Having spent more than six months in the process of acquiring Orange Uganda, Africell officially decided and announced plans to push the button on a rebranding exercise that would be in effect on December 23rd.

The news was first reported in text message sent to some Orange subscribers.

“Be the first to know that as of 23rd of December, Orange becomes Africell. Stay updated on www.africell.ug,” read the SMS.

But the said website was, and is today, still showing “under construction” in a page titled “Coming Soon”.

The Orange.ug website still practically looks like an Orange website, except for the changed logo, and a banner notifying visitors of the 23rd December switch. It remains to be seen how long it will take the telecoms operator with over 12million subscribers across Africa to take full control of it’s Uganda operations, and how the current status affects its subscriber base.

Reports in November indicated that Africell plans to invest up to $150 million to improve the network of its recently acquired Ugandan unit, Orange Uganda Ltd., over the next three years, with a target of achieving a 20% market share in the fiercely competitive market.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Chief Executive Ziad Dalloul said the  new investment would also enable it to attract more voice subscribers so it can reach its target of at least 6 million by 2019.

“The demand for data is exponentially increasing, in terms of speed and coverage. You need to offer high-speed data everywhere including the inland parts of the country, and this is quite challenging with the existing infrastructure.” he said. “We will be adding more weight to capture more of the voice market while defending the very nice share of data that already exists.”

Rising economic growth and increased smartphone penetration across Africa continue to drive up demand for data services, as more young Africans get online, analysts have said.

Uganda has total of around 19 million phone subscribers, with mobile phone penetration growing at around 10% a year over the past five years, according to the state regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

Africell, which launched its operations in 2001 in Gambia now has a 61% market share in Sierra Leone and Gambia, and has over 5 million subscribers in Congo. The Ugandan acquisition has added close to 700,000 new subscribers to the company, bringing its active subscriber total to 11 million on the continent.

It expects to have 15 million mobile subscribers across its operations on the continent next year—still small when compared with giants such Vodacom’s South African unit, which has over 50 million customers in Africa. However, with the company’s annual revenue, currently around $270 million, growing at around 30% a year, Africell is one of the fastest-growing telecommunications companies on the continent, analysts say.

But the recent launch of Vodafone in Uganda will make the competition steeper than Africell might have anticipated in November.

Today, Vodafone Uganda has commercially launched voice and 4G LTE high-speed data services.

Vodafone’s 4G high-speed data services will initially be available in Kampala and Entebbe and the company plans to rapidly expand its 4G footprint to other cities.

Customers outside Kampala & Entebbe will initially have access to 2G and in some areas 3G services.

The Telecom has  also launched a new promotion dubbed ‘Talk is free on 0723’, guaranteeing free “on-net” Vodafone to Vodafone calls when they load airtime of UGX 3,000 or more.

Voice customers can also choose their preferred Vodafone 0723 number on the Vodafone website at mynumber.vodafone.co.ug

The company has also launched Unlimited data plans.

Early this month the telecom regulator Uganda Communication Commission wrote to all telecom players to register all its subscribers or face consequences, including revoking licenses, fines or disconnection. The telecoms took this notice very seriously, and this month we’ve seen creativity and innovation come into play as each tries to ensure their customers SIMS are registered and not cut off.

This process has been ongoing since 2013, when the government introduced SIM card registration, and the deadline was 30^th August 2013. What happened is that due to the logistical challenge of the manual process, many SIM Cards were partially registered and were deemed to have complied with the law, and the operators were allowed to continue the verification process. “Partially registered” in this case means the customer has filled in the form and submitted the requirements but they have not yet reached central verification centers and been verified.

The rural mobile user
There has been increasing mobile network penetration, which is a good thing for the rural communities that are now able to communicate easily, as well as transact with mobile money. We have written extensively about how mobile money is driving financial inclusion, so the significance of the presence of mobile operators in these areas is more critical than you think at first glance.

However this presents a challenge for registration in two ways:

First, there’s an increasing number of new activations coming from increasingly remote and rural areas, increasing the logistical challenges that the operators face in getting the documentation to verification centers.

Secondly the users in those remote areas are sometimes illiterate, and may make mistakes on the forms which will impede verification of their documents and keeping them in “partially registered “state for longer. In addition to that, the requirements such as photocopies of their identification, passport photos and the like aren’t as readily available to them as they are in the towns. And because of the small numbers that will be trickling in at each registration center, it doesn’t make financial sense for the agents to have the equipment for the customers to use.

For the users in these remote areas, disconnection could mean interruption of their livelihood as many are dependent on their mobile phones for communication with customers for their produce, their relatives and also the means of their financial dealings.

With Mobile Money someone in Europe can send money to their parents and they receive it on their mobile phone.

