The end of the civil war, amid the coronavirus crisis, has created many business opportunities in the South Sudanese telecom market. The country is welcoming a new telecom operator.
The President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, presided over the official launching ceremony of Digitel Telecommunications, the country's third telecom operator, on Monday 12 July. The new competitor to South Africa's MTN and Kuwait's Zain is fully owned by local investors. Its mission is to bring telecoms services to areas not covered and to accelerate people's access to digital services.
To support the new telecom operator in its ambition, Salva Kiir said, "the government will explore options, including a tax exemption that will benefit the import of network equipment and telecom tools. This equipment will help to increase the digital literacy program for our next generation ICT economy.
Athiei De Chan Awuol, executive vice president of Digitel Telecommunications, said the launch of a telecom company by local investors is a testament to the ability of South Sudanese to "contribute to a bright future for ourselves, our children, and the next generation.”
According to the 2021 Digital Report data from Hootsuite and We Are Social, the penetration rate is only 23.1% for mobile and 8.0% for the internet; a situation directly resulting from the civil war that the country went through from December 2013 to February 2020. The conflict has seriously affected the investments of telecom operators. The return to peace in the context of the coronavirus, which has created a need for high-speed telecom services around the world, particularly in South Sudan, has created many opportunities in the country's telecom sector.
The entry of a new player in the national market will increase competition, which should be manifested in increased investment in telecom infrastructure, improved service quality, lower prices, and service innovation.
Muriel Edjo
• Investors seem to keep focusing on yields, which are high for the moment• New Leadership might see...
• ECOWAS Bank funds 47.7-km stretch of strategic 700-km road project• Lagos-Calabar highway seen boo...
• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo...
• IFC teams up with AfDB and Nigeria’s EbonyLife to assess a new fund for African cinema• Sector cou...
• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...
• Ghana signs a deal with eLearning Africa to expand digital learning access across the country.• The partnership focuses on deploying modern digital...
Ghana launches the Oncology Nurse Leadership Program (ONLEP) to train specialized oncology nurses from seven African countries. The five-year...
Ivanhoe Mines signs deal covering 100% of Kamoa-Kakula smelter’s copper output. The smelter will process up to 500,000 tonnes annually, starting at...
African gas projects drive significant contracts for Asian shipbuilders, especially for Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) units. South Korean...
Kolmanskop offers a haunting blend of lost wealth, colonial history, and the unstoppable force of nature. Located just a few kilometers inland from...
Located about 40 kilometers from Cape Town’s city center, Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most iconic destinations. This...