MTN's subscribers are on the rise (Image source: Adobe Stock).

MTN Group saw its total subscriber numbers climb 2.2% in 2024, to 290.9 million, the company revealed in its latest annual report

Active data subscribers also climbed 7.7% to 157.8 million, it added, while data traffic was up by 32.6% to 19,459 petabytes.

In his opening comments to the report, Ralph Mupita, MTN’s president and CEO, called it a “solid commercial performance” amid a challenging global geopolitical landscape.

“In terms of our commercial performance, our results were supported by an increase in the subscriber base to 291 million, a 6.2 million net addition in customers, excluding the markets we exited during the year,” he said.

MTN currently operates in 16 markets, following various international withdrawals last year, including a departure from Afghanistan.

The company also reported encouraging news in terms of its data services, an area in which it sees great potential going forward.

“Our ongoing investments enabled us to capture the ongoing structural demand for our data and fintech services in our markets, with traffic up by 37.3% (excluding JVs) and fintech transaction volumes up 15.3%,” said Mupita.

“Our prospects and investment case are underpinned by the structural demand we see in data and fintech.”

Produced under the theme of ‘Accelerating Africa’s digital future’, MTN also published various other reports covering areas such as ESG and transparency.

“Committed to operating responsibly and ethically, in 2024 MTN remained focused on executing on our strategic intent of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress, despite the global uncertainties,” said Mupita.

The reports also spell out how the rapid expansion of AI presents new ethical risks, prompting MTN to develop a Responsible AI Policy to uphold digital rights and data privacy.

“As a business, we remain resolute in our commitment to accelerating Africa’s digital future and will maintain the focus on operational excellence and strategic execution to capture the exciting growth opportunities in our footprint.”

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Morocco is bracing for an influx of tourists (Image source: Adobe Stock).

A new report by Ookla highlights the ongoing growth of Morocco’s fixed telecom sector, driven by fibre optic deployments, which are rapidly improving network performance, ahead of the country hosting various flagship international events in the next five years

The country’s fixed wired broadband market has grown significantly, reaching nearly 2.6 million connections by September 2024, up from over 1.6 million in 2019, according to the Moroccan telecom regulator (ANRT).

Ookla’s latest analysis of wifi performance in the country’s premier hotels also highlights how infrastructure is adapting to meet the demands of high-speed internet connectivity in support of the influx of tourists attending the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) event.

The soccer tournament runs from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. In 2030, Morocco is also set to host the World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.

“Our analysis reveals the ongoing transformation of Morocco’s digital infrastructure, which will play a crucial role in supporting the influx of tourists and international events such as the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup,” said Karim Yaici, lead industry analyst for the Middle East and Africa at Ookla.

“With continued investment in fibre and the upcoming 5G rollout, Morocco is boosting its appeal as a tourist destination, especially for travellers who prioritise seamless online access.”

According to Speedtest Intelligence data, Morocco’s leading cities, Rabat and Casablanca, are at the forefront of fixed broadband performance. These cities recorded median broadband speeds of 36.55 Mbps and 35.57 Mbps, respectively, in Q4 2024.

Furthermore, wifi performance in luxury hotels in Agadir and Marrakesh is setting a high standard, notes the Ookla report.

Despite lower broadband speeds in these cities, the wifi in top hotels, such as The View, Hotel Riu Palace Tikida, and La Mamounia, far outperforms its peers in other cities with higher overall broadband speeds.

“Casablanca and Rabat offer strong fixed broadband performance, but some of their five-star hotels face challenges in delivering high-quality wifi service,” Ookla said in a statement announcing the report.

“These properties, which are likely connected to fibre networks, deliver limited wifi performance. Potential causes include outdated or misconfigured access points.”

It said optimising equipment placements and upgrading systems could enhance guest experience by reducing congestion and improving connectivity.

Moreover, Morocco’s broadband market is poised for “significant growth”, it added, driven by fibre deployment and plans for a 5G technology rollout.

The Moroccan government’s ‘Maroc Digital 2030’ initiative, with a budget of US$1bn, aims to connect 4.4 million households with fibre by the end of 2025 and reach 5.6 million households and 6,300 government institutions by 2030.

“This expansion, along with the launch of 5G services this year, promises to improve overall internet connectivity and strengthen the telecom sector in Morocco, providing a strong foundation for the tourism and hospitality industries.”

Orange and Camusat team up to cut CO₂ emissions from telecom infrastructure and advance net zero goals

Orange has partnered with the Camusat Group – renowned for its leadership in sustainable telecom infrastructure – to launch a joint plan aimed at significantly cutting CO₂-equivalent emissions from the products and services delivered by Camusat

This strategic collaboration will focus on reducing energy usage across telecom facilities, increasing the use of eco-friendly materials, and improving logistics processes.