MTN Uganda CEO, Mr Brian Gouldie speaking to the press last week after a tour of the MTN SIM Card Verification Center said “The SIM Card registration has been manual since the implementation years ago, and it can take 7 days to 3 months for the documentation to move from the registration point to verification point at the verification center.”

It’s worth noting that even though there is a deadline looming over everyone’s heads, the registration is continuous and the challenges have to be tackled as there are new customers being connected to each network every month.

There is an estimated 500,000 new customers connected every month, and most of these new connections are being made up country, in remote areas seeing that penetration in the urban areas is basically saturated.

So this is more about continuous registration than it is about the deadline. There will continue to be more and more rural users in need of communication and financial services every month.

Registration goes digital
In order to overcome the challenges of the old system, the telecom operators have developed new solutions to speed up the process and have near real time registration and verification.

MTN is rolling out a digital process that has an Android application that will extend the reach to even the remotest areas. Customers will not need to photocopy documents or to have passport photos as the person registering can handle all that.

When I bought a Vodafone MiFi recently, I had to go through a similar process where they took my photo, scanned my ID and I left with the SIM card registered.

When all telcos roll this out, the SIM Registration will have caught up with the times, and verification can happen quickly.

More recently, MTN, Airtel and Africell took the registration online so that you don’t even have to go to the center to register.

These systems don’t come cheap and this cost is borne by the operators. MTN for example has spent over $350,000 on their application development and roll out, and has over 200 employees at the Verification Centre. With the biggest market share, we can estimate that other operators are deploying fewer people and spending less, but also investing significantly in the process.

“The other SIM Card”
We’re aware that Ugandans are two SIM holders, and a sizable percentage of mobile users have more than 2 SIMS.

Hesketh Serumaga, a Social Worker at World Vision International has at least 1 SIM card for each network. He says he bought a SIM for each network in order to take advantage of the different offers that they keep rolling out. Hesketh learnt long time ago that offers are always sweetest for “On Net” activity.

Hesketh has been monitoring costs of data bundles more over the last one year, and since he bought a smartphone, he doesn’t spend on phone calls as much as he used to.

He has only registered the 3 SIM cards that he has on him since he has been traversing the country most of this month and has not had time to dig up the others and register them. So that’s where his spend for the foreseeable future will be.

Therein lies the challenge for Ugandan Telcos: the extra SIM Cards.

As it is, most of the SIMs that people use regularly were registered long time ago. The Telco representatives we talked to were all cagey on numbers, but the general feeling is that most people, especially in urban areas have registered their main SIM cards.

However when the hammer falls on 30^th, it’s likely that people will stick to the SIMs that they have for some reason already registered, locking out other operators from their communication budgets. Whereas it has been easy to open the drawer where you keep the SIMs and load a bundle on the modem that you’ve not used for the past 1 month, when the unregistered SIMS are disconnected, customers are likely to abandon them and stick to the ones they have.

Courting the customer
In an informal conversation with a bunch of bloggers last week, it was speculated that the price cuts to 3/= that telcos implemented recently were actually about making sure customers were using their SIMS and registered them. They may have decided to cut their earnings in the short term as an investment in the customers’ future expenditure. If you have 5 SIM cards and you’d like to register two, your choice is likely to be influenced by who is offering the best deal at the moment.

We’ve also learnt that in addition to operators taking registration online, they are rewarding customers for registering in a bid to ensure no SIM gets left behind. So SIM card Registration is going to decide where customers will be spending going forward, and thus which telecom will be able to meet their targets.

Register your SIM Card Online
If for some reason you still haven’t registered your SIM card, or if it shows “partially registered” here is how you can register in the comfort of your home or office:

Africell: Online Registration

Airtel: Online Registration

MTN: Online Registration or Whatsapp: 0787777755

Vodafone: Whatsapp 0723000723

You can check your status by dialing *197# on all networks. Make sure you’re registered before 30th November 2015.

Being the internet citizen that I have become, I just must have the latest internet devices as the telcos and tech manufacturers churn them out. I must stay online, with the fastest speeds available, and at the best deals on the market. I was one of the first people to use the 3G modems and boy, was it fast back then! It blew my socks off. Sadly, with time it slowed down quite a bit.

When talk of 4G started going round, again I managed to get my hands on a 4G device as soon as the signal went live, the first being from Smile Communications. The speed was amazing, but I was disappointed because it couldn’t work at home, and since I was on holiday and based at home, that was a deal breaker for me. Smile has however since expanded and has wider coverage now.

More recently I have been alternating between the MTN 4G MiFi and the Vodafone 4G MiFi, so I can’t help but compare the two whenever I talk about one. The Vodafone MiFi is tempting because of the “unlimited” internet, whereas the MTN MiFi delivers speed “uncut”.

