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Technology

South Africa pioneers telecom innovation with ZTE

ZTE Corporation and MTN achieve a global first with the commercial rollout of a 5-band RRU in South Africa’s Western Cape

ZTE Corporation, a global leader in integrated ICT solutions, together with MTN, one of Africa’s largest telecom operators, has announced the world’s first commercial deployment of a 5-band Remote Radio Unit (RRU)

The breakthrough, achieved in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, marks a major advancement in radio frequency technology and adds momentum to the continent’s telecom evolution.

South Africa, home to over 60 million people, is among Africa’s most advanced telecommunications markets. MTN currently provides more than 97% LTE population coverage across the nation, underscoring its mission to deliver quality connectivity, even to remote communities.

As customer demand for multi-band and multi-module services increases, operators face hurdles such as high power consumption, tower load, and space limitations. MTN’s adoption of the 5-band RRU offers a direct solution, boosting network performance, improving energy efficiency, and simplifying deployments to enable faster and more sustainable expansion of advanced connectivity.

Traditionally, adding new frequency bands requires new hardware, additional space, and more power. The new 5-band RRU, powered by ZTE’s in-house chipset, combines MTN South Africa’s low and mid bands (FDD) into one compact unit. This innovation cuts RAN RF modules on towers by half, reduces equipment weight by 23%, and lowers wind resistance by 18%. These optimisations ease site construction, reduce complexity, and free tower space.

ZTE has also introduced its Super-N amplifier architecture, which activates dense arrays of amplifiers on demand, overcoming the limitations of traditional Doherty systems. This design maintains efficiency under variable loads, achieving a 42.7% reduction in site power consumption and a 45.8% improvement in energy efficiency (Wh/GB). The results support South Africa’s push for a greener, low-carbon society and set a global benchmark for sustainable telecom development.

Rami Farah, chief technology officer, MTN South Africa, commented, "MTN's collaboration with ZTE on the world's first 5-band RRU commercial deployment effectively addresses multiple challenges faced by operators in terms of coverage, capacity, cost, and energy efficiency. It provides a new, replicable, highly integrated site solution for Africa and even the global market, accelerating the evolution of telecommunication networks towards higher efficiency and lower carbon emissions, continuously injecting core momentum into Africa's digital economy and promoting African telecommunication technologies to a higher level."

Luca Shen, CEO, ZTE South Africa, remarked, "ZTE has always regarded product leadership as its core competitiveness and is committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions. The in-depth collaboration with MTN not only achieves mutual benefits and win-win outcomes for both parties but also accelerates the rapid upgrade of South Africa's telecommunication network, setting a benchmark for digital transformation across the African continent."

Both ZTE and MTN have reaffirmed their dedication to advancing Africa’s digital infrastructure, emphasising energy conservation, emission reduction, and digital economy growth. With a shared vision of “protecting nature through technology and driving the future through innovation”, the companies will continue to work together to bridge the digital divide, deliver sustainable, smart networks, and contribute to wider economic and social development across the continent.

Lesira-Teq recognised for Jo'burg Water IT deployment

Johannesburg_skyline_daytime_South_Africa

Johannesburg invests in smart utility systems

South Africa’s Lesira-Teq (Pty) Ltd, an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specialising in smart utility solutions, has received an endorsement from Paris-based Actility, the global pioneer in Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN) connectivity

The recognition from Actility is strongly supported by Lesira-Teq’s recent achievements with Johannesburg Water, the largest water utility in South Africa.

A municipal entity owned by the City of Johannesburg, the utility provides water and sanitation services to the residents of Johannesburg, serving a population of over 5 million people.

Lesira-Teq played a pivotal role in the utility's digital transformation, guiding the transition from traditional infrastructure to advanced, LoRaWAN-connected systems.

This complex project involved the successful upgrade of water meters.

By utilising the robust capabilities of the Actility ThingPark platform, Lesira-Teq provided Johannesburg Water with the technology necessary to enhance operational efficiency, improve data accuracy, and proactively manage critical water resources in a major urban environment.

The latest validation recognises Lesira-Teq’s success in implementing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) for the Johannesburg water utility.

“Lesira-Teq has successfully deployed large-scale water meter projects using Actility's ThingPark platform, demonstrating professionalism, reliability, and technical excellence,” stated Olivier Hersent, CEO of Actility.

“We consider Lesira-Teq a legitimate and trusted provider of quality products and services.”

