Cross-border pioneer Celtel eyes Sudan, Malawi, Zambia

Mobile telephone operator Celtel International plans to add three more countries — Sudan, Malawi and Zambia — into its One Network coverage plan.

Only a few weeks ago, the company expanded the One Network to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon.

Meanwhile, its competitors in East Africa — MTN in Uganda, Safaricom in Kenya and Vodacom in Tanzania — have responded to its cross-border network by abolishing roaming charges among their customers and lowering charges.

Celtel operates in Malawi and Zambia on the group brand but as Mobitel in Sudan. This is in addition to its coverage in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Despite its presence in all these countries, it needs an international gateway in some countries like Zambia — a requirement for the One Network plan to work. This could delay its rollout in the country.

Sources told The EastAfrican that it took Celtel 18 months of planning the regional network initiative that was launched in September last year. Its extension to Libreville, Gabon, took another nine months, creating over 160,000 points where customers can buy airtime.

Officials say it will take even less time to cover the remaining three countries, once the company gets past their diverse tax regimes and other technical legalities.

“We are working to make the process faster; it will take less time than it took us to spread from the east to the west coast,” said Celtel’s One Network programme director, George Held.

Celtel officials say the number of subscribers in the six countries covered under its One Network plan stood at 7.5 million at the end of April this year. The addition of another three countries would bring the figure close to 12 million subscribers in a population of about 250 million people.

Industry estimates put Celtel’s share of the market on the continent at 20 million customers which puts it third behind South Africa’s MTN (36.1 million) and Vodacom (25 million).

Celtel’s recent move has jolted Uganda Telecom (UTL) into negotiating a deal with Safaricom, to phase out its old roaming profile for its mobile brand in Kenya.

UTL marketing manager Levi Nyakundi told The EastAfrican that the new deal will allow the company’s prepaid and postpaid customers to receive calls free of charge and make calls at local rates when travelling abroad. Customers, he said, are charged the equivalent of their local call profiles, but the service is still limited to Kenya.

“We are also negotiating with Vodacom to provide the same service,” Mr Nyakundi added. UTL has invested close to $50 million to expand its network.

This rush for innovative means to attract customers has also seen Uganda’s MTN launch WiMax broadband Internet for upcountry users.

Last year, MTN chief commercial officer Eric Van Veen said the company had plans of bringing RwandaCell — MTN’s subsidiary in Rwanda — onto its East African network in a bid to build an even wider network in the region.

African market researchers to meet in Malawi

The Pan African Media Research Organisation (PAMRO) is holding its ninth meeting and All Africa Media Research Conference in Mangochi, Lake Malawi from August 19 to 22, 2007.

PAMPRO is an organisation that aims to give African marketers an opportunity to network. This year companies will be allowed to share information about themselves and their products with other members.

Those who would like to do so should send their presentations to Celia Collins at celia.collins@za.starcomworldwide.com or deliver them to: 3 Simba Road, Sunninghill, Sandton, South Africa or post it to Private Bag X19, Sunninghill, 2157. The material must be received by no later than August 1, 2007.
There will also be space for exhibitions at the conference free of charge.

Permaculture Network in Malawi

Founded in 1994, the PNM is a network of people who encourage the promotion of Permaculture-related activities throughout Malawi and internationally. It is currently an unregistered network but we are exploring what is needed to register as an organization in Malawi and to evaluate if we have the capacity to do this. As a network, we have been working hard to get the word out about the potential that Permaculture has to help solve many of Malawi’s (and the world’s) current problems such as chronic food shortages, malnutrition, dependency on expensive agricultural inputs, and environmental degradation.

One of the tools that we use to help us spread these messages is a quarterly newsletter, which allows Network Members and others to share ideas, learn about Permaculture principles, inform others about lessons learned, and highlight current activities and trainings. The network has about 100 members in Malawi with an additional electronic readership exceeding 1,000 people.

In the past few years we have been receiving donations from around the world. These funds help us to continue the publication of the newsletter, conduct trainings, and support Network member’s projects. We ask a small membership fee from those who join to help offset some of our costs. Unfortunately, many in Malawi even find this small amount to be more than they can afford, so donations also help us to offer sponsored memberships of individuals or community groups with an interest in Permaculture.

If you would like more information on Permaculture activities in Malawi please visit the network’s newsletter editors (Stacia and Kristof Nordin’s) website at www.NeverEndingFood.org