China is advancing a new cable interface designed to consolidate video, audio, data transmission and power delivery into a single connection, challenging established technologies such as HDMI, USB and DisplayPort as manufacturers seek simpler, higher-capacity ways to connect electronic devices.

The General Purpose Media Interface (GPMI), developed by an alliance of Chinese technology companies, supports advertised bandwidth of up to 192 gigabits per second (Gbps) and power delivery of up to 480 watts (W), specifications intended to accommodate demanding applications such as 8K ultra-high-definition video.

The technology is being promoted by the Shenzhen 8K UHD Video Industry Cooperation Alliance, a consortium involving more than 50 companies, including electronics manufacturers and technology suppliers. Its stated objective is to address the limitations of existing interfaces by combining several connectivity functions in one cable.

GPMI could reduce the number of cables and separate power connections required by televisions, computers, monitors and audiovisual equipment. It also supports bidirectional data transmission and device control, potentially allowing connected equipment to exchange information rather than simply transmit content in one direction.

Two versions target different devices

GPMI has two principal connector configurations, with different performance capabilities.

The Type-B version offers the headline specifications of 192Gbps bandwidth and 480W power delivery. It uses a dedicated connector and is designed for applications requiring higher data throughput and power capacity.

The Type-C version uses the USB-C connector format and is specified to deliver up to 96Gbps of bandwidth and 240W of power. Its design could make it more suitable for devices such as laptops, monitors and other equipment built around compact connections.

However, sharing the USB-C connector format does not automatically make every existing USB-C port compatible with GPMI. Devices must support the relevant technology for its full capabilities to be available.

The higher-capacity Type-B configuration is designed to support 8K video at up to 120 frames per second, according to HiSilicon, the Chinese chip developer promoting the technology. The Type-C version is specified for 8K at 60 frames per second or 4K at 120 frames per second.

GPMI also incorporates networking and control capabilities, including support for connecting multiple devices in a chain. This could simplify installations involving displays, computers, audiovisual equipment and other connected devices.

A challenge to established standards

The technology enters a market in which HDMI remains widely used for connecting televisions, monitors and entertainment equipment, while USB-C, USB4 and Thunderbolt serve a growing range of data, display and power applications.

GPMI’s proposed advantage is the combination of these functions rather than simply higher transmission speeds. A sufficiently powerful, compatible connection could carry high-resolution video, exchange data and supply electricity without requiring several separate cables.

That proposition could appeal to manufacturers of smart televisions, commercial displays, gaming systems and professional audiovisual equipment, particularly where cable management and power requirements complicate installation.

There is also a geopolitical question over whether Western technology companies will embrace a connectivity standard developed in China, at a time when control over technology standards, semiconductor supply chains and digital infrastructure has become an increasingly important element of economic competition. Even if GPMI delivers on its technical promises, adoption beyond China will depend partly on whether global electronics manufacturers see commercial advantages in supporting a standard they did not develop and do not control.

Compatibility with existing equipment, licensing arrangements, intellectual property protections and confidence in long-term governance could influence that decision. Yet the commercial logic cuts both ways. If GPMI offers demonstrable performance or cost advantages, manufacturers may find it difficult to ignore, regardless of where the technology originated.

But technical specifications alone will not determine whether GPMI becomes a global standard. Its prospects will depend on manufacturers incorporating compatible ports into products, the availability of supporting chips and cables, pricing, and whether device makers outside China choose to adopt it.

Compatibility will also be important. Consumers and businesses have invested heavily in equipment built around existing interfaces, meaning any transition would have to offer clear practical benefits to justify replacing established connections or adding adapters.

GPMI is therefore better understood as an emerging challenger than an immediate replacement for HDMI and USB. Its performance claims indicate the direction of China’s ambitions in electronic connectivity, but widespread adoption remains a separate test.

For the broader technology industry, the development highlights a continuing effort to simplify the connections between devices while increasing the bandwidth and power available through a single interface. Whether GPMI can turn that proposition into a widely adopted alternative will depend on how quickly its technical capabilities translate into commercially available products.

