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Platform-based ecosystems are Africa’s new plane of competition

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mobile usage

Never has there been such a surge in mobile usage and application development to meet the demands and challenges of fast-paced consumers who increasingly rely on mobile devices to connect with brands

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 13, 2022/APO Group/ — 

We are amid a major digital revolution dominating every sector of the economy.

According to Yaron Assabi, Founder & CEO of MVNE, part of the Digital Solutions Group, “Enterprises now focus on enabling consumers, employees, and ecosystem partners. Companies no longer just serve customers; they collaborate with them. They no longer just compete with rivals; they partner with them. They’re no longer limited by industry boundaries; they ignore them. In short: platform-based ecosystems are the new plane of competition.”

In fact, it is becoming such a strong and competitive position that companies are now partnering across the ecosystem to encourage consumer-facing brands to incorporate new profitable mobile services into their value proposition and launch ‘ Branded Mobile services’  or MVNOs ( Mobile Virtual Network Operators ).

Never has there been such a surge in mobile usage and application development to meet the demands and challenges of fast-paced consumers who increasingly rely on mobile devices to connect with brands.

“Consumers demand tailored products and services for their needs and the ability to offer a non-comparative customer value proposition based on niche value combining the core business and telco into a differentiated offering. It is a critical success factor for MVNO’s” adds Assabi. “A targeted customer value proposition to a niche customer segment can gain a lot of traction quickly. That’s exactly where Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and their technology partners, Mobile Virtual Services Enablers (MVNE) should focus. The MNO (Mobile Network Operator) or host network sees tremendous benefit from very profitable customer relationships because of the wholesale business model construct whereby all of the billing and customer service responsibility, including service costs, lies with the MVNO and it enables the MNO to “sweat its assets” with no major additional resources required and hence improvement in profitability.”

“That is a lot of acronyms but it’s an eco-system that works when executed well.”

An MVNE empowers brands to focus on their go-to-market strategy, mitigating the risk and reducing the expenditure and requirement for people and skills for their MVNO.

According to Assabi, “we help to “Mobilise your brand” and help brands combine their core business with Telco to design a unique customer value proposition. MVNE is the enabler for DSTV Internet (https://bit.ly/3BvQ0Hz), a huge success, given it solves the need to combine content and connectivity in Africa. We know that for consumers, the cost of data is the biggest part of the spend when streaming entertainment, therefore, a cost-effective communications solution is critical to making content more accessible anywhere, anytime, on any device.”

An MVNE empowers brands to focus on their go-to-market strategy, mitigating the risk and reducing the expenditure and requirement for people and skills for their MVNO

(https://bit.ly/3UWt3E2)

Did you know that 50% of Africans have mobile phones? This means that mobile technology is the largest platform in Africa and can access a wide range of income groups.

“Furthermore, if we take that AppsAfrica reports Mobile App downloads have surpassed 98 billion, we can see how fast this market is growing. And added to this Hootsuite (https://bit.ly/3PkcMrr), has indicated that South Africans are higher than the global average, spending more than 10 hours a day on the internet, connecting via mobile devices. Therefore, a brand needs to ensure that it creates on-demand, personal, engaging experiences with and for consumers when targeting them on their mobile.”

“Over the last few years, the MVNO market has proven itself in Africa to create more competition and as a result make data services more affordable, especially given that we have one of the highest data charges in the world, which does not make sense for Africa where we desperately need to create digital adoption and create “digital jobs”, says Assabi.  

“As the first MVNE in South Africa, founded in 2013, we have spent time educating the market about the importance of a strategic partnership between the MNO (Mobile Network Operator and MVNO) and we paid a lot of attention to the critical success factors required to ensure that we reduce the high mortal rate of MVNO’s and equip them with the tools for success.”

Our MVNE does not only provide all the technology platforms required to run a successful MVNO but offers a “white glove service “from customer value proposition design, and commercial viability, to smart people that can provide a managed service,” says Assabi.

“So, yes, while MVNOs are focused on creating value, by linking a mobile offering to a brands existing products and services, MVNE can offer managed services to the MVNO as well as a “pay as you grow” or “shared risk and success model” as it differentiates on products and services – and builds an eco-system that is backed by positive customer experience.  