1. Countrywide 4G coverage

The fact that I have 4G at my upcountry home is the best part! Earlier this year, MTN announced that they had countrywide 4G coverage. I was skeptical at first but when in a few weeks I had to take an unexpected trip to the North, I confirmed that indeed 4G was alive and kicking. It doesn’t cover the entire country, but major towns are covered. There’s a high chance that there’s coverage in the town where you went for Christmas holidays.

At the moment only MTN has the kind of 4G reach.

2. Quick charge even when being used

The second thing that MTN’s Huawei made device has over the Vodafone is that I can easily charge while using it, and it will actually fill up. For some strange reason, if you charge the Vodafone device when it’s on, it just can’t even get a bar of charge, and yet in 2015 you may not have the luxury of switching off the internet to charge. When you’re upcountry for Christmas and you’ve got everyone tapping your MiFi, its 10 internet addicts who need to juice up while online!

3. HiLink Smartphone app gives you control on the move

When you have a device that has no screen or buttons beyond the power button, it’s essential to have a properly featured interface for you to control and monitor the mifi. Both devices have the web based interface that is standard on routers, but when you’re mobile, the Huawei HiLink comes in like a knight in shining armor and saves the day.

The Android app installed on my phone gives me control over the device in a way that the web interface just cant. In one glance, you can see lots of information, including the signal strength, battery, messages, data usage and the users connected. Then the settings are logically placed, and easy to use on mobile.

4. Speed uncapped, uncut

I got onto Vodafone when they launched with the unlimited (read 35 GB) package with a mifi, but I didn’t read the fine print. The speed is throttled to 2 Mbps, so you don’t actually enjoy 4G speeds. This could be OK if you simply want to line up torrents that will download overnight or when you aren’t using the computer, but for real usage, the MTN 4G MiFi that comes with the full speed capacity beats it.

Overall, the Huawei MiFi from MTN Uganda is a neat package to get you on 4G in more places than just Kampala CBD, and I must say it has lived up to the hype.

Enjoy the holidays!

Looks like Smile Communications Uganda is fulling embracing “Unlimited data bundles.” The company has today introduced the Weekly SmileUnlimited data bundle.

The data bundle comes at UGX 75,000 with speeds capped at 2MBps. It has a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) of 7GB after which the speeds drop to 512Kpbs.

The Company last week launched its VoLTE service offering,  which comes with an Android app and iOS app for those whose phones don’t support VoLTE, and their calls are charged off your data.

If we are to compare Smile’s weekly Unlimited with Vodafone Uganda‘s, Smile is slightly more expensive.

Vodafone’s weekly unlimited comes at UGX 69,900 with speeds capped at 2MBps. FUP is at 8GB after which speeds drop to 128Kbps.

Twelve lucky contestants who were voted by the public in the Vodafone WhatsApp Mania competition had a chance to tour the new Talent Africa studios in Nakasero tomorrow, ahead of the competition grand finale. Vodafone WhatsApp Mania, Africa’s first WhatsApp-based music competition, was launched on the 28th January, 2016 to give Ugandans with a dream to become global music icons, an opportunity to kick-start their music careers.

Vodafone Uganda launched this music competition earlier this year and has undeniably changed the dynamics of the Ugandan music competitions on scene.

The lucky contestants who toured Talent Africa tomorrow included; Kisakye Elijah, Ashley Gold, Real Alpha Music, Sinead Mulumba, Address K, Tumuhairwe Derrick, Mc Young Wizy, Leonardho Moka, Kenneth Robert, Oloya Joel, Winnie Kisa Nakabanda, and Catherine Hellen K. Nakiwala. Talent Africa is a leading 360 entertainment company in East Africa and is at the forefront of the booming entertainment sector in this region.

The competition has so far attracted up to 100 entries and its grand finale is slated for April 07, 2016 at Jazzville Bar and Restaurant in Bugolobi, a leafy suburb of Kampala. Even before the D-day, these contestants have already bagged Vodafone branded goodies.

The competition which has contestants submit audio demos via Whatsapp to Vodafone, will see three winners from the competition win recording contracts worth shs20 million with both Talent Africa and Deuces Entertainment Group. The three winners will be recorded and produced by Talent Africa, while Deuces Entertainment Group will shoot the video for the overall winner.  In addition, the overall winner will walk away with a brand new 4G LTE handset and other branded goodies from Vodafone Uganda.

Some of the judges who will decide the overall winner for the competition are phenomenal idols on both the Ugandan and International entertainment scene. These include; Multiple award-winning Ugandan Hip Hop artiste Navio (Daniel Kigozi), Ken Daniels Kayongo, a renowned music producer and Swahili Nation singer, plus Moses Serugo, a seasoned critique of the Arts. Rukh-Shana Namuyimba, the communications manager at Vodafone Uganda will also be a part of the judges.

The public still has an opportunity to vote the best entries online via whatsappmania.vodafone.co.ug/ and thus be a part of the discovery of Uganda’s next music icon.

