Broadcasting
Smartwatches to Grow by 15.1% in 2018 – IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) has said that Worldwide shipments of wearable devices is on track to grow 15.1% in 2018, totaling 132.9 million units over the course of the year.
The overall market is also expected to deliver a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4% over the next five years, culminating in 219.4 million units shipped in 2022, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.
With cellular connectivity on the rise and shifting consumer preferences, IDC believes smartwatches will account for almost two out of every five wearable devices shipped in 2022.
Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers, said “Consumers are finally starting to understand and demand the utility of a smartwatch,”
“At present, fitness uses lead by a mile but mobile payments and messaging are starting to catch on.
“The addition of cellular connectivity is also starting to resonate with early adopters and looking ahead the emergence of new use cases like music streaming or additional health sensors will make cellular connectivity pivotal to the success of the smartwatch.”
Ramon T. Llamas, research director for IDC’s Wearables team, said “The appetite for wristbands and basic watches will not go away,”
“Both products will enjoy sustained popularity as users’ first wearable thanks to their simplicity and lower price points and will reach new audiences as part of digital health solutions (wristbands) or for those who want wearable technology but prefer the traditional look and feel of a hybrid watch.”
With watches and wristbands in the spotlight, wearables in other form factors will capture a minority share of the market, although this share will continue to grow during the forecast period.
Earwear and clothing are expected to be the leading underdog categories as smart assistants slowly become indispensible and are incorporated into headphones and as athletes and workers adopt sensor-laden clothing.
Category Highlights shows that over half of all smartwatches in 2017 were shipped by Apple, and while the company will maintain its lead in this category, competing products from the likes of Fitbit, Garmin, and all the Wear OS (previously Android Wear) vendors will gain traction over time.
Another growing sub-segment within this category are smartwatches dedicated to kids, though these will largely be relegated to China.
Smartwatches are also expected to have the highest average selling price and are forecast to account for more than two-thirds of the dollar-value of the entire wearables market.
Basic watches are expected to grow over the course of the forecast with a CAGR of 16.4% as new vendors and fashionable designs drive the category forward.
However, the category does face challenges as vendors have struggled to educate users around the benefits of these devices.
Many consumers still view these devices as timepieces rather than as wearables that are part of a larger ecosystem and as a result IDC expects this category to remain secondary to their smarter counterparts.
The low-cost, commoditized hardware of basic wristbands will continue to hold their place in emerging markets.
These wearables are expected to account for 22% of all wearables shipped in 2022, down from 36% in 2018.
However, the ease of use and overall accessibility of these devices positions them as the perfect starter device for the remainder of the wearables category.
Earwear wearables are forecast to ship 13.3 million units by the end of 2022 with a 48.0% CAGR from 2018–2022.
With the rise of smart voice-enabled assistants, hardware developments from chip makers like Qualcomm, and the growing popularity of wireless headphones, IDC anticipates this form factor to be the most popular outside of wristbands and watches.
Sensor-laden clothing is on track to grow from 2% share in 2017 to 5.3% share by 2022.
To date, this category has been driven by step-counting shoes from the likes of Li-Ning or Under Armour that mostly cater to average consumers.
However, going forward, IDC anticipates other, niche brands to start gaining traction as they target professional athletes or enterprise workers in hazardous environments.
The Others category, devised of lesser known wearables, such as those that can be clipped to different parts of the body or head-worn devices like the Muse headband, or even smart wristbands (ones that can run third party apps), is expected to maintain a very small portion of the overall market.
The non-standard form factors will make these devices a tough sell to the mass market, but their ability to cater to very specific needs may make them a somewhat lucrative business.
Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, Telecom Satellites Limited (TStv), and three co‑defendants appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday on an amended twelve‑count indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges allege money laundering, tax evasion, and investment fraud involving approximately ₦1 billion and $1.3 million.
Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, TStv
In addition to Echefu, the defendants are TStv Executive Director, Felix Igboanuga, Telecom Satellites Limited itself, and Briechberg Investment Ltd.
According to the April 5, 2025, amended charge sheet the EFCC accuses the quartet of defrauding Mr. Tanimu Turaki, Managing Director of Kalsiyam Global and former Minister of Special Duties, alongside BYI General Limited, out of a combined investment of ₦1 billion and $1.3 million. The commission has also included a ₦66 million alleged tax default.
