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Airtel Africa Appoints RAMP as Mobile Advertising Partner

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Airtel Africa has appointed RAMP (Real African Media Partners) as its mobile advertising partner to serve mobile adverts to Airtel customers in 17 countries across Africa.

André Beyers, Airtel Africa’s chief marketing officer, said Airtel currently has more than 68 million subscribers, generating over 80 billion ad impressions a year.
 
“The new mobile advertising proposition will open up mobile advertising to local, Pan-African and global brands and advertisers, giving them the opportunity to reach and engage consumers in several of the continent’s best performing economies,” he said.

Raymond Buckle, RAMP joint CEO, says RAMP is a newly formed joint venture of established African companies, which includes SilverstoneCIS, Integrat and Airvantage. RAMP, together with local partners in the 17 markets, offers Airtel the sales, operations and technology capability for a turnkey mobile media business.

“The agreement has recently been finalised and roll out is taking place in a phased approach beginning with Nigeria and Kenya, followed by Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda during the first half of 2014.  The Airtel/RAMP mobile advertising proposition is ground breaking in its ability to deliver on the promise of integrated mobile advertising campaigns across the continent.”

Michael Laws, RAMP joint CEO, said RAMP’s solution will offer mobile advertising inventory from text tags on please call me messages and service notifications, to voice and mobile internet advertising opportunities, along with a permission-based marketing platform to interest based communities.

“We’ve consolidated a team of mobile media and advertising specialists who have successfully launched and operated mobile media propositions across various African markets and several major brands will be launching with RAMP in 2014,” he said.

Contextualising economic and social changes on the continent brings into focus the importance of the first Pan African mobile advertising solution rolled out firstly for Airtel, and then on to other mobile network operators, Buckle said.

Africa has six of the ten fastest growing economies globally, averaging a GDP growth of five percent. Half the African population is under 20 and by 2050, 25 percent of the world’s workers are expected to live in Africa.

On an access level, mobile penetration dwarfs fixed line penetration as well as traditional media penetration like TV and radio.

Africa had the second highest number of mobile connections globally in Q3 of 2013, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report with mobile penetration now sitting at 73 percent and growing all the time.

While mobile penetration is on the up, 86 percent of those connections were 2G connections by the end of 2013, according to the GSMA, with smartphones penetration sitting at four percent at the end of 2012.

This is expected to shift dramatically by 2019 with HSPA connections expected to account for 70 percent of mobile phones in Africa.

The GSMA report predicts that the mobile ecosystem will almost double from $60B in 2012 to $119B by 2020.

The net impact of this growth will be unprecedented growth in demand for goods and services from an expanding mobile middle class, which will lead to mobile becoming even more dominant as the main communication platform in Africa.

Looking at the opportunity in Africa, Buckle says it’s clear that mobile penetration in Africa is increasing and yet, mobile media has been underutilised.

Buckle said RAMP’s offering is unique in that it offers access to a Pan-African audience providing an end-to-end solution that includes access to Airtel customers as well as the technology solutions for customers to effectively communicate with brands.

“Right now the way to reach the African population is not primarily through mobile internet services from the likes of Google and InMobi due to the low penetration rates of the mobile internet on smart devices in Africa currently.

“USSD is the dominant communication technology used in Africa for mobile marketing and communication followed by SMS. A combination of these two technologies is the most appropriate for an African context, giving the greatest reach to an African audience,” he says.

Initially RAMP will be working with large corporates, agencies and media buyers who are looking to roll out country wide campaigns or campaigns across several countries.

However, RAMP plans to automate the booking process, which will ultimately lead to a self-service offering where smaller companies will be able to launch mobile marketing campaigns directly, on a far more micro, localised level.

 
 


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E-Business

Naija Shopping Festival: Konga Offers Unbeatable Christmas Deals

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Nigeria’s leading e-commerce platform, Konga, has unveiled the Naija Shopping Festival, a Christmas sales event designed to offer shoppers extraordinary discounts and unbeatable deals.

This exciting shopping extravaganza begins on December 1 and runs through December 30, promising an unforgettable experience for all.

With discounts of up to 70% off on your favourite products, the Naija Shopping Festival is Konga’s way of spreading festive cheer and ensuring no one misses out on amazing deals.

This event caters especially to those who could not participate in Konga Yakata, giving everyone a chance to save big this holiday season.

The festival boasts a wide array of incredible offers across multiple categories, including mobile phones, electronics, FMCG, fashion, groceries, and accessories.

Shoppers can also enjoy specially curated deals such as Christmas Eve Deals, Flash Sales, Santa Shop, and Hamper Packs, ensuring there’s something for everyone this festive period.

Konga is partnering with top global brands such as Apple, Starlink, HP, Zinox, CeraVe, Lenovo, Haier Thermocool, Samsung, and Infinix to deliver the best possible deals. Customers can expect discounts of up to 70% on premium products, ensuring maximum value on every purchase.