To participate in the competition contestants are required to purchase and load a Vodafone power bundle of any amount or buy any mobile device from any of the Vodafone stores or outlets, compose and record either a video and audio song using their phones and to submit them to WhatsApp number 0723000500. The deadline for submission is 5:00pm 24th March 2016.

Nowadays smartphones come in all shapes, colors and sizes. You can find one for just about any price you’re willing to pay. As such we’ve come to wonder if some internet-enabled phones should really be called smartphones at all, what with all the trouble getting their negligible RAM to perform basic functions!

I’m happy to inform you that the pocket-friendly Vodafone SsabaSimu, the “innos M34T” doesn’t make the list of the mind bogglingly slow, unimpressive excuses for smartphones. When you pick up the super slim SabaSiimu from the Vodafone store, your wallet won’t be the only thing smiling. Here’s why;

Unboxing
The box, at purchase contains a 5.0V-1A charger, multi-purpose USB cable, 3.5 mm Headset jack, a couple of Quick start guides and a slim 4.5” long “innos” handset  to get you off to a great start.

General Specs

Display: 4.5 inches, Resolution:450 x 854 pixels (240 dpi)

Operating System: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

Network: GSM/WCDMA/LTE Band

Memory: 8GB ROM, 1GB RAM, Micro SD Slot expandable up to 32GB

Battery Capacity: – 1800mAh

Band: GSM: 900/1800 WCDMA: 900/2100 LTE:Band3/7/20

CPU: 1.2GHz quad-core Processor (MSM Qualcomm)

Camera: 5 MP back Camera with flash, 2 MP front Camera without Flash.

Data: GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 3.75G, 4G LTE

Performance
It’s bright, that screen and it’s beautiful. The SsabaSimu has a very clean feel, a really bright screen even out in the bright sub-Saharan Africa sun, you’re covered! The screen is wide and long enough to support most of your favorite games, with an appreciable resolution.

The SsabaSimu makes clear voice calls with an adjustable volume for both the earpiece and clear speaker-phone. You’ll hardly have to adjust positioning of the phone in order to catch what the person on the other line is saying to you.

The SsabaSmu is running on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop which gives you an easier and more fluid experience browsing through the phone and switching between applications with minimum cases of hang-time or slow responses. The interfaces have been untouched and will need some work and personalization with your favorite Apps to pimp the stock Android surfaces.

Camera
The 5 megapixel back camera takes decent images especially with day light and enhances night pictures with a  flash. The phone has a 2 Megapixel front phone camera that’s quite impressive. Say hello to Snapchat any time! Here’s what expect.

Battery Life
This little beauty will carry you well through your 20-hour day on regular functions such as calls, FM radio, and minimal internet usage of about 4 to 5 applications and even tether the rest of your crew to your data package if you like. You don’t have much to worry about or even scrum around searching for power banks as is the case for all things “smart” nowadays. This is a huge plus for the SsabaSimu!

What’s even more interesting is that this phone when left alone will fully for no more than three (3) hours to give you six (6) times as much battery life.

Internet Connectivity
The SabaSiimu boasts a 4G LTE network connectivity, when you can find it and it’s quite brilliant! 3G and 2G connections work just as well, just as long as it’s not loaded with Apps you’re really never going to use, its processing speed shouldn’t take you on a journey of patience and longsuffering.

Value for Money
The Innos M34T or more popularly known as Vodafone’s SabbaSimu is arguably an entry level smartphone but definitely gives you value for your money. Going for Ugshs 299,000/- only at  all Vodafone stores, you’ll arm yourself with a 4G LTE connection on a relatively low budget.

What we like 

1. Long Battery Life
2. Slim body
3. Price

What we don’t like

1. Low phone storage
2. Low RAM (Lousy processing speed)
3. Inconsistent 4G Connectivity

Vodafone Uganda, a provider of 4G-LTE high speed broadband data services has partnered with Marie Stopes Uganda and Hostalite limited; an e-commerce solutions provider, to hold the 2016 Health App Challenge (Hackthorn) aimed at developing mobile application solutions expected to increase the uptake of sexual reproductive health information and services.

The event will take place at the Uganda Museum from 13th to 14th May, 2016.

The hackthorn that has attracted local developers and innovators from 14 universities across Uganda, is in response to the growing commitment to leverage information and communication technologies to empower young people, complimenting Marie Stopes Uganda’s ongoing work in the area of reproductive health.

Speaking at the launch of the challenge today, Faith Kyateka; the communication and External Relation Manager at Marie Stopes Uganda, said; “Reaching young people with sexual reproductive health information and services is one of the key focal priorities of Marie Stopes Uganda.””This is because youth makeup majority of Uganda’s population.”

“Developing an app is therefore essential because 80% of youth in Uganda have access to media through mobile phones.” she added.