The revised indictment lists:
Count 2: ₦33,909,542.47 in unremitted Company Income Tax
Count 3: ₦13,519,382.00 in unremitted VAT
Count 4: ₦19,488,860.00 in unremitted PAYE
Counts 5–12: Various fraud‑related transactions, including ₦380 million from Kalsiyam Farm, ₦400 million from BYI General Ltd and $1.35 million in loans secured under false pretences.
All defendants pleaded not guilty once again. At the hearing before Justice Mohammed Umar, Echefu’s lead counsel, Senior Advocate Eyitayo Fatogun, informed the court of ongoing settlement discussions with the complainants.
“There are moves to settle this matter and there was a meeting on Saturday between myself and the Nominal Complainant as it is about investment,” Fatogun stated.
“The Defendants have paid some money and I was thinking that the matter be adjourned for report of settlement.”
EFCC counsel A.S. Tomwell confirmed receipt of those payments but emphasized the necessity of entering a plea before considering any adjournment. The court thus ordered the formal reading of the charges and adjourned the trial to October 15, 2025.
The government of Ghana has ordered MultiChoice Ghana to reduce DSTV subscription costs by 30%, noting the significant appreciation of local currency and growing dissatisfaction with current rates.
This comes as Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
According to Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, head Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, NDPC, the investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024, was triggered by suspected breach of privacy rights of Multichoice subscribers and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.
MultiChoice, which operates across Africa, continues to lose revenue and subscribers.
Ghana’s minister of communication, digital technology, and innovation, Samuel Nartey George, made the call last week during a meeting with a DSTV team led by Dr. Keabetswe Modimoeng, group executive for regulatory and corporate affairs.
According to a ministry statement, George said the government’s responsibility is to respond to Ghanaians’ concerns over high DSTV pricing and outdated content offers.
The Minister pointed out that despite a 30% increase in the cedi’s value over the past five months; DSTV prices have not reflected the positive economic trend.
The statement went on to say the minister is therefore calling for a 30% price reduction to match the cedi’s appreciation and to pass on economic benefits to consumers.
According to the statement, while MultiChoice has implemented promotional packages, people prefer a direct price reduction over temporary discounts.
George said feedback from public engagements revealed that many users are dissatisfied with DSTV’s content, describing it as outdated save for Premier League football. They also believe that the current cost is not justified.
”To address the concerns, he said MultiChoice Ghana has until July 21 to formally respond to the government’s request. The Minister expects a concrete proposal by this date, allowing time for further engagement before the end of July,” the statement said.
In response, Dr. Modimoeng acknowledged the government’s concerns and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to dialogue.
The MultiChoice team reacted positively to the minister’s request and committed to provide input by July 21st. They emphasised the need of balancing public interest and business sustainability.
This is the continent’s latest pricing conundrum for the pan-African pay-TV business, following fee disputes with Nigerian and Malawian authorities.
In Ghana, the demand for price cuts comes as MultiChoice is under pressure, having lost revenue and subscribers in the financial year that ended March 31, 2025. Last month, the company announced its financial year-end results.
In a statement to shareholders last month on the Stock Exchange News Service, the company said the past two financial years have been a period of significant financial disruption for economies, corporates and consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa due to challenging macro-economic factors.
Combined with the impact of structural industry changes in video entertainment, such as the rise of piracy, streaming services and social media, this has materially affected the overall performance of the MultiChoice Group, it noted.
Over this period, MultiChoice said the group lost 2.8 million active linear subscribers and had to absorb a R10.2 billion negative impact on its top line due to local currency depreciation against the US dollar.
For the year, the company reveals that linear subscribers were down 1.2 million, or 8% year-on-year, to 14.5 million active subscribers, with the loss evenly split between South African (600 000) and rest of Africa (600 000).
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s data protection authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing, such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.
The fine was contained in a statement signed by Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, head Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, NDPC.
According to him, the investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024, was triggered by suspected breach of privacy rights of Multichoice subscribers and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.
“The NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers.
The Commission also found that Multichoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria.
The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate.
This is a grave affront to fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In line with its standard remediation procedure, the Commission directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures.
However, the Commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.
For want of cooperation, the Commission has directed Multichoice to pay ₦766,242,500 for violating the Nigerian Data Protection Act.
“Nigeria is entitled to protect her citizens and data sovereignty under both international and extant municipal laws, as these have far-reaching implication for rule of law, national security, and economic growth.” the statement said.
Babatunde also revealed that, Vincent Olatunji, national Commissioner, NDPC, has directed that all outlets through which Multichoice is collecting personal data of Nigerian citizens should be investigated for non-compliance.
He added that any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDP Act is liable to penalty under the Act.
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