In creating platform-based ecosystems and smart collaboration between businesses that may compete and collaborate at the same time, it is important to identify and partner with service providers who have experience in scaling and developing these niche solutions.  “In our case partners who have built their experience on the African continent. Such is the case with NetEngage, who currently service 38,6M subscribers across ten MVNOs and manage 19,4 Billion calls per year. 

So, yes, I reiterate again, platform-based ecosystems are the new plane of competition,” concludes Assabi. “Branded mobile services are not only an important way to create more competition, and offer consumers more choice, but when done correctly, allows companies to compete in this increasingly competitive landscape.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MVNE (Pty) Ltd.

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Nigeria’s Upstream Reform Program Captures 40% of Africa’s Final Investment Decision (FID) Activity After a Decade on the Margins

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A government three-year review documents how executive action under President Tinubu reversed a decade of upstream decline

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –Nigeria has gone from capturing 4% of Africa’s upstream final investment decisions (FIDs) to commanding 40% in two years, according to Nigeria’s Energy Sector Reforms 2023-2026: A Three-Year Review, published by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and spearheaded by Special Adviser Olu Verheijen. The $50 billion project pipeline now in development beyond 2026 points to sustained capital commitment at a scale not seen in the Nigerian upstream for at least a decade.

 

Between 2014 and 2023, Nigeria was among the continent’s weakest performers for upstream FIDs despite holding 37.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the second-largest endowment in Africa. Algeria captured 44% of African upstream FIDs during that period, Angola held 26%, while Nigeria trailed Mozambique, Ghana, Senegal and Namibia. In the third quarter of 2022, crude production briefly dropped below one million barrels per day, as years of underinvestment, pipeline vandalism and regulatory ambiguity compounded each other. However, reforms instituted by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu have dramatically turned this trend around. Through deliberate and coordinated steps, the government has reset the trajectory.

Addressing Fiscal Terms, Regulatory Scope and Contracting Speed

President Bola Tinubu’s administration moved simultaneously on fiscal terms and regulatory architecture. Policy directives in 2023 clarified the boundary of jurisdiction between the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), resolving an ambiguity that had complicated project sanctioning. Presidential Directive 40 introduced targeted tax incentives, and a separate Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Production in 2024 was designed to draw international oil companies (IOCs) back into capital-intensive, long-cycle deepwater projects. The VAT Modification Order 2024 and Upstream Cost Efficiency Order 2025 addressed the cost structures that had rendered marginal projects uneconomic. NNPCL contracting timelines were compressed from 36 months to a maximum of six months.

Four Divestments Transferred Onshore Control to Indigenous Operators

In parallel, the administration deployed targeted security directives and accelerated ministerial consents for four IOC asset transfers. Renaissance acquired Shell’s onshore portfolio. Seplat Energy completed its acquisition of ExxonMobil’s Nigerian upstream interests. Oando took over from Agip, and Chappal acquired Equinor’s local assets. The four transactions totaled approximately $4 billion. The transfer of onshore and shallow-water blocks to indigenous operators contributed directly to production recovery. Output rose by approximately 400,000 barrels per day between 2023 and 2025 to reach 1.6 million barrels per day, the highest onshore production level in 20 years.

When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds

Signed Projects Total $10 Billion, With a $50 Billion Pipeline Beyond

The reforms produced a concrete FID response from Shell and TotalEnergies. Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) sanctioned the $5 billion Bonga North deepwater development in December 2024 and committed a further $2 billion to the HI Non-Associated Gas (NAG) project. TotalEnergies and NNPCL took a joint FID on the $550 million Ubeta gas field development in June 2024.

Together those three commitments account for more than $10 billion in signed investment after a decade of near-zero sanctioning activity. The pipeline beyond 2026 spans a further $50 billion across 11 projects including Bonga South West, Owowo, Usan and Erha. Nigeria approved 28 field development plans valued at $18.2 billion in 2025 alone, targeting an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of reserves.

“When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Nigeria has done both, and the FID numbers are concrete proof.”