The success of the Johannesburg Water deployment underscores the synergy between Actility’s industry-leading connectivity solutions and Lesira-Teq’s expertise in smart metering hardware and implementation.

"Our collaboration with Actility provides the foundational technology necessary for deploying resilient and scalable smart water networks," said Edwin Sibiya, CEO of Pretoria-based Lesira-Teq.

"Successfully executing a project of this magnitude for Johannesburg Water requires absolute trust in our partners and our technology. We are honoured by this validation from Olivier Hersent, which confirms our commitment to delivering world-class solutions that address critical water management challenges.”

The partnership sets a benchmark for the adoption of smart, efficient and sustainable utility management solutions across the region, Sibiya noted.

Smart metering in emerging markets

Shaping water consumption with Lesira-Teq smart water meters

Transforming connectivity for Africa’s remote industries

Carel Coetzee CEO of NEC XON. (Image source: NEC XON)

Across Africa, industries working in remote and hard-to-reach areas continue to face one pressing challenge: reliable, high-speed connectivity

Mining operations in rural regions, offshore oil platforms, government outposts, and agricultural enterprises often function in locations where fibre deployment is not practical, mobile coverage is inconsistent, and microwave networks are expensive or slow to deploy. For these sectors, data access is not a luxury but a vital operational requirement.

NEC XON, in partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb, is tackling these challenges through an integrated approach. By combining enterprise-grade Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity with innovative last-mile solutions, the company is building a model for connectivity in Africa’s most demanding environments.

Understanding the challenges of remote operations

Enterprises located far from urban centres face unique connectivity barriers that can directly affect productivity, safety, and growth. Infrastructure gaps remain a major obstacle as fibre and traditional terrestrial networks rarely extend to these sites. Building new infrastructure can take months and cost millions. In industries such as mining, oil and gas, and logistics, operational continuity is crucial. Even short downtime periods can disrupt safety monitoring, halt production, and compromise regulatory compliance.

These industries also require flexibility and resilience. Temporary sites or mobile operations demand scalable solutions that can adapt as the business moves or grows. In areas with inconsistent fibre or mobile coverage, dependable backup connectivity is essential. Without redundancy and resilience, remote operations risk costly disruptions and missed opportunities.

“These challenges require a different approach to connectivity,” commented Wally Beelders, executive: Communications Solutions at NEC XON. “It’s not just about putting a satellite terminal somewhere. It’s about creating a fully integrated, end-to-end service that meets the operational, regulatory, and security requirements of the sectors we serve.”

To strengthen this offering, NEC XON integrates bundled last-mile solutions such as point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and Super Wi-Fi networks. Carel Coetzee, CEO of NEC XON, explained, “What sets us apart from other distributors is a product portfolio that allows for integrated last-mile solutions. We can stack this on the back end of your OneWeb, which serves as the backhaul. We bundle these solutions together to provide more comprehensive coverage, connecting schools, hospitals, clinics, communities… at a more affordable rate.”

Key differentiators for African industries

The combined NEC XON and OneWeb approach is well suited to Africa’s diverse environments:

Fully integrated backhaul and last-mile solutions, providing end-to-end connectivity from satellite terminal to user
Rapid deployment, with installations completed within days to bring critical operations online almost immediately
Pan-African presence, with NEC XON’s strong footprint across the continent enabling fast response times, local support, and culturally informed engagement
Enterprise and carrier-grade reliability, designed for mission-critical applications rather than consumer services
Super Wi-Fi technology, offering a coverage radius of up to 1.7 km for enterprise campuses, rural communities, and mobile operations

Through this integration, NEC XON delivers comprehensive coverage in regions once considered inaccessible or too costly to connect. Enterprises and communities can now rely on affordable, dependable connectivity where they need it most.

Can CSquared's new fibre backbone transform West Africa?

CSquared announces major fiber expansion across West Africa, boosting digital access, regional connectivity, and economic inclusion

CSquared, a pan-African technology company dedicated to digitally connecting Africa through open-access, carrier-neutral broadband infrastructure, has announced a major milestone with the significant expansion of its West African fibre network

This transformative initiative aims to bridge digital divides between coastal and landlocked nations while fuelling economic growth across the region.

Expanding on its active operations across the continent, CSquared is furthering its mission to create a more inclusive and interconnected Africa through the development of a strategic terrestrial backbone in West Africa. The most recent addition, a cross-border solution from Abidjan to Monrovia, complements existing infrastructure from Accra to Lagos. Fully integrated, this critical network links coastal and landlocked countries across ECOWAS and extends northward via Burkina Faso.

