Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Ghana 2017
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With mobile internet growing strongly and the government committed to extensive ICT development, Ghana’s IT sector is gaining momentum. Demand for tech services and products is rising from private and public sector bodies, as well as individuals, and the rollout of new in-country cable networks and nascent 4G is boosting connectivity. These factors, as well as Ghana’s competitive advantages as a business destination, are stimulating the start-up scene.

This chapter contains interviews with Kwabena Akyeampong, CEO, Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications; Ali Faramawy, President, Microsoft Middle East & Africa; and Valentina Mintah, CEO, West Blue Consulting.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Encouraging innovation: With mobile data and voice subscriptions rising quickly, further investments will be needed to accommodate growth
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Long one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic parts of the economy, Ghana’s telecoms sector is undergoing a transition towards increased data activity. Rising costs in the 27.9m-person country have forced operators to raise tariffs and intensify their efforts to develop growing streams of revenue, particularly data-intensive services. As with most African telecoms markets, mobile data volumes are growing rapidly, while voice subscriptions continue to rise at double-digit rates. This…

Interview

Point of access: Kwabena Akyeampong, CEO, Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), on improving ICT access
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Interview:Kwabena Akyeampong What can be done to improve access to broadband networks and ICT, and to what extent are private sector players involved in developments? KWABENA AKYEAMPONG: Since its inception 10 years ago, GIFEC has only put up 51 masts and towers across the country. In the near and medium term, this figure must increase dramatically. For under-served rural communities that do not have a network or a telephone system, a mast is constructed within the scope of the rural telephony…

Analysis

Data climbing: Telecoms companies are looking to boost mobile data volumes
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As Ghana’s mobile telecoms market matures and incomes in the country rise, its telecoms companies are increasingly looking to boost mobile data volumes – a lucrative part of the market that is growing at double-digit rates. Data services could help bolster average revenue per user at a time when margins are under pressure from rising costs and slowing voice demand. While income levels suggest that data is still expensive for many Ghanaians, operators are having some success. “Data packages…

Analysis

Cash in hand: Mobile banking and mobile money continue to grow rapidly
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As operators have looked to diversify product offerings in recent years, they have shown increasing interest in mobile banking and mobile money. Mobile money has become a way in which technology can allow frontier markets to reduce development disparities and improve financial inclusion. The most successful illustration of this is the M-Pesa programme in Kenya, which initially began in 2007 and now processes transactions, that by some estimates, account for as much as one-third of the country’s…

Interview

Spreading the word: Ali Faramawy, President, Microsoft Middle East & Africa, on ICT’s changing role in sub-Saharan Africa
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Interview:Ali Faramawy What do you think are the primary drivers of ICT usage in sub-Saharan Africa? ALI FARAMAWY: The main drivers of ICT usage in sub-Saharan Africa can be broken down into three areas – government, small and large businesses, and individuals. In governance, there is the belief that ICT can make a big difference in the way information is used for alignment between the different government organisations. A lot of people talk about the importance of transparency, and the…

Interview

Streamlining: Valentina Mintah, CEO, West Blue Consulting, on the growing role of IT in trade and government programmes
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Interview:Valentina Mintah What are the primary issues that the Ghana National Single Window (GNSW) addresses? VALENTINA MINTAH: The ultimate aim of the GNSW is to reduce the time and cost of doing trade business, specifically in terms of import, export and transit. Processes across the international trade supply chain need to be simplified and harmonised. The supply chain is made up of four procedures. The first is commercial, essentially establishing sales contracts. Then comes transport…

Overview

Wired up: Fibre-optic networks, the rollout of 4G LTE and an e-transformation programme help to develop the sector
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With mobile internet growing strongly and the government committed to extensive ICT development, Ghana’s IT sector is gaining momentum. Demand for tech services and products is rising from private and public sector bodies, as well as individuals, and the rollout of new in-country cable networks and nascent 4G is boosting connectivity. These factors, as well as Ghana’s competitive advantages as a business destination, are stimulating the start-up scene. “On the whole, Ghana fares quite well…

Analysis

Incubating success: Ghana’s reputation as a start-up centre has risen in recent years
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An open economy, growing use of technology, political stability and location make Ghana a favourable centre for ICT development. For some time the country was not fully capitalising on these qualities, but recently its reputation as a start-up centre has risen. Success Stories There is a growing list of successful Ghanaian start-ups, some of which have now moved beyond the start-up phase. Software developer DreamOval is one of the latter and now supports start-ups itself. Its products include…