The Counterfactual Illustrates How Much Was at Stake

The presentation includes a no-reform projection that puts the gains in context. Without intervention, total crude and condensate production was on track to fall from 1.371 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022 to 579,000 by 2030. Under the reform trajectory, output reached 1.77 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026, with a stated government target of 3 million barrels per day. Export gas utilization rose 39% over the same period, while domestic utilization grew by 7%.

The durability of these gains will be tested by two factors: whether the institutional architecture put in place under the Tinubu administration holds over the long term, and whether the deepwater commitments signed in 2024 and 2025 advance to execution on schedule. The project pipeline is large enough that partial delivery would still represent a generational shift in Nigeria’s upstream output profile.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Angola Strengthens Global Investment Drive Across Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources

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With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –At a defining moment in Angola’s economic transformation, the Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG) (https://CMAGAfrica.com), together with the Government of Angola and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas of the Republic of Angola (MIREMPET), will convene global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders in London for the Angola Oil, Gas & Mining Investment Conference on 14 May 2026.

 

More than a conference, this gathering represents a strategic international engagement at a time when Angola is actively reshaping its economic future and positioning itself as one of Africa’s most compelling destinations for long-term investment in natural resources, infrastructure, and industrial development.

With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership. The country’s leadership is sending a clear message to global markets: Angola is open for investment and ready to build transformational partnerships that support sustainable growth and economic diversification.

This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future

The event will be headlined by H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, Minister for Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola, whose leadership since 2017 has been central to advancing Angola’s mineral and hydrocarbons agenda. Under his stewardship, Angola has accelerated institutional reform, strengthened governance frameworks, promoted private sector participation, and prioritised sustainable resource development.

As global demand intensifies for critical minerals, energy security, and resilient supply chains, Angola is uniquely positioned to become a strategic partner to international investors and industrial economies. The country’s vast untapped mineral wealth, significant oil and gas reserves, expanding infrastructure ambitions, and commitment to economic diversification present a rare investment window for global stakeholders.

Speaking ahead of the event, Veronica Bolton Smith, CEO of the Critical Minerals Africa Group said:

“Angola stands at a pivotal point in its national development. The reforms taking place across the country’s extractive sectors are creating unprecedented opportunities for responsible international investment and strategic partnership. This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future as a globally competitive investment destination. We believe this moment represents one of the most important opportunities for international partners to engage with Angola’s leadership and participate in the country’s next chapter of economic transformation.”

The event is expected to attract a distinguished international audience, including sovereign representatives, institutional investors, mining and energy executives, infrastructure developers, development finance institutions, and strategic partners seeking direct engagement with Angola’s leadership.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG).

 

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The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Successfully Concludes Private Sector Roadshow in Baku

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Bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, the Forum showcased IsDB Group services, activities, and initiatives across its 57 member countries, with particular emphasis on Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) affiliates (www.IsDB.org) – namely the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) – in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank Group Business Forum (THIQAH), organized the “IsDB Group Private Sector Roadshow” in Baku, Azerbaijan, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO).

 

The high-profile event which took place on Thursday, 7th May 2026, at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy, came as part of ongoing preparations for the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings and Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026), scheduled to take place from 16 to 19 June 2026, under the high patronage of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

 

Bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, the Forum showcased IsDB Group services, activities, and initiatives across its 57 member countries, with particular emphasis on Azerbaijan. It highlighted the Group’s ongoing support for private sector development and its efforts to stimulate promising investment and trade opportunities in the Azerbaijani market.

 

The event also served as a unique opportunity inviting the audience to participate actively in IsDB Group Annual Meetings and the Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026). The program included panel discussions and specialized workshops on ways to enhance economic partnerships and the role of IsDB Group’s institutions in supporting the needs of member countries. The spectra of services, solutions and financial tools were also presented, including lines and modes of Islamic financing, trade finance and trade development solutions, corporate private sector financing, as well as risk mitigation solutions plus investment insurance and export credit insurance services.

 

Keynote speakers, in their speeches, underlined strong commitment to deepening engagement with the private sector and fostering meaningful partnerships that drive sustainable economic growth in light of the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku, all to showcase integrated solutions especially in Islamic finance, trade, investment, and risk mitigation while working closely and collectively with private sector partners to unlock new opportunities, support innovation, and empower businesses contributing to inclusive and resilient development across IsDB Group member countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

 

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