The initiative forms a crucial part of Orange’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon by 2040. Given that scope 3 emissions – largely tied to purchasing and supply chains – represent over 80% of the Group’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) output, addressing them is critical. Camusat aligns with this objective, having already developed its own low-carbon strategy with targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

This joint roadmap falls under Orange’s wider ‘Partners to net zero carbon’ programme, which is designed to co-develop impactful actions with suppliers that result in tangible emissions reductions. The focus is on implementing practical, trackable solutions in two main areas:

Reducing GHG emissions: Orange and Camusat will work closely to apply identified levers for cutting GHG emissions. Through shared data, they will quantify the carbon footprint of telecom infrastructures and track progress in addressing shared environmental challenges.

Assessing product and service impact: Camusat will deliver detailed data on the carbon impact of its offerings, which Orange will incorporate into its overall scope 3 emissions inventory. This will help Orange refine its emissions tracking and support long-term reduction goals leading up to 2040.

“Orange is firmly committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2040. This partnership with Camusat illustrates our desire to work hand in hand with our suppliers to accelerate the energy transition and reduce our collective carbon footprint,” said Elizabeth Tchoungui, executive director in charge of corporate social responsibility for the Orange Group.

“With the signing of this contract, Camusat is pursuing its GHG reduction objectives while helping ambitious companies like Orange to reduce their carbon footprint. Our solutions, such as low-carbon energy infrastructures, are a strategic lever for meeting the growing demand for clean, renewable energy in telecommunications,” added Elodie Perrigot, director of ESG HSE E&S ethics for the Camusat Group.

Orange and Camusat have long collaborated across regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and Europe on infrastructure development. This latest agreement marks a new phase in their partnership—focusing on innovation and sustainability.

Also read: Orange, Vodacom introduce solar-powered tower initiative

IEA warns AI-driven data centre growth could strain sub-Saharan Africa’s already limited power capacity and supply chains

AI is set to drive surging electricity demand from data centres, currently being rolled out in number across Africa, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)

It poses a significant potential challenge for energy providers in sub-Saharan Africa, with the continent already lagging far behind other regions in terms of spare power capacity.

The IEA projects that electricity demand from data centres worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to around 945 terawatt-hours (TWh), almost as much electricity as the whole of Japan uses today.

“AI is one of the biggest stories in the energy world today – but until now, policy makers and markets lacked the tools to fully understand the wide-ranging impacts,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol, launching a new report.

The rise in global electricity demand is likely to put pressure not only on Africa’s scarce power resources, but even more so in developed regions.

“The effects will be particularly strong in some countries. For example, in the United States, data centres are on course to account for almost half of the growth in electricity demand; in Japan, more than half; and in Malaysia, as much as one-fifth.”

The report notes that Africa has the lowest energy consumption at less than 1 kWh of data centre electricity consumption per capita in 2024, rising to slightly less than 2 kWh per capita by the end of the decade.

However, there are strong differences within the region, with South Africa showing strong growth and per-capita consumption more than 15 times larger than the continental average in 2030, with an intensity higher than 25 kWh per capita.

Moreover, despite the strong increase, data centre electricity demand growth still accounts for less than 10 per cent of global electricity demand growth between 2024 and 2030, the IEA notes.

Other key drivers, such as industry output growth and electrification, the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs), and the adoption of air conditioning, lead the way.

However, it notes, while the absolute growth may appear smaller, data centres, unlike EVs, tend to concentrate in specific locations, making their integration into the grid potentially more challenging.

A diverse range of energy sources will be tapped to meet data centres’ rising electricity needs, according to the report – though renewables and natural gas are set to take the lead due to their cost-competitiveness and availability in key markets.

Across all cases, renewables play a pivotal role in meeting the growing electricity demand, the report notes, however, fossil fuels remain important for meeting the near-term surge in demand up to 2030.

The long-term growth of renewables to meet rising AI and data centre demand could put pressure on the resources needed to complete new clean projects, especially as more developed regions race to build additional capacity.

A major consideration related to the rapid growth of AI and data centres is the demand for critical minerals, the report notes.

Apart from bulk materials like steel and concrete, the construction of data centres requires sizeable amounts of several minerals and metals, such as copper, aluminium, silicon, gallium, rare earth elements and battery minerals.

Here, Africa might also face the task of shoring up its own supply chains, rather than as a supplier of raw materials and commodities to the rest of the world.

“Securing the supply of affordable and reliable power for data centres is at the heart of the challenge of energy for AI,” the report notes.

“In particular, the growing expansion of AI data centres has amplified the urgency of addressing power equipment supply chain constraints.”

Countries that want to benefit from the potential of AI, the report adds, need to quickly accelerate new investments in electricity generation and grids, improve the efficiency and flexibility of data centres, and strengthen the dialogue between policy makers, the tech sector and the energy industry.