According to Jackie Namara; Head of Marketing Vodafone Uganda said; “Vodafone Uganda is pleased to partner with Marie Stopes Uganda and Hostalite Limited to make this year’s Health App Challenge a reality, because it believes information and communication technology is critical to the delivery of health services and information.”

Jackie also notes that, “through technology it is becoming easier to decentralize care from primary and secondary care facilities to the home environment, resulting in patient empowerment through increased access to health services. There’s no better way to improving the patient experience and avoiding costly and lire-threatening escalation with timely diagnosis and intervention.”

Earlier this year, Vodafone Uganda held their 4th Edition of Power Talks at Serena Hotel, Uganda, whose main focus was on forging ways on how ICTs including: mobile apps, can be utilized to enhance the delivery of health care to millions of Ugandans.

“We strongly believe that by the end of the challenge, the teams would have come up with mobile solutions that will lead to increased uptake of sexual reproductive information and services in Uganda.” Ms. Jackie added.

Using methods drawn from design thinking and creative problem solving, the hackthorn will encourage participants to thinks outside the box and design unconventional solutions to promote young people’s sexual reproductive health.

The hackthorn will follow principles of “user-centered-design” actively engaging young people in the development of solutions that are based on their real needs and experiences.

After two days of designing and developing, the hackthorn will conclude with a pitch session, where an expert panel of judges will select the winning app prototype(s).

Vodafone Uganda will award the top three winning groups a total of twelve 4G handsets (all handsets come with 1GB data, 60 minutes for local calls and international calls to zone 1 countries and free whatsapp valid for 30 days).

In addition, the winning team in the challenge gets a 4G router with up to 50GB (6mbps data cap) per month, for a period of 6 months; the 1st runner-up will get a 4G router with up to 50GB (6mbps data cap) for 4 months while the 2nd runner-up gets 50GB (6mbps data cap) for a period of 2 month.

The total sponsorship package for the two day event is valued at 8million ugx.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Hostalite has offered to mentor and incubate the developers of the winning app at its fully facilitate Labs at Hostalite Cyber Academy in Bukoto.

“At Hostalite we use the latest technology and strive to apply it in a way that enhances the human experience,” said Dickson Mushabe; Regional Manager E.A, Hostalite Ltd, adding; “We believe in nurturing and empowering local talent and innovators to maximize their potential,” he added.

On May 11th, Marie Stopes Uganda launched the marie stopes health app challenge during a press conference at Vodafone Uganda head offices, Kololo Hill Drive.

Marie Stopes Uganda together with Vodafone Uganda who sponsored the event and organized by Hostalite Ltd, invited 60 local developers and innovators across 14 different Ugandan universities including; Makerere University, Uganda Technology and Management University, Ndejje University, International Health Science University, Bugema University, Makerere University Business School, Kampala International University, St. Lawrence, to name a few, to develop a mobile health app solution that promotes young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services where each university was represented by a group of four individuals for a two-day hackthorn dubbed #Hcahack.

And only one team out of the 60 teams was to walk away with a grand-mega prize.

First day of the hackthorn
Dickson Mushabe, CEO and Founder of Hostalite gave an overview of the hackthorn and the prizes to be won at the end of the two-day coding.

Faith Kyateka, Communications Manager at Marie Stopes Uganda also gave a brief speech on leveraging technology to empower young people from a sexual reproductive perspective. She also emphasized all the hackers to come with projects that would be simpler to be used by people down in the rural areas.

Harriet Adong, Communication Manager at Resilient Africa Network keynoted on why developers should innovate and the needs of understanding adolescent sexual and reproductive health key challenges.

Nicholas Kamazi, Co-Founder of Yoza app, also keynoted on behalf of Africa’s Talking, that were providing free APIs for the hackthorn, about the power of mobile technologies.

Later on in the day, mentors were provided to every group to check on their progress and then at the end of the session, each team/group was requested to pitch/present their ideas to selected panel of mentors.

Second day of the hackthorn
The second day, was for the hackers to make final touches on their projects and preparation for presentations.

Speaking shortly before the winners were announced, Dr. Carol Sekimpi, Managing Director, Marie Stopes Uganda called upon the participants of the hackthorn to have healthy children and minds by choice not by chance and also gave her remarks on the reason for their partnership.

Teams later on presented their prototypes to the judges where, TeamMUNNO from Ndejje University was emerged as the grand winners of the Marie Stopes health app challenge, as TeamUtamu from Uganda Technology and Management University and TeamMpenzi from International Health Science University came as the 1st and 2nd runner’s up respectively.