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Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President and CEO said, “Our ambition for Africa is ultimately powered by people. Technology will continue to change what is possible, but it is the ingenuity, resilience and commitment of our people that turn that possibility into progress.”

The Forbes list is drawn from an independent, anonymous survey in which more than 300,000 employees in over 50 countries are asked how likely they are to recommend their employer to family and friends. Zain Group which is headquartered in Kuwait City topped the telecoms category.

Mupita said, “Being recognised among the world’s best employers for a sixth consecutive year is something we are proud of, particularly because the list is informed by the voices and experiences of employees.”

Over the last three years, MTN has climbed 261 places in the overall ranking, rising from 394th in 2023 to 133rd in 2026. This year alone, the Group moved up 33 places to rank 133rd out of 900 companies globally, making MTN the fifth-highest-ranked African company and the highest-ranked African company outside financial services.

The recognition comes at an important point in MTN’s journey as the Group begins delivering its Ambition 2030 strategy, with its people at the centre of the work to lead digital solutions for Africa’s progress. The ranking is also a sign of the progress MTN has made in bringing its Live Inspired Employee Value Promise and Live Y’ello values to life.

MTN’s workforce spans more than 70 nationalities across its footprint, bringing together people working across Connectivity, Fintech and Digital Infrastructure. The Group’s Live Inspired employee promise and Live Y’ello values underpin its approach to creating a workplace where people can contribute meaningfully, continue learning and feel included.

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MTN’s decision to return R6 billion ($375 million) to shareholders underscores the strength of its African operations, even as the telecoms group continues to carry the financial and geopolitical cost of its long-running exposure to Iran, according to London-based market intelligence and news platform Allen Dreyfus.

MTN owns a 49pc stake in Irancell, a joint venture between South Africa’s MTN and an Iranian government-controlled consortium. But US sanctions, coupled with the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial, have trapped significant shareholder value in the volatile market, limiting MTN’s ability to exercise its exit option.

Dreyfus reports that the continent’s largest mobile operator has approved the share buyback after reporting a 21.3pc increase in adjusted half-year profit, with adjusted headline earnings per share rising to 793 cents from 654 cents.

Investors responded positively, pushing MTN’s share price 4.61pc higher to R201 as the buyback reinforced confidence in the group’s cash-generating capacity.

For MTN, however, the headline numbers conceal a more complicated picture according to Dereyfus.

Reported headline earnings per share fell 5.8pc after the group recognised a R3.9 billion non-cash impairment on its 49pc stake in Irancell, its Iranian associate. The impairment reflects the impact of hyperinflation and the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial.

Currency weakness elsewhere in MTN’s footprint also continued to weigh on performance, with foreign-exchange losses in South Sudan highlighting the broader risks of operating across volatile frontier markets.

But Iran remains the more difficult problem to resolve. MTN has been working to complete its withdrawal from the Middle East and focus its portfolio increasingly on Africa. Its exit from Iran, however, has been complicated by US sanctions, leaving approximately R880 million in dividends trapped in the country since 2018, according to Dreyfus.

That creates an unusual contrast in MTN’s capital allocation story – while the group is sufficiently confident in its African cash flows to commit R6 billion to buying back its own shares, a substantial pool of money generated by an overseas investment remains inaccessible.

“The distinction is important for investors assessing MTN’s longer-term strategy,” says Dreyfus.

“With more than 317 million subscribers across 19 markets, the group remains deeply exposed to the growth of Africa’s consumer economy, particularly through mobile data, digital services and financial technology. Its African operations provide the underlying growth story supporting shareholder returns.”

The Iran exposure, by contrast, represents a legacy investment whose strategic value has diminished as MTN has sought to simplify its portfolio and concentrate on markets where it can exercise greater operational and financial control.

“The buyback is a strong vote of confidence in MTN’s ability to generate cash from its core African operations, but it also highlights the unfinished business around Iran,” said Dreyfuss.

For investors, the next question may therefore be less about whether MTN can return capital and more about how quickly it can remove the remaining obstacles to a cleaner, Africa-focused balance sheet.

