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PowerCom, a subsidiary of Telecom Namibia, has officially launched a new mobile network tower at Oikokola in the Etayi Constituency

The launch expands connectivity in the Omusati Region and was attended by several distinguished guests, including minister of information and communication technology and governor of the Omusati Region. Dr Stanley Shanapinda, CEO of Telecom Namibia, was also present to show support and confirm that TN has activated 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile services on the tower.

Speaking at the event, Dr Shanapinda described the tower as “a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to connect every corner of Namibia to reliable telecommunications services.” He confirmed the project forms part of Telecom Namibia's Integrated Strategic Business Plan (ISBP), which has been approved by the Government.

He further highlighted that the initiative aligns with the government’s newly launched Digital Strategy, designed to provide fast internet connectivity. Dr Shanapinda noted that Telecom Namibia’s mobile network now covers around 93% of the population with 2G, 3G, or 4G services. The new Oikokola tower is expected to enhance mobile coverage, transforming previous “dead zones” into vital connectivity hubs for residents and businesses in the area.

The CEO stressed that constructing new towers, especially in rural areas, provides vastly improved connectivity for citizens and businesses, stimulating the growth of other enterprises and enhancing communication nationwide. “In short, connectivity is a catalyst for socio-economic growth. It helps level the playing field between urban and rural communities by bringing digital services and information right to everyone’s fingertips,” he added.

Dr Shanapinda said the tower was the result of effective collaboration and a shared vision among PowerCom, Telecom Namibia, and the Local Authority.

PowerCom, fully owned by Telecom Namibia, has been working tirelessly to expand tower infrastructure in line with national development objectives.

The ‘State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2025’, published by the GSMA Mobile Money programme, highlights two major milestones for the mobile money industry in 2024—crossing two billion registered accounts and more than half a billion active monthly users worldwide

This marks a significant acceleration in adoption, as it took the industry 18 years to reach one billion registered accounts and 250 million active users, but only five more years to double that growth.

According to the report, transaction volumes and values saw strong double-digit increases in 2024. An estimated 108 billion transactions, worth over US$1.68 trillion, were processed through mobile money accounts. Compared to 2023, transaction volumes surged by 20%, while values rose by 16%, up from 13% the previous year.

Vivek Badrinath, GSMA director general, commented, “Mobile money has emerged as a powerful driver of financial inclusion and economic growth. Its continued success depends on supportive regulatory environments that promote innovation, accessibility and help unlock the full socio-economic potential. To ensure mobile money remains accessible, affordable, and safe, it is vital for governments and regulators to work with financial service providers to support financial literacy programs, empowering underserved populations and opening new opportunities for financial decision-making.”

Sub-Saharan Africa leads

The report also underlines mobile money’s growing economic impact. By the end of 2023, countries offering mobile money services experienced a collective GDP that was over US$720bn higher than it would have been without them, translating to a 1.7% increase. Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for US$190bn of this, affirming the region’s leading role in mobile money innovation.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most active region for mobile money, with East and West Africa seeing the highest growth in registered accounts and monthly usage. In 2024, East Africa led monthly active account growth, followed by Southeast Asia and West Africa. The East Asia-Pacific region also made significant gains, ranking second in growth of monthly active accounts—driven by favourable regulatory conditions in Cambodia, Fiji, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

According to the GSMA, providers in East Asia and the Pacific are increasingly evolving into full-service financial platforms. “The most successful providers are often those who are actively innovating the breadth of their offerings,” the report noted.

Mobile money services have expanded to include adjacent financial products like credit, savings, and insurance. As of June 2024, 44% of providers offered credit—making it the most common—while about a third offered savings, and 28% provided insurance products.

Despite this momentum, the report flags ongoing adoption challenges, particularly among women. Of the 12 countries surveyed, eight still report a gender gap in mobile money ownership, with minimal improvement since 2023. Barriers such as limited awareness and low digital financial literacy persist—especially for women.

However, women who do own accounts are nearly as likely as men to have used them within the last 30 days. “To address these challenges,” the GSMA explained, “nearly 60% of mobile money providers have launched digital financial literacy initiatives to improve financial skills and drive adoption over time.”

Intelsat has partnered with Orange Mali to design and deploy an innovative satellite-powered solution aimed at overcoming Mali’s extensive geographic and logistical challenges

The collaboration has resulted in a milestone achievement: the first successful deployment of a satellite-powered 4G network in Francophone West Africa.

