The TechAfrica News Podcast

EP.05 | S2 | Could Satellites Free Africa from Network Limits? ST Engineering iDirect on Multi-Orbit Connectivity

What will it take to connect Africa at scale, sustainably and intelligently? In this TechAfrica News podcast, Omar Diab, Regional VP of Sales for the Middle East and Africa at ST Engineering iDirect, spoke with Akim Benamara, Chief Editor and Founder of TechAfrica News, on the shifts reshaping connectivity in Africa. The conversation explored satellite evolution, multi-orbit strategy, 5G expansion, AI-driven network management, and new investment models, highlighting what it will take to bridge rural access gaps without sacrificing performance or profitability. About Our Guest Omar Diab is Regional VP for the Middle East and Africa at ST Engineering iDirect He has extensive experience in market expansion, revenue growth, B2B sales, key account management, and partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. His focus is scaling businesses, strengthening ecosystems, and delivering sustained growth. The Connectivity Gap: Cost, Scale and Smart Deployment Over 300 million Africans lack reliable connectivity. Diab notes the bottleneck is economic rather than technical, with rural deployment needing to be profitable for providers and affordable for users. LEO satellites, once a niche solution, are now central to expansion strategies. New entrants are viewed as ecosystem partners rather than threats. Africa Is Not a Country: The Case for Market Specificity Connectivity needs vary across Africa. LEOs provide base access, but government, defense, and enterprise sectors require high-throughput, high-SLA solutions. ST Engineering iDirect focuses on multi-orbit and hybrid integration to meet these needs. Intuition: Standardization, Virtualization and AI The company’s Intuition platform uses interoperability, virtualization, and AI to future-proof satellite networks. Standards like 5G NTN and DIFI enable seamless integration. AI supports anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and digital twins, simplifying operations rather than adding complexity. 5G Beyond the Cities: Hybrid and Multi-Orbit Backhaul Satellite is key for 5G outside major cities. Hybrid and multi-orbit models split traffic efficiently, keeping delay-sensitive services on GEO while offloading bulk data. The “Unbound” approach shifts from CapEx to usage-based OpEx, helping operators expand rurally with less risk. “From a geo perspective, that segment isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The penetration of LEOs has strengthened our position and highlighted the roles of each operator or constellation in the ecosystem. We see the complement between new market entrants and the traditional model, like terrestrial fiber and evolving GEOs driving high throughput. It all contributes to delivering a complete ecosystem, with multi-orbit playing an important role.” - Omar Diab, Regional Vice President of Sales for the Middle East and Africa, ST Engineering iDirect  Partnership, Flexibility and the Push to Reduce Complexity Partnerships are central to ST Engineering iDirect’s strategy. Collaborations with partners like Q-KON test AI-driven analysis and guide product evolution. Software-defined modems and virtualization allow agile adaptation to market needs. Operators now demand flexibility, efficiency, and reduced complexity, with AI enabling simpler, smarter networks. Thank you for listening The TechAfrica News Podcast in Partnership with Smart Africa! For more insights, subscribe to our podcast and visit: www.techafricanews.com/podcast [https://techafricanews.com/podcast] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network. © 2025 TechAfrica News & The TechAfrica News Podcast. All rights reserved.

EP.04 | S2 | From Talk to Action: APHRC on Transforming African Evidence into Policy and Progress

Fresh from the stage at the Digital Africa Summit in Cape Town, Anthony Mveyange, Director of Programs – Synergy at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), sat down with TechAfrica News Chief Editor and Founder, Akim Benamara, to explore a defining challenge for Africa: how evidence moves from research into policy and real-world outcomes. The conversation spanned research, policy, power, AI, and identity, shedding light on the often unseen processes that shape evidence-informed governance across the continent. About Our Guest Anthony Mveyange is an award-winning executive leader, development economist, and board director with over 17 years of global experience across Africa, Europe, and the United States. He serves as Director of Programs at APHRC, headquartered in Nairobi with a regional office in Dakar, and is a co-founder of the Network for Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA). He is widely recognised for scaling development organisations, mobilising more than $40 million in funding, and building partnerships with governments, multilaterals, and global foundations. An African Institution Built for African Realities APHRC is intentionally African-led and African-based, with a pan-African leadership and footprint spanning over 35 countries. This design is deliberate. As Mveyange noted, whose voice is present in policy spaces often determines which problems receive attention and which are sidelined. The Triangle: Research, Translation, Capacity APHRC operates across three interconnected pillars: research, policy translation, and capacity strengthening. Its work covers health and wellbeing, human development, population dynamics, urbanisation, and data science, including AI and big data. Yet research alone is not enough.  Working with Power, Without Being Captured by It While donor-funded, APHRC works closely with governments, parliaments, civil society, and continental bodies. Its support ranges from Kenya’s sanitation policy to model AI and cybersecurity laws. Structural Constraints: Funding, Uptake, Capacity Mveyange outlined three persistent barriers: low R&D investment, the mismatch between political urgency and research timelines, and limited capacity to interpret and apply evidence.  From Talk to Action: Fixing the Translation Gap “Stop NATO - No Action, Talk Only. There are different players across the evidence value chain. Some of us generate the evidence, while others take that evidence and implement it. But there is a thin layer in between, and that is where translation becomes critical. Those who can use evidence will only use it to the extent that they understand it. If they do not understand it, however good the evidence is, it will simply not be used.”  - Anthony Mveyange, Director of Programs – Synergy, APHRC.  AI, Identity and Africa’s Place in the World AI disruption is inevitable, but exclusion is not. The real risk is Africa’s absence from the data and narratives shaping these systems. Thank you for listening The TechAfrica News Podcast in Partnership with Smart Africa! For more insights, subscribe to our podcast and visit: www.techafricanews.com/podcast [https://techafricanews.com/podcast] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network. © 2025 TechAfrica News & The TechAfrica News Podcast. All rights reserved.