The R6 billion buyback signals that MTN can absorb the financial strain associated with its legacy exposures. Closing the Iran chapter, however, could give investors a clearer view of the African growth story the group increasingly wants to present.

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The African Drone Forum (ADF) is taking Africa’s drone and autonomous aviation agenda into a more practical phase at the 2026 Aviation Africa Summit, building on the foundation laid by its debut partnership with the summit in Kigali last year.

ADF will return as strategic partner for the Drone and Autonomous Systems Programme at the 10th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition, scheduled for September 9–10 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, with the 2026 programme placing greater emphasis on how Africa can safely and commercially scale its emerging low-altitude economy.

At Aviation Africa 2025 in Kigali, ADF curated the Drone and Advanced Air Mobility track for the first time, bringing drones, unmanned traffic management (UTM), beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, regulation and advanced air mobility into the mainstream aviation conversation.

The Kigali summit brought together more than 2,100 delegates, including more than 30 Directors General of Civil Aviation, while ADF’s programme included Africa’s first public demonstration of a pilotless passenger eVTOL aircraft. The discussions also produced calls for regulatory sandboxes, BVLOS corridors, stronger UTM systems and greater harmonisation of regulatory approaches.

ADF’s second year at Aviation Africa therefore represents a move from making the case for drones to addressing the systems needed to make them work at scale.

Under the 2026 theme, “Advancing the Future of Autonomy in Africa,” the programme will examine how policy, investment, talent and infrastructure can unlock the continent’s low-altitude economy.

A major new feature is the inaugural African Drone Regulators Forum (ADRF), a closed-door session on the second day of the summit, bringing together officials responsible for drone regulation within African civil aviation authorities.

ADF explains that rather than another conventional conference panel, the regulators’ forum is designed as a working session where authorities can compare regulatory frameworks, identify common bottlenecks and explore practical approaches to issues such as BVLOS authorisation, UTM governance and training pathways.

This regulatory focus responds directly to one of the central lessons from Kigali where delegates agreed that Africa’s drone opportunity cannot be unlocked by technology alone.

The 2025 discussions highlighted the need for regulatory systems designed around actual missions such as healthcare delivery, agriculture, mining and inspection, while also calling for regulatory sandboxes, harmonised safety assessments and electronic conspicuity to support safer cross-border operations.

The 2026 programme broadens that implementation agenda further with an African Drone Security Forum, examining the growing intersection of drones, artificial intelligence and security.

The forum will look at civil-security cooperation, risk mitigation, detection and response, and responsible deployment of emerging technologies.

Five industry panels will meanwhile address workforce development, BVLOS operations and enabling infrastructure, drone data and AI, advanced air mobility and investment.

The emphasis on infrastructure is particularly important as African markets move beyond individual drone deployments towards integrated systems capable of supporting larger fleets and more complex operations.

ADF says the 2026 programme will therefore focus not simply on regulatory approval but on what comes afterwards, including corridor design, electronic conspicuity, remote identification, coordination with air navigation service providers and sustainable business models.

Nairobi also gives the conversation a practical setting. Kenya is emerging as one of Africa’s most active drone markets, with an operational BVLOS corridor, a live UTM procurement process and a large base of licensed drone training academies.

The programme will be complemented by an ADF Drone and Autonomous Systems Exhibition Pavilion, bringing together African and international companies working in drones, autonomous systems, data and supporting technologies.

While Kigali helped establish that drones and advanced air mobility belong in the continent’s aviation strategy; Nairobi is set to concentrate on the rules, infrastructure, skills, security and investment needed to turn that recognition into an operating ecosystem.

ADF’s return for a second consecutive year suggests that the agenda has moved from putting the technology on the aviation map to working out how Africa can integrate it safely, sustainably and commercially into its skies.

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In a paper published this week, Martin Schindler, Nikola Spatafora, and Andrew Tiffin think AI can boost productivity, create better jobs, and improve public services in sub-Saharan Africa, but realizing these gains will require reliable power, affordable internet, stronger skills, and rules people trust.