This transformative project was built on strong local partnerships and a deep understanding of Mali’s existing infrastructure and unique connectivity needs. By leveraging the capabilities of the Intelsat 23 (IS-23) and Intelsat 10-02 (IS-1002) satellites, Intelsat was able to deliver reliable 3G and 4G connectivity to some of the most remote regions of the country.

To ensure network resilience, Intelsat selected robust, field-proven equipment designed to withstand Mali’s challenging climate and terrain. The company managed every aspect of the network’s installation and operation, allowing Orange Mali to concentrate on its core business. By utilising existing infrastructure where feasible, Intelsat accelerated the deployment timeline and kept implementation costs in check.

Sustaining reliable service is a priority, with Intelsat and its partners providing round-the-clock in-country technical support. Proactive monitoring enables early issue detection and resolution—often before customers experience any disruption. Network experts specialising in VSAT and RAN technologies are also available to assist Orange Mali in optimising performance and efficiency.

The results have been far-reaching. Orange Mali’s satellite capacity has surged from 200 Mbps to over 5 Gbps, supporting connectivity across more than 60 remote sites in 30 regions. More than 360,000 people in previously unreachable areas now have access to mobile and internet services. This expanded connectivity has spurred economic growth, enhanced personal and professional opportunities, and improved quality of life across the country.

In the southern village of Kabala, reliable internet access has created new jobs and enabled local entrepreneurship. In northern Mali, improved communication has encouraged displaced populations to return, restoring community ties. Meanwhile, women across the country are gaining greater access to land, technology, finance, and markets—broadening their contributions to economic development.

For Orange Mali, the enhanced satellite infrastructure has opened doors to new service offerings tailored to businesses and enterprises, reinforcing its position as a key player in Mali’s digital evolution.

This landmark deployment not only connects rural communities but also lays the foundation for broader socio-economic transformation powered by digital inclusion.

This article is based on insights and information from Intelsat’s case study “Bridging Mali’s Digital Divide.” For full details and further information, please visit the original case study at: https://www.intelsat.com/resources/case-studies/bridging-malis-digital-divide/

AXIAN Telecom, a prominent pan-African operator in telecommunications, mobile financial services, and digital infrastructure, has successfully completed the pricing of its US$600mn Senior Notes due in 2030

The bond deal, finalised on 25 June 2025, drew significant interest from international investors. Initially marketed at around 7.875%, the notes were priced at a 7.250% coupon with a yield of 7.375%. This strong outcome, achieved despite global financial uncertainties, reflects high investor confidence. The offering was nearly three times oversubscribed at its peak, with participation from a broad mix of high-quality institutional investors.

Funds raised through this issuance will be used to refinance AXIAN Telecom’s notes and term loan, in addition to supporting general corporate initiatives. These include expanding the company’s digital infrastructure footprint, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable growth and bridging the digital divide across its operational markets. A key element of the issuance was AXIAN Telecom’s Sustainable Development Impact Disclosure, which outlines planned investments in infrastructure, wider smartphone access, enhanced mobile financial services, and improved digital connectivity throughout Africa.

The successful issuance illustrates investor optimism toward African markets and reinforces AXIAN Telecom’s position as a leader in innovation and connectivity on the continent.

J.P. Morgan, Standard Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank served as joint lead managers for the transaction. Legal support was provided by Latham & Watkins for AXIAN Telecom and White & Case for the initial purchasers.

“This bond issuance is a testament to the strength of our diversified business model and the trust investors place in our long-term vision. It enables us to accelerate our mission of delivering inclusive digital transformation and connectivity across Africa,” commented Hassan Jaber, CEO, AXIAN Telecom.

France-based GeniWatt has enjoyed a string of Africa successes so far in 2025, most recently completing a genset installation at a telecommunications site in Guinea Bissau

The company supplied a P22 generator set, in partnership with Synergy, for telecoms group MTN in the West African country.

The FG Wilson P22 and P33 gensets are “perfectly suited” to telecoms towers, the company noted in a statement, citing soundproof enclosures, safety options, large tanks and telemetry, with full customisation available.

Founded in 2011 by Damien Fétis, president of Secodi, GeniWatt was specially created for the distribution of FG Wilson generators in France, but has extended its footprint deeply into Africa.

West Africa, in particular, has proved fruitful ground so far during 2025.

That includes a string of orders from Cameroon, working together with another local partner, DM Approtech.

Together, the two companies have supplied generators to various groups and associations based in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital.

