Africa’s telecom sector is in a period of dynamic growth, influenced by expanding mobile penetration, increased internet access, and the need for accessible financial services across the continent. As the GSMA reports, Africa is expected to reach over 615 million unique mobile subscribers by 2025, with the growth of mobile services contributing significantly to GDP in various regions.
For Lumine Group, which includes companies like Telepin, NetEngage, and Flash Networks serving major African telcos, Africa is a dynamic landscape of emerging needs and digital possibilities. Our continued engagement in the region is marked by our attendance at AfricaCom, a leading industry event bringing together over 15,000 telecom operators and service providers to serve as a platform to exchange ideas, showcase innovations, and navigate the unique challenges facing the region.
As AfricaCom 2024 approaches, we sat down with Jude Murray, Sr. Associate of Corporate Development for the EMEA Region. Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, Jude provides a valuable perspective on the African telecom industry’s opportunities and challenges. Through his experience as a consumer and through his role today at Lumine, he brings unique insights into how African telecom providers are addressing connectivity gaps and innovating to meet the diverse needs of their markets.
NetEngage, a Lumine portfolio company, provides support for financial initiatives like this. With offerings like Online Charging for prepaid and postpaid accounts, NetEngage enables operators to reach diverse customer segments affordably. By supporting flexible, real-time billing and personalized data packages, their platform helps operators expand financial inclusion and enhance customer loyalty across regions with varying connectivity needs.
Telepin, another Lumine company, also enhances this connectivity by providing stable, scalable solutions for mobile network operators and financial service providers across the EMEA region. By maximizing revenue opportunities and delivering innovative mobile applications, Telepin empowers people across Africa to participate in the digital economy.
“eSIM technology is rapidly gaining traction, especially as Africa's younger demographics increasingly adopt smartphones,” noted Jude. "The demand for software that manages eSIM provisioning, enhances security, and enables seamless network switching is growing, highlighting opportunities for solutions showcased at AfricaCom 2024.”
As 5G deployment accelerates, a key trend is the move toward standalone 5G networks in Africa, promising reduced latency and higher speeds to support advanced applications like IoT. “The transition to standalone 5G is positioning African telcos to support high-demand applications while maintaining efficiency,” Jude said.
In line with these 5G advancements, Flash Networks, a Lumine company, provides optimization solutions that help African telecom providers make the most of their 5G infrastructure. By assigning traffic to specific 5G slices or Quality of Service (QoS) flows based on network conditions, Flash Networks enables providers to match each application’s performance requirements to the appropriate network resources. This approach not only improves user experience but also ensures efficient resource allocation and reduces unnecessary expenditures.
For operators facing high demand and limited resources, Flash Networks offers proactive congestion management, helping telecom providers enhance Quality of Experience (QoE) for subscribers while reducing traffic, congestion, and data usage by up to 30%. This capability is particularly valuable in Africa, where networks must handle a growing number of users and devices efficiently. If you want to learn more about Flash Networks, they will be exhibiting at AfricaCom this year.
As AfricaCom 2024 brings these trends into focus, the event highlights the transformative potential of telecom software in Africa, where operators are leveraging technology to enhance connectivity, drive innovation, and enrich customer experiences across the continent. If you are attending AfricaCom and would like to connect with Jude, please reach out here or email him directly at jude.murray@luminegroup.com.