Titled Africa Can Grow Faster With AI—If It Moves Now, the paper from the onset states that AI will reshape the global economy, but questions whether Africa will ride the wave or gets left behind.

It states: ‘Our research shows AI’s promise, but it also points to significant risks and challenges. At current levels of preparedness, we estimate that AI will add just 0.2 percent to the region’s GDP over the next decade—little more than a rounding error.’

‘However, if countries can put the right foundations in place to accelerate adoption and extend the impact of AI beyond today’s digitally connected firms, the gains could rise to about 4 percent over the decade—nearly half a percentage point of additional growth a year’.

The authors are IMF advisor, Martin Schindler, Nikola Spatafora, a senior economist, and Andrew Tiffin, a deputy division chief, all in the IMF’s African Department.

According to the paper, this extra growth is critical given Africa’s vast jobs challenge. By 2030, sub-Saharan Africa will account for roughly half of new entrants into the global labor force. But the issue is not only the number of jobs needed—it is also their quality.

Most workers are still in informal microenterprises or smallholder agriculture, where productivity is far below that of formal firms.

For the region, AI’s main promise is not about replacing office workers, but boosting productivity across the economy—helping informal firms manage inventory, enabling farmers to increase yields, and supporting mid-sized firms to transition to formality and export readiness.

The risk is that the opposite happens. AI adoption in sub-Saharan Africa currently lags well behind every other region. If richer economies race ahead while African firms and governments lag, the productivity gap between the region and the rest of the world will only widen.

The authors go on to say the largest gains from AI may come in places people least expect. Much discussion today focuses on coders, consultants, and call centers. But, in Africa, the key question is whether AI can reach farms, schools, clinics, small businesses, and tax offices.

Agriculture is the biggest test. It employs a large share of the region’s workforce, but crop yields remain well below potential. AI tools can give farmers practical, low-cost advice—when to plant, how much fertilizer to use, how to spot pests, and how to cope with weather shocks. Kenya’s Agricultural Observatory Platform, for instance, shows how real-time weather and crop-management data can help inform farmers’ decisions.

Trials in Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda suggest that digital advisories can lift yields, especially when paired with better inputs. Similar results with AI-enabled crop monitoring in South Africa shows that technology can boost yields while cutting waste.

They state: ‘The same potential extends beyond farming. In education, AI tutors and even simple SMS-based learning tools can support students where teachers are in short supply. Recent pilot programs in Nigeria show that well-designed chatbot tutoring can deliver sizable learning gains. In Rwanda, digital-skills initiatives and expanded school connectivity show how AI can support a broader skills agenda’.

In healthcare, AI will not replace Africa’s overstretched nurses and doctors, but it can help them do more by supporting triage, diagnosis, and follow-up care.

In public finance, AI-driven data analytics are already helping governments—from Kenya to South Africa—to strengthen tax compliance and mobilize revenue for development.

However, AI depends on reliable electricity, affordable broadband and data infrastructure, and workers with digital skills. That means investing in power and connectivity, supporting regional data infrastructure where viable, and strengthening digital and AI literacy through education and training.

Secondly, AI can widen inequality if its benefits are concentrated among large firms, skilled workers, and urban hubs. It also creates risks around privacy, cybersecurity, misinformation, and dependence on foreign providers.

Governments need clear and practical rules on data, competition, consumer protection, cybersecurity, and the public sector’s use of AI. Regional cooperation will also be essential. Many African economies are too small to build AI ecosystems alone. But together they can create the scale needed for infrastructure, data standards, regulation, and markets.

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Africa has overtaken every other region in the world as the leading hotspot for iGaming fraud, with fraud rates now standing 66 percent above the global average, underscoring the growing cybersecurity and identity verification challenges facing one of the world’s fastest-growing online gaming markets.

The findings are contained in the Sumsub iGaming Fraud Report 2026, which analysed more than three million fraud attempts and millions of identity verification checks conducted between 2024 and the first quarter of 2026.

According to the report, Africa’s iGaming fraud rate reached 2.54 percent in the first quarter of 2026, significantly exceeding fraud levels recorded in Europe, Latin America, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. After easing during 2025, fraudulent activity rebounded sharply this year, making Africa the largest contributor to the global rise in online gaming fraud.