Congratulations to Team MUNNO from @NdejjeUnivUG @MarieStopesUg @MarieStopes @HostaliteCyber #HcaHACK pic.twitter.com/GTJYRaBIN0

— Vodafone Uganda (@vodafoneuganda) May 14, 2016

TeamMunno walked away with Vodafone handsets, a 4G indoor router (with 50GB of 6mbps data cap per month, for a period of 6 months), 3 months incubation of their app at the Hostalite Cyber Academy, exposure to funding from Marie Stopes Innovation fund plus Marie Stopes health cards vaild for a year, while the 1st and 2nd runners up were given Vodafone handsets and a 4G indoor router (with 50GB of 6mbps data cap per month, for a period of 4 months and 2 months respectively).

All handsets came with 1GB data, 60 min for local calls and international calls to zone 1 countries and FREE WhatsApp for 30 days.

IHSU team comes in at number 3, @utamu_ac_ug 2nd and “munno” in 1st place #HcaHACK pic.twitter.com/Uoy7qa6Yyf

— JoshTwin (@josh_twin) May 14, 2016

In addition to the awards given to the winning teams, Hostalite Cyber Academy also awarded all the participants of the hackthorn scholarships effective of 1st June, 2016

With great thanks to all the organizations that put a hand to make this happen; Bridge Flims, Akira Digital, RoyalWay Media, Pc Tech Magazine, Coca Coal, Africa’s Talking, Nomard, Sync, Exquiste Solution

Summary of the Winners:
Grand Winners: TeamMunno from  Ndejje University.

1st Runners-Up: TeamUtamu from Uganda Technology and Management University.

2nd Runners-Up: TeamMpenzi from International Health Science University.

After the ride-sharing transport service, Uber Inc., launched in Uganda as the the 462nd city to join the Uber global network, Vodafone Uganda has partnered with the company [Uber], to provide first class transport services to Ugandans.

The partnership will be brought to life through Vodafone Uganda’s provision of 4G mobile devices and data for the first 200 driver-partners operating on the platform, to assist them in operating in and around Kampala.

“The entry of Uber into the Ugandan market is affirmation of just how much technology can do in terms of solving everyday problems,” Allan Richardson, CEO for Vodafone Uganda said in a statement.

“This new exciting partnership with Uber is in line with Vodafone’s passion to use technology for the betterment of people’s lives. In partnering with Uber, an industry leader in its own right, Vodafone is driving the use of technology for safe, and affordable, transport solutions,” he says.

Bertrand Nembot, Uber launcher in Uganda said, “We are looking forward to working with Vodafone Uganda to offer safe and reliable rides to people across Kampala as well as working to reducing traffic congestion challenges within the City. Further, this partnership enables us to create hundreds of economic opportunities across the City.”

Riders will also benefit anyone downloading and signing up for Uber will  get a free first ride up to UShs15, 000 which they can unlock using the promotions code “VODAFONE” with the offer running till July 31st, 2016.

As part of its continued effort to empower Ugandans through Information Communication Technology (ICT), and following the success of the past Vodafone PowerTalks editions, Vodafone Uganda, a leading telecommunications company, has announced that it will hold its fifth edition of its empowerment forum under the theme; Leveraging Technology in Tourism: Lessons for Uganda, on July 28, 2016 at the Kampala Serena Hotel.

According to Vodafone Uganda’s Chief Executive Officer Allan Richardson, the fifth edition of the Vodafone Power Talks will feature success stories from the East African region, and also focus on identifying new and better digital marketing platforms that can be adopted by various players in the tourism and hospitality industry to boost both the country’s image and deliver better investment returns for their businesses.

“Uganda is fast becoming a leading tourism destination and the progressive SMEs involved in this space will have to be more innovative in the way they use technology to redesign tourism products to address individual needs, satisfy consumer wants and grow their businesses,” says Allan Richardson.

“There are a lot of lessons we can learn from the region and I am confident that our experienced panelists will be sharing exciting ideas and insights during this forum,” he added.

With technology, the world has turned into a global village and the internet has fast become the universal source of information for billions of people. This quarterly forum is designed to inspire Ugandans to harness the transformative power of technologies for growth at individual and business level.

The panelists for this edition include;

• Steven Asiimwe, the Executive Director Uganda Tourism Board
• Amos Wekesa, the Director of Great Lakes Africa Safaris
• Kelley McTavish, the Executive Director of Pearl of Africa Tours
• Belinda Namutebi, the iBrand Chief Brand Custodian
• Phillip Kalibwami, the Director of Pearl Guide
• Rosette Chantal Rugamba, the founder and Managing Director of Songa Africa based in Rwanda.

All delegates participating in the forum will be entered into a raffle draw with the chance to win a return ticket to Abu Dhabi, where the winner will experience the warmth of traditional Arabian hospitality, courtesy of Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates.

Recently, Uganda was named the second best honeymoon destination by the Huffington Post, a globally recognized online blog and news aggregator, hinting at the global attention that the country has received over the past few years leading to a booming market.