EP.03 | S2 | 25 Years, 22 Million Lives: Vodacom Tanzania CEO Philip Besiimire on Transforming Connectivity

In this episode of the TechAfrica News Podcast, host, Chief Editor and Founder, Akim Benamara [https://www.linkedin.com/in/akimb/] speaks with Philip Besiimire [https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-besiimire/], CEO of Vodacom Tanzania [https://www.linkedin.com/company/vodacom-tanzania], about the company’s 25-year journey, digital transformation, financial inclusion, technology innovation, and future opportunities in AI, cloud, fiber, and 5G. About Our Guest: Philip Besiimire is Managing Director of Vodacom Tanzania and a member of its Executive Committee. He joined Vodacom in 2022 after holding senior leadership roles at MTN across Africa. With over 15 years of experience in leadership, commercial execution, and mobile financial services, he brings deep expertise in driving growth and innovation in telecom.  A Twenty-Five Year Journey of Growth and Purpose Vodacom Tanzania has grown from near-zero connectivity to 22 million users. Besiimire highlights the company’s purpose-driven initiatives, such as M-Mama, a maternal health emergency system, demonstrating technology’s role in addressing societal challenges.  Financial Inclusion and M-Pesa M-Pesa has expanded financial access from under 26% to over 76% in five years, serving over 10 million active users. Vodacom now offers credit, micro-loans, and business tools, empowering individuals and SMEs and reducing reliance on informal lenders. Policy, Regulation, and Digital Skills Empowerment Besiimire emphasizes balanced taxation and enabling policies to support Tanzania’s Vision 2050. Vodacom also drives digital education programs, including Code Like a Girl and mobile computer labs, equipping youth with skills for STEM and ICT careers. So I think, for me, it's about harmonization of those policies, harmonization of regulatory demands, and trying to make sure that we find the right balance between the objective to collect revenue to obviously provide services to the citizenry, but also allow the sector and industry to grow in such a way that we all lead up to the 2050 vision that has been articulated.”  -  Philip Besiimire, Chief Executive Officer, Vodacom Tanzania  AI, Technology Diversification, and Sectoral Impact AI enhances Vodacom’s customer experience, network monitoring, and enterprise services, while ethical standards safeguard data. Vodacom also expands into IoT, HealthTech, AgriTech, utilities, mining, and smart cities, delivering national-level impact. Network Modernization, 5G, and the Future of Tanzania’s Digital Landscape Vodacom is investing $100M in 4G/5G upgrades, fiber expansion, and satellite integration. Looking ahead, Besiimire identified three priorities for Tanzania’s digital future: policy certainty to unlock long-term investment, lower device costs to accelerate smartphone penetration, and sustained investment in digital skills, particularly AI and ICT. Thank you for listening The TechAfrica News Podcast in Partnership with Smart Africa! For more insights, subscribe to our podcast and visit: www.techafricanews.com/podcast [https://techafricanews.com/podcast] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network. © 2025 TechAfrica News & The TechAfrica News Podcast. All rights reserved.

EP.02 | S2 | World Bank IFC’s Aliou Maiga on AgTech: Jobs, Data, and Connecting 5M African Farmers by 2030