Speaking on the launch, Onochie Melvin, E-commerce Manager at Konga, stated, “The Naija Shopping Festival is our way of giving back to our customers and making this Christmas season special for every Nigerian.

“We remain committed to easing the financial burden on Nigerian consumers, especially during challenging economic times. Also, we want to ensure shopping is fun, affordable, and stress-free. With our trusted partners, we’ve curated the best deals to meet the needs of every shopper during this festive period.”

As always, Konga is committed to making shopping easy and convenient for Nigerians.

“By offering substantial price cuts and collaborating with trusted brands, Konga continues to set the standard for e-commerce in Nigeria.

To have a feel of Konga’s Naija Shopping Festival, visit www.konga.com today and make your Christmas shopping a joyful experience.

 


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TD Africa Joins Forces with Check Point to Enhance Cybersecurity in Nigeria

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TD Africa, a leading technology distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa, has joined forces with Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a global cybersecurity leader, to enhance Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience.

This strategic partnership, announced at a partner roundtable event in Lagos and attended by industry executives, stakeholders, and IT professionals, facilitated discussions on emerging cybersecurity trends and fostered strategic partnerships.

Participants explored innovative approaches to digital security, concluding with a networking session designed to spark future collaborations and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Abiodun Idowu, Assistant General Manager for TD Africa, highlighted the company’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions, saying: “This partnership with Check Point reflects our commitment to providing advanced tools that safeguard businesses against today’s complex cyber threats.”

Check Point’s Security Manager, Victor Ugwu, who underscored the partnership’s significance in strengthening cybersecurity frameworks in Nigeria, said, “With this collaboration with TD Africa, we aim to deploy innovative solutions like Harmony and CloudGuard to protect organizations across the country.”

TD Africa now offers Check Point’s Harmony and Email Collaboration solutions, incorporating Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology to enable secure connectivity for remote and hybrid work environments.

Additionally, the partnership provides CloudGuard, an end-to-end cloud security solution, and Quantum Firewall appliances, which scale to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.

This partnership reinforces TD Africa’s position as a driving force in Nigeria’s technological advancement. By delivering robust cybersecurity solutions, TD Africa empowers businesses to navigate the digital age with confidence and resilience.


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Kaspersky Contributes to Joint INTERPOL-AFRIPOL Operation Combating Cybercrime Across Africa

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Kaspersky has recently assisted its partner law enforcement agencies INTERPOL and AFRIPOL in a joint effort to disrupt cybercrime across the African region.

Dubbed “Serengeti,” the operation has led to the arrest of more than 1,000 individuals suspected of links to cybercrimes such as ransomware operation and business email compromise (BEC) attacks, resulting in nearly US $193 million in financial losses worldwide.

As Africa is going through a rapid digitisation, the threat of cybercrime on the continent is also escalating. In the African region in general and West Africa in particular, ransomware emerges as one of the most prominent attack vectors, targeting critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and manufacturing facilities, among others.

During the first 10 months of 2024, ransomware detections in West Africa surged by 36% year-on-year, according to Kaspersky data. Other noticeable cyberthreats targeting users and organisations in the region include spyware and password stealers.

Conducted from September 2 to October 31, operation Serengeti dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks linked to cybercrimes including ransomware operations, BEC attacks, digital extortion and online scams — all identified as prominent threats in INTERPOL’s 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.

Kaspersky has contributed to the operation by sharing information on threat actors, data on ransomware attacks and malware targeting the region, as well as up-to-date indicators of compromise (IoCs) for malicious infrastructure across Africa.

Among the malware targeting African countries was also a well-known Brazilian banking trojan Grandoreiro – Kaspersky recently released new findings on this trojan at its Security Analyst Summit. Additionally, ransomware families detected in attacks on African organisations among others included LockBit, Rhysida, and Medusa.

The operation has also resulted in the identification of more than 35,000 victims of cyber offenses investigated.

Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, said: “From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern.

Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together, and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain. We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide.”

Ambassador Jalel Chelba, AFRIPOL’s Acting Executive Director said: “Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends. Our focus now includes emerging threats like AI-driven malware and advanced attack techniques.”

“We are proud to contribute to this multi-stakeholder operation orchestrated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL,” comments Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Kaspersky. “The emerging dynamics of the threat landscape in Africa requires a stronger regional dialogue on mitigating acute cybersecurity risks.

Kaspersky firmly supports INTERPOL’s and AFRIPOL’s efforts to prevent and disrupt cybercrime attacks across Africa and shares the holistic approach towards creating a more cyber-resilient environment within the continent.”

Thanks to the cooperation with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, Kaspersky has been an active contributor to fostering a more cyber-savvy environment in the African region.

In addition to the vast record of joint operations in Africa, with the latest being INTERPOL-led operation Synergia II, Kaspersky has recently sealed a five-year cooperation agreement with AFRIPOL to further strengthen its role in creating a more cybersafe climate on the continent by sharing Kaspersky’s extensive data on local cyberthreats and cybercrime trends with the organisation.


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