For East Africa, however, the picture is mixed.

While Kenya and Uganda registered declining fraud trends towards the end of 2025, suggesting that anti-fraud measures may be gaining traction, fraud levels remain relatively high. Malawi emerged as one of Africa’s highest-risk markets, recording a fraud rate of 4.7 percent, the fourth highest on the continent.

The regional differences indicate that fraud risks are evolving differently across African markets, requiring operators to tailor fraud prevention strategies to local conditions rather than relying on continent-wide approaches.

Globally, the report found that fraud rates increased by nearly 18 percent year-on-year, while suspicious financial transactions surged more than fourfold. The average value of suspicious transactions also climbed to more than USD6,500, reflecting the growing sophistication and financial scale of organised fraud networks.

“Africa’s rapid digital adoption, growing online gaming sector and expanding access to financial services have created enormous opportunities for operators, but they have also attracted increasingly sophisticated fraud actors,” says Jarryd Jensen, Regional Director for Southern Africa at Sumsub.

Perhaps the report’s most significant finding is the changing nature of identity fraud across Africa.

Unlike Europe, where forged identity documents remain a major threat, 97 percent of fraud detected on the continent is intercepted during facial biometric, or liveness, verification. This indicates that fraudsters are increasingly using genuine stolen identities rather than counterfeit documents to open gaming accounts.

The trend points to a growing reliance on identity theft, with criminals exploiting personal information obtained through data breaches, phishing attacks and other illicit channels before attempting to bypass digital verification systems.

The report also highlights the increasing role of artificial intelligence in enabling fraud at scale.

According to Sumsub’s iGaming Product Evangelist Kris Galloway, fraudsters are increasingly deploying AI-generated faces, manipulated identity documents, synthetic identities and automated application processes to overwhelm verification systems.

“AI dramatically lowers the cost and effort required to commit fraud at scale, and professional fraud groups are already taking advantage of it,” he said.

Among African countries, Côte d’Ivoire recorded the continent’s highest fraud rate at 7.8 percent, followed by Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. South Africa recorded one of the sharpest deteriorations, with fraud levels more than tripling during the second half of 2025.

The report further found that fraudulent activity across Africa is most likely to occur between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (GMT+2), a pattern that differs from fraud cycles observed in Europe, Asia and North America.

Sumsub argues that traditional Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance is no longer sufficient to protect operators.

Instead, gaming companies are being urged to adopt integrated fraud management systems combining biometric identity verification, behavioural analytics, device intelligence and continuous transaction monitoring throughout the customer lifecycle.

As Africa’s digital economy expands and online gaming continues to attract millions of new users, the report suggests that trust, cybersecurity and identity protection are rapidly becoming competitive advantages as much as regulatory obligations.

For East African operators, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, the improving fraud trend offers cautious optimism, but the persistence of elevated fraud levels indicates that investment in advanced fraud detection technologies will remain essential as digital gaming markets continue to mature.

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The global aviation industry is betting on artificial intelligence, biometrics and digital infrastructure—not new airports alone—to accommodate an expected 10 billion air passengers annually by 2050, according to SITA’s latest Impact Report.

Released in Geneva, the SITA Impact Report 2025 argues that the future growth of air transport will depend on software-driven innovation capable of expanding airport capacity, accelerating border clearance, improving operational efficiency and reducing carbon emissions without requiring a proportional increase in physical infrastructure.

The report comes as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that annual passenger traffic will double over the coming decades, reaching eight billion within the next 20 to 25 years before climbing towards 10 billion by mid-century.

SITA Chief Executive Officer David Lavorel said the industry’s biggest challenge is finding ways to move twice as many travellers without doubling airports, aircraft fleets or border personnel.

“Airports are scaling capacity within the buildings they already have, avoiding the cost and timelines of new construction. Governments are clearing borders before passengers ever reach a queue or an officer’s booth, while AI is moving from pilot projects into day-to-day airline operations,” he said.