What does it take to turn farming from subsistence into a growth engine for Africa? In this episode of the TechAfrica News Podcast, Chief Editor and Founder Akim Benamara [https://www.linkedin.com/in/akimb/] sits down with Aliou Maïga [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliou-maiga-980380/], IFC’s Regional Director for the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) [https://www.ifc.org/en/about] in Africa, to discuss how AgTech is reshaping agriculture. From boosting yields and incomes for smallholder farmers to de-risking lending and using AI for crop management, the conversation explores how technology, finance, and data can drive food security and jobs across the continent. About Our Guest Aliou Maïga is IFC’s Regional Director for the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) in Africa, where he leads investment and advisory operations, sector reforms, and strategy across the region. With over 20 years at IFC, he has held senior roles in Africa and Asia, including Resident Representative in Ethiopia, Regional Manager for East Asia and the Pacific, and Regional Director for West and Central Africa. Agriculture at the Heart of Development Agriculture employs up to 80 percent of Africa’s workforce and contributes as much as 40 percent of GDP. “If you want to create jobs in Africa, the biggest employer in Africa is agriculture,” Maïga said. AgTech’s Promise AgTech firms act like fintechs for farming—digitising operations, linking farmers to inputs, insurance, and markets, and reducing risk for lenders. As Maïga explained, they are “an ERP behind every farmer.” “Technology has transformed every sector that it was injected into. You look at finance 50 years ago, and more recently the whole fintech revolution. But for some reason, agriculture has remained out of that movement. What we're trying to do is to inject technology in agriculture to make it efficient and productive as much as technology has done for other sectors.” - Aliou Maiga, Regional Industry Director for the Financial Institutions Group in Africa, IFC  Real-World Impact  Pilots in Morocco raised yields by 30 percent and incomes by more than 50 percent, while Nigeria’s Babban Gona integrates credit, storage, and profit-sharing. Most AgTechs blend digital platforms with local field agents to support farmers directly. Mindset and Risk Perception Banks and policymakers remain cautious, often financing only post-harvest activities. IFC is working to shift this view by piloting models and sharing risks to build trust in pre-harvest financing. Data and Reach Digitisation makes farmers investable and gives governments tools for better policies. With mobile coverage at about 70 percent, AgTech agents extend services to rural communities, bridging the last mile. Scaling the Future IFC aims to reach 5 million farmers by 2030. Maïga called this “very small,” noting the larger opportunity. With AI now able to detect plant disease from simple photos, he believes AgTech is key to self-reliance, food security, and growth. This episode was recorded on the 30 July 2025 at IFC Johannesburg. Thank you for listening The TechAfrica News Podcast in Partnership with Smart Africa! For more insights, subscribe to our podcast and visit: www.techafricanews.com/podcast [https://techafricanews.com/podcast] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network. © 2025 TechAfrica News & The TechAfrica News Podcast. All rights reserved.

EP.01 | S2 | Safaricom's CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa on 25 Years, $800M Daily on M-Pesa, and What’s Next

What does it take to move from being a telecom operator to a purpose-led technology company? In this episode of the TechAfrica News Podcast, Chief Editor and Founder Akim Benamara [https://www.linkedin.com/in/akimb/] sits down with Dr. Peter Ndegwa [https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-w-ndegwa/] (CBS), CEO of Safaricom Group PLC [http://safaricom.co.ke/], to explore the company’s 25-year journey, the evolution of M-Pesa, and its bold expansion into Ethiopia. From tackling Africa’s device gap to harnessing AI and satellite, the conversation reflects on how innovation, inclusion, and investment are shaping the continent’s digital future. About Our Guest Dr. Peter Ndegwa (CBS) is the CEO of Safaricom Group PLC, Africa’s leading technology company and pioneer of M-Pesa, serving more than 53 million customers across Kenya and Ethiopia. Since joining in 2020, he has led Safaricom’s shift from telecom to tech company, spearheaded its entry into Ethiopia, and strengthened its social impact through the Safaricom and M-Pesa Foundations. Safaricom at 25: A Legacy of Transformation From its start as a Telkom Kenya department to a $2.5B enterprise, Safaricom has grown into one of Africa’s most influential companies. Alongside, M-Pesa—turning 18 this year—has expanded financial access and powered half of Kenya’s GDP flows. M-Pesa: From Payments to Financial Health With 36 million monthly users and $800M transacted daily, M-Pesa has moved beyond payments into credit, savings, and insurance. “Accumulating wealth is not about richness; it is just about savings,” Ndegwa noted. AI is now strengthening fraud prevention and personalising services. Bridging the Device Gap Safaricom is making 4G phones affordable through local assembly and pay-as-you-go models like Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, aiming to make internet access universal. Satellites as Partners, Not Rivals Satellite services will not replace networks but complement them, especially in rural areas, healthcare, and backhaul. Africa, Ndegwa believes, will be the biggest beneficiary. “The terrestrial network is now established, and there has been a lot of investment that has been put there. Satellite, we see it as an opportunity to come and complement the terrestrial network, especially since there are still so many rural areas. We will see satellite supporting terrestrial networks to ensure that coverage is achieved. Africa will probably be the biggest beneficiary of satellite because it reduces the need for heavy infrastructure investment. This also means the cost of delivering connectivity becomes lower. I fully agree that in Africa, satellite will likely play a bigger role than in the West.” – Dr. Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom Ethiopia: Growth Frontier Safaricom’s $2.3B push into Ethiopia has already brought 10M new users. With 125M people, the market could outgrow Kenya in scale, supported by the newly launched Safaricom Ethiopia Foundation. Looking Ahead Africa’s young, digital-first population could unlock a leap in jobs and innovation. “We have shown in mobile money that we can actually do much better than any country in the West,” Ndegwa said, pointing to AI and digital tools as the next accelerators. This episode was filmed on: 7 July 2025 in Johannesburg Thank you for listening The TechAfrica News Podcast in Partnership with Smart Africa! For more insights, subscribe to our podcast and visit: www.techafricanews.com/podcast [https://techafricanews.com/podcast] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network. © 2025 TechAfrica News & The TechAfrica News Podcast. All rights reserved.