According to recent National Budget revelations, tourism contributes US$ 2.5 billion to Uganda’s GDP and approximately USD 1.5 billion in foreign exchange earnings annually. This translates to 9% of national output and 26% of export earnings.

The forum is expected to attract over 250 SME entrepreneurs, managers and ICT enthusiasts from mainly the tourism and hospitality industry and others including; aviation, media, health and cultural attachés.

Vodafone Uganda appointed John Ndego as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective from 11th July, 2016, replacing Allan Richardson, who returns to the Afrimax Group office in preparation for the next market launches following the recent launch of operations in Ghana and Zambia.

John is a driven, passionate, people oriented and entrepreneurial business leader whose experience spans twenty-six years in telecoms, FMCG, Advertising and Public Relations in seven countries.

He has previously worked as Managing Director of Airtel Congo Brazzaville and Airtel Burkina Faso, Group Commercial Director at Zain Africa and also held various senior management positions within Nestlé in Nigeria, Benin and Togo.

John has a proven track record of transforming businesses, acquisitions, integrations, and building winning management teams.

His appointment is coming one year into the entry of Vodafone in Uganda and at a crucial time in the telecommunications industry in Uganda, with data services poised to dictate the pace of growth in the years ahead.

According to Vodafone Uganda, it’s well placed to take advantage of the opportunities and to benefit more broadly from John’s considerable commercial and strategic experience.

In a recent advertising campaign by Vodafone Uganda, the telecom provider seems to poke a stick into MTN Uganda’s side. The campaign which seems to go after MTN’s Paka Paka Voice package by insinuating that 30 minutes does not mean unlimited, while it is offering the real unlimited plan with free WhatsApp Calls.

Today, we want to take these two head-on in a comparison to determine which operator offers the best deals in the country. MTN Uganda, a standout giant has been in operation for almost 18 years now whereas Vodafone is still a new-comer in the industry.

Subscriber Base

Last year in September, Vodafone celebrated hitting 100,000 subscriber mark. This is in sharp contrast to MTN’s estimated 10 million subscribers (based on recovery projection following the 8.9million declaration in March 2016).

The number of subscribers is important in this argument because it crucially determines how affordable a user’s phone services are since operators generally offer better options for calling within the network.

Coverage
As more and more mobile networks are building bases and putting up masts around the country, the scope and quality of mobile phone coverage in Uganda is improving, but which mobile network has the best coverage in the country.

In this world of constant connectivity the quality and speed of your network is critical to your ability to work and play on the hoof.

Here’s how the two compare:

Voice and Data Deals

Both MTN and Vodafone offer their own set of unique perks and extras to attract users, ranging from generous data plans and promotions to offering free Voice minutes and SMS.

While it’s easy to compare prices, working out what extras each offers can be a dizzying experience. With that in mind, we’ve pulled out the selling points for each provider.

WhatsApp Calls vs. “Paka Paka”

As a proposition, MTN Paka Paka allows users to call any MTN number for 30minutes throughout the day for just 30minutes, at UGX. 1,000/=. By comparison, Vodafone offers you an opportunity to call WhatsApp users for “free” as long as you purchase a 24-hour mini bundle at 1,000/=.

WhatsApp calls require both the caller and the recipient to have access to high-speed internet, have their data connection activated, and to guarantee quality, have a 4G-enabled device.

Because of the number of subscribers alone, MTN’s Paka Paka is not comparable to UGX. 1,000/= WhatsApp calls because of how many people you can possibly call.

MTN’s Data Tooti bundle, it needs to be noted, offers the most affordable all-round data option available on the market today.

Overall winner? You can make your own conclusions.

Players in the tourism and travel industry have been advised to embrace new technology in order to boost their businesses and further develop the industry in the country.

Speaking at the 5th edition of the quarterly Vodafone PowerTalks held at the Kampala Serena Hotel, Derrick Sebbaale, the Chief Technical Officer of the 4G LTE service provider, said; “Uganda is fast becoming a leading tourism attraction globally and therefore SMEs in this sector will have to be more innovative and in tune with the current trends in order to benefit from the industry and better manage the challenges that come with such growth”

Reports show that 15% of room nights are now being booked online on a mobile phone. Sebbaale challenged the stakeholders to consider investing more in technology and platforms that can serve as effective channels for pre-tour narratives about destinations, sites and the peoples & culture of Uganda.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, International tourist arrivals in Uganda grew by 5% between January and April 2016. This growth presents numerous opportunities for the tourism industry, however, without the application of technology to its processes, it risks remaining far behind and under exploited.

A 2010 poll from Eye for travel, a leading research company on Internet focused travel, indicates that 7 out of 10 travelers use the internet as their primary source of travel information resulting in almost half of the world’s travel being distributed and booked online.