Among the report’s findings is the growing adoption of biometric border management. In Aruba, digital travel credentials and biometric verification have reduced passenger border processing times to as little as eight seconds, while more than 271 million travellers annually now undergo AI-supported risk assessments before arrival, most completed in under four seconds.

Artificial intelligence is also reshaping airline operations. SITA’s OptiFlight platform analysed 2.9 million flights during 2025 for 59 airline customers, using machine learning to recommend more fuel-efficient flight profiles. The system helped airlines save more than 127,700 tonnes of fuel and prevented approximately 403,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Major airports are also deploying AI to improve operational efficiency. Toronto Pearson and Abu Dhabi International Airport are using intelligent airport management systems to reduce aircraft turnaround times, while Thai Airways has cut baggage rebooking times from three minutes to just one second through AI-powered automation integrated into SITA WorldTracer.

The report also highlights technology’s growing role in strengthening operational resilience.

During a 2025 trial at France’s Reims Air Traffic Control Centre, shared real-time weather intelligence reduced weather-related delays by up to 65 percent, saving an estimated 105,000 delay minutes over just three weeks of disrupted operations.

Meanwhile, SITA said more than 460 flights continued operating during last year’s global CrowdStrike IT outage through its airport departure control systems, while airline and airport operations supporting the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage recorded zero downtime and no major operational incidents.

Passenger experience is also improving through advances in baggage tracking. Airlines participating in SITA’s collaboration with Apple, recently expanded to include Google, recorded a 90 percent reduction in permanently lost luggage for passengers using Apple AirTags linked to the WorldTracer baggage management platform.

The report points to Europe as an example of the industry’s digital-first approach, with Frankfurt Airport’s new Terminal 3—designed to handle up to 19 million passengers annually in its initial phase—built around shared digital infrastructure rather than traditional standalone airline systems.

Beyond operational performance, SITA reported revenue growth of seven percent to US$1.71 billion in 2025, marking its fourth consecutive year of sustained expansion. The company also reduced its own greenhouse gas emissions by 1.3 percent during the year, bringing total emissions reductions to 32 percent compared with 2019 levels while sourcing 90 percent of its global office electricity from renewable energy.

The findings reinforce a growing consensus across the aviation industry that digital transformation will become as important as airport expansion in meeting future demand, enabling airlines and governments to increase capacity while improving efficiency, resilience and sustainability.

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Uganda’s telecommunications market could be on the cusp of a new competitive battle after Savanna Uganda announced its entry into mobile telecommunications, betting that bundling unlimited mobile services with home and business fibre broadband can disrupt the country’s traditional telecom model.

The company, which has established itself as one of Uganda’s leading fibre broadband providers, is moving beyond fixed internet into mobile voice and data services, becoming one of the country’s newest mobile network operators (MNO) and signalling an ambitious shift from a niche internet provider to a fully integrated telecom company.

The strategy introduces a business model that has remained relatively uncommon in Uganda’s market. Rather than treating fixed broadband and mobile services as separate products, Savanna plans to combine them under a single customer account, allowing subscribers to add unlimited voice and mobile data SIM cards to existing fibre internet packages for an incremental fee.

The move represents more than a product launch. It is an attempt to reshape how Ugandans purchase connectivity by encouraging households and businesses to view broadband and mobile communications as one integrated service.

For years, Uganda’s telecommunications sector has largely been dominated by operators competing primarily on prepaid mobile voice and data bundles, while fixed broadband has remained a separate market serving a smaller customer base. Savanna is wagering that convergence—the integration of fixed and mobile connectivity—will become the next frontier of competition.

Chief Executive Officer Alex Wanyoike described the launch as a defining moment for both the company and Uganda’s digital economy.

“Today marks a transformative moment for Savanna Fibre Uganda and for the people and businesses we serve. We are proud to extend our robust fibre-driven customer model into mobile, delivering truly unlimited voice and data at an affordable incremental price,” Wanyoike said.

Mobile SIM Card agents and customers during the launch.

He added that integrating mobile SIM cards with home and office fibre subscriptions would create a seamless and scalable connectivity experience while accelerating Uganda’s digital adoption.

