment,” added Popal. “These regional brands are able to offer Android phones sourced from China that have the larger screen sizes and functions of models from the big international names but at much lower prices.”
Key examples include Tecno in Nigeria and Kenya, whose smartphone shipments were up 269% year on year in Q3 2014, and Q-mobile in Pakistan, which has more than half the national market and posted growth of healthy 42%. “Brands such as these will continue to perform well over the coming quarters,” concludes Popal. “Smartphone shipments in these poorer countries will expand a lot further in the next couple of years, as they still account for less than half the total handset market.”
IDC’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker® provides a unique insight into the forces shaping the handset and smartphone markets in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa.
The smartphone market is growing rapidly across the region, but while it already takes the lion’s share of mobile phone sales in more developed markets, in poorer countries and where mobile operators do not subsidize phone purchases on usage contracts, feature phones are still the majority of sales in units sold.
This tracker service will quantify for clients the trends impacting the mobile phone market, and provides, on a quarterly basis, vendor shares, technology trends, and a host of technical breakouts that help vendors and industry players define strategies for tracking the future wireless device market.
MTN Nigeria has officially launched Next Afrobeats Star (NAS), a bold new music reality competition designed to uncover and elevate the next generation of Afrobeats talent. The show was unveiled on Saturday, August 2, 2025, during a media event held at the MTN Rooftop Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos.
L-R: Puffy Tee, Producer and MTN Next Afrobeats Star judge; Chimdinma Maduforo, General Manager, ONErpm Nigeria; Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTNNigeria; Femi Ayeni, CEO, Ultima Studios; A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria and Andre Vibez, Producer and MTN Next Afrobeats Star judge at the media launch event for MTN Next Afrobeats Star held at the MTN Events Center, Ikoyi on Saturday, August 2, 2025.
Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, said: “Next Afrobeats Star is a bold initiative by MTN Nigeria, in partnership with Ultima Studios and ONErpm, to discover and elevate the next global icon of Afrobeats. At MTN, we believe in progress, not just as a brand stance but a purpose.
“We believe that every Nigerian, regardless of background, location, or education, deserves a chance to be connected, seen, heard, and celebrated. That is why we are taking this message to every corner of Nigeria, from the bustling cities to the most remote villages so that no youth is left behind. Because talent knows no boundaries, and neither should opportunity.
Today, Afrobeats is a global force, filling stadiums, topping charts, and inspiring millions. But the journey is far from over. The Next Afrobeats Star is our commitment to the future of this movement. It is a platform where raw real opportunity. Where the rhythm of Nigeria meets the reach of the world.”
A partnership between MTN Nigeria, Ultima Studios, and ONErpm, one of the fastest-growing music companies in the world, Ikenna-Emeka revealed that the winner will receive a $100,000 music deal made possible by a collaboration between ONErpm and U-Records. The remaining four finalists will also walk away with music deals ranging from $25,000 to $75,000.
This effort, Ikenna-Emeka explained, aligns with the Nigerian Government’s Destination 2030 strategy, which aims to position Nigeria as Africa’s leading hub for creative excellence. “Through the Destination 2030 strategy, the government is working to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for creative excellence by the year 2030. This vision is about more than economic growth, it’s about cultural pride, global influence, and national identity. It’s about creating an enabling environment for artistic brilliance, promoting diversity and creativity, and preserving the rich heritage that makes Nigeria unique.”
MTN’s partnership with Ultima Studios brings decades of production and talent development expertise to the show. Known for their work on Project Fame and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Ultima brings its expertise in audio-visual production.
Femi Ayeni, CEO of Ultima Studios, explained the standout quality of the show. “What makes this show different is because for the first time, we are having the producers, the beat-makers, actually recording original songs for the contestants for the show. So, they [the contestants] will be doing covers, but at the end of the day, their original songs are the ones that will determine how well they do on the show.” The producers have been revealed as Andre Vibez, Puffy Tee, Sarz and P. Prime.
Head of Content at Ultima Studios, Oluwabori Richards, explained that Next Afrobeats Star will feature online registration and in-person auditions. “After texting NAS to 13013, you get a text back with a link and a unique code,” he said. “That link takes you to the Next Afrobeats Star website, and then you enter your unique code and email address. Once you do that, you fill in your registration details.”
Richards added that the website hosts 10 to 12 instrumentals from the four producers. “Download any of the tracks that you want, you make music on it and then you put it back on the website. When you do that, we have A&R execs from ONErpm who will be reviewing all the entries.”
He also noted that regional auditions will be held in Jos, Enugu, and Lagos, giving applicants the option to audition either digitally or in person. “So, once we collate all the entries, both regionally and on digital platforms, 300 people will be shortlisted to come to the trial. The trial is the first round of the show, and that’s the first time you will be performing before judges,” he said.
The competition is open to Nigerians and will focus not only on discovering talent but also on nurturing it through professional development, mentorship, and access to industry-standard resources. To apply, text NAS to 13013 using an MTN line. Visit mtn.ng/NAS for more information.