It includes a 110kVA FG Wilson emergency generator for the Association pour la Promotion de la Femme building, and another emergency generator with its source inverter for the Centre de Formation Sorawell, a separate entity created by the Association pour la Promotion de la Femme.

In addition, the two companies supplied a P22 generator for a new maternity unit financed by the Compassion Sans Frontière association.

Last year, GeniWatt also played a key role in a major dam project in Cameroon, modifying an FG Wilson open P150 for installation at the Nachtigal hydroelectric plant, which sits about 65 kilometres north-east of the capital.

The project included automatic load bank and oil top-up, dual starter with dual battery sets, NFE37-312 GSS2 compliance for safety, a tank with two electric pumps and a manual pump, conducted again alongside DM Approtech, with supervision from EDF to validate the specifications.

Nachtigal is a key strategic project for Cameroon, operated by a consortium that includes energy giant EDF.

The dam’s first turbine is now operational, with full commissioning expected during 2025.

With an expected total capacity of 420 MW, it will eventually cover nearly 30% of Cameroon’s energy needs with clean, available and inexpensive electricity.

West Africa’s DDoS threat landscape was dominated by Nigeria and Mali, according to NETSCOUT’s Threat Intelligence Report for July to December 2024, which analyses global attack trends and techniques

Nigeria faced 1,716 attacks in the latter half of 2024, a notable decline from 2,721 incidents in the first six months. Meanwhile, Mali saw a dramatic surge, with attacks soaring from 115 in the first half to 1,637 in the second half of the year.

“Web search portals and all other information services bore the brunt of attacks in Mali, with an astounding average duration of 1,197 minutes per incident,” said Bryan Hamman, NETSCOUT’s regional director for Africa. “This was followed by wired telecommunications carriers, which was also the most targeted industry at a global level during the same period, with more than 2.1 million incidents.”

In Nigeria, the main targets included telecommunications resellers and computing infrastructure providers. Interestingly, beauty salons appeared among the top ten sectors attacked, alongside wired telecommunications carriers, commercial banks, used merchandise retailers, tyre dealers, and household electronics wholesalers. “This shows once again how threat actors adapt their strategies accordingly within different countries to target those industries that are strong in individual sovereign territories,” Hamman explained.

Nigeria also experienced some of the most complex DDoS campaigns in the region, with up to 22 different vendors involved in a single attack, primarily using TCP, DNS amplification, and ICMP flood (Ping flood) methods.

Liberia ranked next with 1,189 attacks, slightly fewer than the 1,515 reported earlier in 2024. The country’s computer systems design services sector was heavily targeted, suffering 360 attacks over six months. DNS amplification was the dominant attack vector, closely followed by STUN amplification.

Ghana recorded a sharp decline in attacks in the second half of 2024, falling to 917 from 4,753 earlier in the year. The ICT sector remained most targeted, including web search portals and information services (317 attacks), wired telecommunications carriers (43), and computing infrastructure providers. Notably, footwear manufacturers were third, enduring 14 attacks during the period.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo entered NETSCOUT’s rankings for the first time, coming in fifth with 879 attacks. Hamman noted, “While the most significant attack peaked at a modest 0.74 Gbps, the complexity was notable – with up to 15 vectors used in a single attack.” Computing infrastructure providers bore the brunt, though one satellite telecommunications attack lasted an exhausting 689 minutes.

Though Cameroon was not the most targeted country with 811 incidents, nor did it experience the most complex attacks, it recorded the highest bandwidth attack in the region at 200.43 Gbps – surpassing Nigeria’s 148.77 Gbps.

Meanwhile, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo faced fewer attacks, with 495, 341, and 329 incidents respectively. Côte d'Ivoire suffered the largest attack among them at 8.66 Gbps, targeting wired telecommunications carriers. Guinea’s wireless telecommunications carriers were most pressured, while telecommunications resellers were the hardest hit in the Republic of the Congo.

“This latest data from NETSCOUT reinforces a critical truth for West Africa: DDoS attacks aren’t just increasing in frequency, but also in intensity and sophistication,” Hamman emphasized. “While nations like Nigeria and Mali face a high volume of incidents, others are experiencing powerful, high-bandwidth attacks that can cripple essential services.

“As noted previously, the ICT sector remains firmly in the crosshairs across the continent in its entirety, making it vital for organisations across the region to prioritise proactive defence strategies, invest in continuous risk assessments and engage in broader cybersecurity collaboration to stay ahead of evolving threats,” he concluded.