The company will initially roll out the service across Kampala and the Greater Kampala metropolitan area before expanding into other regions of the country.

Beyond Uganda, Savanna has already signalled regional ambitions, identifying South Africa among the markets where it hopes to replicate its integrated telecommunications model.

The expansion comes at a time when demand for always-on connectivity continues to grow, fuelled by remote work, online education, digital financial services, cloud computing and streaming entertainment. Businesses are also increasingly seeking reliable, high-capacity internet connections that can seamlessly extend beyond office premises through mobile access.

Industry analysts say the convergence of fibre and mobile services has become a defining trend in mature telecommunications markets, where operators seek to increase customer loyalty by offering bundled services while reducing subscriber churn. If successful, Savanna’s model could place pressure on established operators to rethink pricing structures and product offerings.

The launch also reflects broader changes in Uganda’s digital economy, where consumers are demanding greater simplicity, predictable billing and higher-value connectivity rather than fragmented subscriptions across multiple providers.

By leveraging its existing fibre infrastructure, Savanna enters the mobile market with an established customer base that could provide a foundation for growth without having to build demand from scratch.

The company believes combining unlimited mobile services with its fibre network will strengthen its competitive position while expanding digital inclusion for households, entrepreneurs and businesses.

Whether the strategy fundamentally reshapes Uganda’s telecom landscape remains to be seen. However, Savanna’s entry introduces a fresh competitive dynamic into a market where innovation has increasingly shifted from network expansion to service integration and customer experience.

If the model gains traction, Uganda’s telecom industry may be entering a new phase where the battle is no longer simply about who offers the cheapest data bundle, but who delivers the most complete digital ecosystem.

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MTN Uganda has paid UGX 54.3 billion to the Uganda Communications Commission under the sector’s statutory levy regime, implying annual revenues of more than UGX 2.7 trillion. The contribution will help finance connectivity and digital inclusion projects in underserved communities across Uganda.

MTN Uganda has paid UGX 54.3 billion (approximately US$14.7 million) to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) as its statutory industry levy for 2025, a contribution that not only reinforces the telecom operator’s dominant market position but also highlights the growing scale of Uganda’s digital economy.

The payment, equivalent to 2 percent of the company’s gross annual revenues as required under Uganda’s communications regulations, implies that MTN Uganda generated approximately UGX 2.71 trillion (US$734 million) in revenue during the 2025 financial year.

The levy is one of the telecommunications sector’s most important funding mechanisms, providing resources for extending connectivity and digital services to communities that remain commercially unattractive to private investors.

Under the Uganda Communications Act, licensed telecommunications operators contribute 2 percent of their gross annual revenues to UCC. Half of the funds are remitted to the government’s Consolidated Fund, while the remaining portion is retained by the regulator and channelled through the Uganda Communications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF).

The fund supports projects aimed at expanding communications infrastructure, broadband connectivity and digital access in underserved parts of the country.

Officials described MTN Uganda’s latest contribution as a significant boost to efforts aimed at expanding Uganda’s digital footprint and ensuring broader participation in the digital economy.

The contribution comes at a time when Uganda is increasingly positioning digital transformation as a central pillar of economic growth, public service delivery and financial inclusion.

Over the past decade, mobile network operators have invested heavily in expanding telecommunications infrastructure, helping increase voice and data coverage across much of the country. However, significant connectivity gaps remain, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach communities where network deployment costs remain high and commercial returns uncertain.

For MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Mulinge, the next phase of the country’s digital journey is less about basic connectivity and more about meaningful participation.

“Our challenge is no longer whether Uganda is connected. It is whether more Ugandans can participate in the activities the digital economy creates,” Mulinge said.

Her remarks reflect a growing policy debate around digital inclusion, affordability and access to devices, areas that many analysts consider critical to unlocking the full benefits of connectivity.

Civil society organisations and digital rights advocates have previously argued that taxes on digital devices and communications services continue to slow adoption, particularly among lower-income households, despite increasing network availability.

