News + Articles

An interview with Dr Liam Terblanche, Chief Technology Officer, Airvantage‍ about The Steve Cockeram bursary program which honours the memory and legacy of a cherished team member, Steve Cockeram, who passed away in 2020.

In a world increasingly driven by digital connectivity, the importance of digital identity services in enabling secure and accessible mobile financial operations cannot be overstated. With over 5.1 billion people owning a mobile subscription and projections indicating that this number will rise to 5.8 billion by 2025, mobile connectivity is more than a convenience—it's a vital enabler of economic participation.

South Africa is experiencing a rapid shift towards a cashless society, with mobile money at the forefront of this transformation. As more and more people turn to digital payments and banking, the use of physical cash is declining. In this article, we will explore the rise of mobile money in South Africa and its impact on the country's financial landscape.

Exploring the transformative impact of mobile digital financial services, this article sheds light on how these platforms redefine financial management through enhanced convenience, robust security, and a wide array of features, from banking to investing. It also forecasts future trends, underlining technology's pivotal role in shaping an accessible and efficient financial landscape.

In a thrilling development within Pakistan's dynamic telecom arena, Airvantage, powered by the cutting-edge Neem embedded finance platform, has proudly unveiled a game-changing innovation in collaboration with the leading Pakistani telecom giant, Ufone 4G – introducing the revolutionary UAdvance!

In today's dynamic business landscape, adaptation is key to success. Kenya's economy has witnessed a remarkable transformation fueled by the introduction of mobile money.

The payment landscape has seen a significant shift in recent years, with the rise of fintech companies and mobile financial services. Traditional banks are no longer the only players in the game, as these new players have disrupted the market, providing innovative solutions that cater to the unbanked and underbanked populations.

In the age of rapid technological advancement, the financial and telecommunications sectors are experiencing unparalleled transformations. Mobile money systems and the strategic pivot of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) represent two sides of the same coin, highlighting a converging path towards digitalization that is reshaping the global financial and communication landscapes.

With the demand for traditional mobile services, like voice calls and text messages, ever on the decline, customer churn and dwindling revenues are becoming increasing concerns for mobile network operators (MNOs). As an MNO, evolving and adapting needs to be part of your DNA to remain competitive and relevant to customers.

The telecom industry is experiencing technological growth and innovation never seen before, propelled forward by the advent of 5G broadband as well as the internet of things (IoT) capabilities. Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently experiencing a boom, with many mobile network operating (MNO) companies adopting AI to assist in their complex management operations. With its multipurpose and multifunction capabilities, AI has the potential to be a key driver for growth in numerous areas, ranging from infrastructure maintenance to sales and retail operations.

Success is better when it’s shared - whether it’s among friends, family, loved ones or communities. Success should be available to all, irrespective of where they come from or what their dreams are. ‍ With a large majority of Basotho being unbanked, access to loans and other financial services are limited and often hard to obtain, making it all the more difficult to access the capital they need to turn their dreams into tangible success stories. ‍ Recognising this gap in service delivery, Vodacom (VCL) financial services and Airvantage Lesotho decided to work together to find a solution that combines the benefits and capabilities of mobile money with the need for instant access to financial services. By leveraging the data gathered from individual mobile money users, both parties were able to build a custom solution capable of bringing greater financial inclusivity to the people of Lesotho.

For mobile network operators, churn is an ongoing concern - one thatis, unfortunately, worsening instead of improving. MNOs face incoming challenges from every direction, market saturation,stiff competition both inside and outside the mobile communications industryand growing customer disinterest in the services they’ve always offered. The mobile network industry is getting more saturated by the day. Newmobile network service providers are entering the market daily, offering morefor less and compelling customers to window shop, impacting their loyalty. ‍

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) currently find themselves in a bind. Their primary service - the service which has, up to this point, always defined their identity - of instant communication no longer has the value it once did. Landline, mobile and broadband services have all been eclipsed by instant messaging services and social platforms powered by wireless connectivity. And MNOs are feeling the sting in their pockets. By no longer being the gatekeepers of analogue and digital communication, operators are struggling to redefine themselves in a post-call landscape.

Across the continent of Africa, mobile money has experienced a massive rise in popularity. Large populations of people across developing markets who have limited access to formal banking systems or the documentation required to open a bank account are drawn to the easy availability of mobile banking and the minimal processes required to obtain mobile money.