WhatsApp on Tuesday announced significant advancements in its ongoing fight against sophisticated messaging scams, including taking down millions of accounts linked to criminal scam centers and the rollout of new in-app safety features designed to protect users globally. These efforts underscore WhatsApp’s commitment to user security amidst a landscape of increasingly complex fraudulent schemes.
In the first six months of this year alone, WhatsApp proactively detected and banned over 6.8 million accounts associated with criminal scam centers. These decisive actions were taken before scam centers could fully operationalize their fraudulent campaigns, preventing potential harm to countless users.
“The fight against scams is a relentless one, and we are continually evolving our defenses to stay ahead of bad actors,” said Kojo Boakye, Vice President of Public Policy, Africa, Middle East and Türkiye at Meta. “This is part of our unwavering commitment to protect our users, not just by banning malicious accounts, but by empowering individuals with the tools and knowledge they need to recognize and avoid these sophisticated threats. We believe that a safer messaging environment is built through a combination of robust technology, proactive detection , and user education.”
How Scammers Operate: Criminal scam centers often run multiple campaigns simultaneously, ranging from deceptive cryptocurrency investments to elaborate pyramid schemes. A common red flag for these scams is the demand for upfront payments to secure promised returns. These fraudulent activities frequently span multiple platforms, starting on dating apps or via text messages, then migrating to social media, private messaging apps like WhatsApp, and ultimately to payment or crypto platforms. This multi-platform approach is designed to evade detection by individual services, making comprehensive disruption more challenging.
In the latest example of cross-industry collaboration, WhatsApp, Meta, and OpenAI jointly disrupted a scam operation linked to a criminal scam center in Cambodia. This network utilized ChatGPT to generate initial text messages directing targets to WhatsApp, then quickly moved them to Telegram where they were assigned a task of liking videos on TikTok, eventually coercing them into depositing money into crypto accounts.
New WhatsApp Anti-Scam Tools: In addition to disrupting scam centers, WhatsApp is rolling out new features designed to protect against known scam tactics:
Group Messaging: A new safety overview will now appear when a user is added to an unfamiliar group by someone not in their contacts. This overview provides key group information and safety tips, allowing users to exit the group without viewing the chat. Notifications from such groups will be silenced until the user explicitly chooses to engage.
Individual Messaging: WhatsApp is testing new approaches to caution users before they engage with unknown contacts. This includes providing additional context about the sender when initiating a chat with someone not in their contacts, enabling users to make informed decisions.
Tips to Avoid Scams in Private Messaging: WhatsApp encourages all users to adopt a “Pause, Question, Verify” approach when encountering suspicious or unusual messages:
PAUSE: Take time before responding. Think about whether this is a number you recognize, or whether it reads like a legitimate ask.
QUESTION: Does the request make sense? Does it seem too good to be true? Are they asking for money, gift cards, or PIN codes? Are they rushing you into taking action? These might be signs of a scam.
VERIFY: If the sender claims to be a friend or family member, verify their identity directly through another communication method (e.g., a phone call to a known number) before taking any action.
WhatsApp remains dedicated to continually enhancing its security measures and collaborating with industry partners to create a safer digital environment for its global community.
In a pivotal ruling with implications for digital rights and judicial neutrality, the High Court in Nairobi has rejected an application by Paradigm Initiative (PIN) to participate as amicus curiae in a landmark data protection case involving X Corp, formerly known as Twitter.
The suit, filed by petitioner Felix Kibet, seeks sweeping reforms in Kenya’s online environment. Kibet has called on the court to compel X Corp to delete Kenyan accounts operating under aliases, remove content deemed offensive—ranging from lewd and pornographic to hateful—and ensure government enforcement of constitutional safeguards on social media platforms.
PIN, a pan-African organization known for its advocacy of digital rights, argued that the case raised uncharted constitutional questions surrounding anonymity, freedom of expression, and privacy in Kenya. They offered to submit neutral, expert commentary rooted in both domestic and international legal frameworks.
However, their application was met with resistance from the petitioner and the Communication Authority of Kenya, who argued PIN’s brief revealed partisan inclinations.
In its ruling, the court acknowledged PIN’s expertise but emphasized the rigorous standards set by the Supreme Court in Trusted Society of Human Rights Alliance v. Mumo Matemo. According to those guidelines, amici must be neutral, legally grounded, and offer fresh perspectives not already presented.
The judge ruled that PIN’s previous publication—Devolved Impunity: The State of Safety and Security of Bloggers in Kenya—demonstrated bias and aligned with one side of the case.
“For those reasons, the application has failed the Supreme Court’s test… based on its prior and ongoing role within commentary on digital freedom,” the judgment read.
The decision underscores the judiciary’s effort to preserve objectivity in cases concerning digital freedoms and sets a high bar for civil society participation.
Analysts say the ruling may influence how courts across Africa assess third-party submissions in technology-related litigation.
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