Through UCUSAF, UCC has over the years financed a range of initiatives aimed at narrowing the country’s digital divide. These include broadband expansion projects, ICT laboratories in schools, community information centres and telecommunications infrastructure deployed in rural areas.

The fund has also supported programmes focused on digital literacy, internet access and the adoption of communications technologies among underserved and marginalised communities.

UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo said the regulator views contributions from operators such as MTN Uganda as an important partnership in advancing national development goals.

“We thank MTN for viewing this responsibility not as a burden but as a shared investment in Uganda’s future,” Thembo said.

The size of MTN Uganda’s contribution also serves as a useful indicator of the company’s continued dominance in the telecommunications sector. As the country’s largest telecom operator by subscriber numbers and one of its biggest corporate taxpayers, MTN has continued to invest heavily in network expansion, mobile financial services and broadband infrastructure.

The company has consistently positioned itself as a key enabler of Uganda’s digital transformation agenda through investments in technology platforms, connectivity solutions and financial inclusion services.

Industry analysts note that universal service funds are becoming increasingly important as regulators and governments seek sustainable ways to extend digital services beyond commercially viable markets.

As demand for internet access, mobile money services and digital platforms continues to grow, such funding mechanisms are expected to play a critical role in ensuring that the benefits of Uganda’s digital economy reach communities that might otherwise be left behind.

For policymakers, regulators and operators alike, the challenge is increasingly shifting from building networks to ensuring that citizens have the skills, devices and affordable access required to participate fully in a rapidly digitising economy.

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Uganda’s drive towards integrated digital mobility took another step forward on Monday with the launch of a cashless school transport solution that allows students to pay bus fares using smart wristbands while giving parents real-time visibility over their daily journeys.

The initiative, dubbed Cashless School Days, was launched at Kololo Secondary School through a partnership involving Kiira Motors Corporation’s public transport subsidiary EBus Xpress, MTN Uganda, HelloBooth by Sparklab and other technology partners.

The programme introduces wearable wristbands that enable students to board and disembark buses without handling cash. Parents can load transport funds through MTN Mobile Money and receive notifications confirming when their children begin and complete each trip.

Paul Isaac Musasizi, the founding Chief Executive Officer of Kiira Motors Corporation, described the initiative as an example of “how innovation can be deployed to address everyday challenges faced by families.”

According to Musasizi, the partners were united by a common objective of using technology to make student mobility safer, simpler and more connected while giving parents greater oversight of school transport.

The system allows parents to load transport fares through a mobile phone using flexible payment options that can be tailored to daily, weekly, monthly or termly transport requirements.

Students simply tap their wristbands when boarding and again when alighting from the bus, creating a digital record of each journey.

The launch reflects a growing convergence between Uganda’s mobility, fintech and digital services sectors as operators seek to move more transactions into cashless ecosystems.

To encourage adoption, participating students will receive a 50 percent fare subsidy during the introductory phase. A journey that would ordinarily cost UGX2,000 will cost UGX1,000.

Musasizi noted that the initiative extends digital payment habits already familiar to many parents who routinely use Mobile Money platforms to pay school fees and other household expenses.

By integrating payments with transport services, he said, the programme introduces greater convenience, transparency and control into daily family routines.

“Cashless School Days is a step forward in how we think about mobility for families. It is about safety, convenience and giving parents better control, while continuing to drive cashless adoption in everyday life.”

The school transport solution builds on MTN Uganda’s broader collaboration with EBus Xpress, through which commuters can already purchase bus tickets electronically using mobile phones.

Beyond the immediate convenience of cashless fare collection, the programme addresses growing concerns around student safety, cash handling and accountability in school transport operations.

Industry observers say such solutions could become increasingly important as Uganda’s urban population expands and schools, transport operators and parents seek more efficient ways to manage student mobility.

The initiative also aligns with broader national efforts to accelerate digital financial inclusion and promote smart mobility solutions capable of supporting Uganda’s rapidly growing urban centres.

For Kiira Motors, whose ambitions extend beyond vehicle manufacturing into integrated mobility services, the project offers a glimpse of how technology, payments and transport can be combined to create more connected transport ecosystems.

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