With plans to interconnect countries including Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea, Senegal, and Niger, this West African digital superhighway offers a high-capacity, high-availability alternative to the current dependence on single points of failure from undersea cable networks.

“This backbone represents more than just fibre; it’s about building a stronger digital foundation for West Africa’s future,” said Ian Paterson, CEO of CSquared. “By improving regional connectivity and integrating with subsea capacity, we are delivering the infrastructure that governments, operators, and communities need to thrive in a digital-first world.”

“Our vision is a Digitally Connected Africa, where every country, city, and community can participate in the global digital economy and this West African super highway brings us one step closer to that reality. We invite both existing and new partners across the ecosystem to join us in unlocking new opportunities for innovation and growth,” added Paterson.

As the landing partner for Equiano in Togo, CSquared plays a key role in extending next-generation subsea capacity inland, offering alternative low-latency routes to the global internet, particularly vital for landlocked nations that currently lack dependable cross-border connectivity.

The network leverages modern, open optical technologies built to international standards, offering multiple integration points into global and regional networks, data centres, and landing stations. Its open-access model enables governments, service providers, enterprises, and communities to connect across borders, collaborate, and grow via affordable, scalable, and reliable broadband that supports national development goals and cross-border commerce.

“As Africa’s only truly open access wholesale provider, CSquared delivers carrier neutral fibre networks engineered for scalability, low latency, and high reliability, empowering operators to expand coverage, lower costs, and drive digital inclusion,” said Samuel Owusu Yeboah, CSquared’s chief technology officer.

The announcement comes in the lead-up to the Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) in Lagos, where CSquared will highlight this new regional route and its growing impact on enabling low latency peering and enhancing data sovereignty across the continent. For CSquared, the West African superhighway marks a crucial step toward a future where no country or community is excluded from the digital revolution.

Training 10,000 tech professionals in Nigeria

Investing in Africa's tech talent (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Global IT professional association ISACA and Nigeria’s INGRYD Academy have teamed up on a project that aims to train 10,000 aspiring tech professionals in the West African country

The five-year initiative hopes to nurture Nigeria’s digital talent pipeline and close cybersecurity workforce gaps.

It will provide support for those pursuing careers advancing trust in technology, including cybersecurity, emerging technologies and IT audit.

“Empowering the next generation as they embark on their tech career journeys not only ensures the strength of our global IT and cybersecurity workforce but also builds tech and cyber capability — a critical enabler of economic growth and overall societal prosperity through the safer adoption of digital technologies,” said Chris Dimitriadis, ISACA chief global strategy officer.

“We are excited about our partnership with INGRYD Academy, and we applaud its efforts to open new learning pathways for students and work towards a safer digital world.”

Designed to support Nigeria’s national workforce development goals and meet Africa’s growing demand for digital skills, the five-year partnership will equip 10,000 aspiring tech professionals with in-demand training and access to ISACA’s global professional community.

Each year, 2,000 INGRYD Academy students will receive several Fundamentals courses from ISACA, a one-year ISACA student membership, and networking and mentorship opportunities through ISACA’s global chapters, as well as workshops, conferences, and other events with INGRYD staff and ISACA members where they can share ideas, knowledge and best practices.

“This partnership marks a transformative step in our mission to close the digital skills gap in Africa,” said HRM Khadijat Abdulkadir, CEO, Ingryd Academy.

“By equipping 40,000 learners with globally recognised training, we’re enabling long-term career mobility. We’re not just creating tech talent—we’re building a generation of problem-solvers and digital leaders. That’s the kind of impact that moves nations forward.”

Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach US$180bn by 2025, according to a report from IFC and Google, yet the region faces a critical shortage of trained professionals to meet growing demand.

Nigeria, with more than 100 million internet users and a fast-growing tech sector, is well positioned to lead — but continues to experience gaps in cybersecurity capacity and workforce readiness.

This collaboration helps address that need at scale, said Gustavo Frega, senior academic strategy and business partnership manager, ISACA.

“The collaboration between ISACA and INGRYD Academy represents a powerful driver of opportunity and change,” said Frega.

“By providing Nigerian students with globally recognised credentials and connecting them to ISACA’s community, INGRYD Academy is opening doors to new careers and empowering the younger generations to contribute to sustainable growth and innovation across the region.”