The event was attended by over 250 Small and Medium Enterprise owners and managers in the tour and travel industry and presided over by a panel of discussants including; Amos Wekesa, the founder and CEO Great Lakes Africa Safaris; Stephen Asiimwe, the CEO Uganda Tourism Board, Kelley MacTavish Mungar, the Executive Director of Pearl of Africa Tours, Belinda Namutebi, the founding member of I’m So Uganda, #Ondaba, Phillip Kalibwami, the Director of Pearl Guide and Rosette Chantal Rugamba, the founder and Managing Director of Songa Africa based in Rwanda.

The event ended with Vodafone and its sponsors awarding four lucky participants with a return ticket to Abu Dhabi aboard Etihad Airways, two coupons for brunch at the Kampala Serena Hotel, one ticket for a hot air balloon experience with Dream Balloons and one ticket to the National Park with Pearl Guide.

Are you used to Vodafone’s Unlimited Internet offering? Looks like you may have to settle for another data bundle or alternatively Switch to another provider.

When our team checked their website today morning, we discovered that their entire listing of all Unlimited plans have been removed.

On calling customer care to find out if we can recharge, we were informed that they are no longer available.

PC Tech has reliably been told that the company is in the process of introducing different data bundle options, though none of them will be Unlimited.

If your data bundle is still active, enjoy it while it lasts.

Are you a Vodafone Unlimited internet user? Let us know which data bundle you will be switching to in the comments section below.

Vodafone Uganda is looking to end it’s year with an upper hand, with the company set to announce the launch of its utility software – a self-care and data monitoring mobile application.

The MyVodafone app will look to be an easier platform to monitor your data, or manage your Vodafone account than using the Vodafone online self-care portal. Vodafone says that the final version of the app will be released soon and available on Android and iOS.

Vodafone believes that this app will help reduce costs of serving their customers, and provide a great customer experience and differentiation.

At PC Tech, we got the chance to test the beta version of this app which is beautifully crafted and clean with essential features. Here are our findings so far:

The app is Zero Rated, meaning it doesn’t require any data usage to connect, but rather you only need to have an active data bundle. Which is a pretty cool thing to have for a utility application as this.

Data Usage tool
The app features a ‘data usage tool’ which gives you hourly updates on how much you’re using on data. The features shows you the history of how much you’re using your data from the time of the re-charge.

Self Service
Once you’ve got the Vodafone app, you won’t need to access the Vodafone online self-care portal to load your data bundles/plan. The app is giving you a ‘self service’ feature. Top up using voucher card and probably soon enough, you’ll able to use Mobile Money support.

Store Finder
The store finder feature helps you find stores that are nearest to where you are in case you might need help or buy a voucher card, and so forth. The feature uses your GPS function on your phone to determine the distance from your location to the store and also provides the time the stores open and close.

This feature is really awesome, saving one’s time of walking around looking for Vodafone stores.

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24/7 Support
MyVodafone has a support feature for you to LiveChat with support from the Call Center or call a toll free number without exiting the app. You can also scroll through the FAQs.

Transfer Credit
You can transfer your credit to another Vodafone account.

Gift Voucher
Asides from the ‘transfer credit’ feature where you transfer your data from one number/account to another, with the ‘Gift Voucher’ feature, you actually buy data for another number.

In conclusion 

Only good things! The app is here for convenience of use straight at the palm of your hands to give you your Vodafone wallet balance, be able to view and change services you are subscribed to and buy new plans. You can also view payment history, usage history, and also transfer credit payments, and most importantly a standby 24/7 support system. I believe this simplicity will be highly appreciated by Vodafone subscribers.

UPDATE: The app is now officially available on the Play Store.

Vodafone Uganda, has today announced a commitment to support the youth and entrepreneurs in Uganda.

During a press conference held at Kampala International University, the next generation operator announced that going forward it will be more focused on the youth and Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs in order to empower them to harness their potential.

Speaking during the conference, John Ndego, the Chief Executive Officer Vodafone Uganda, said the major focus for Vodafone Uganda will be on digital, using the power of internet to tap into the younger generations’ potential and help them build their tomorrow today.

“The biggest way that we can support Uganda is to provide technology and data services that support the growth of young entrepreneurs in this country,” said Ndego. “We are helping them access global education resources using 4G technology.

Uganda is the youngest and most entrepreneurial country in the world. According to the 2014 census statistics by Uganda Bureau of Statistics the youth, that is, persons below 30 years constitute 78% of the population. These numbers, according to Ndego, represent a huge potential for the country to turn a tide in technology and innovation and Vodafone Uganda would like to be part of this journey.

As part of the youth focus, the 4G operator will be offering internship and work experience opportunities to students in various universities in the country. The youth program, that is targeting both the students and graduates is geared towards supporting career growth and technology innovation for the students. Over 250 youths are expected to benefit from this program annually.

Through the #ICreateTomorrow digital campaign, Vodafone is empowering the youth by helping them take charge of their tomorrow by giving them an opportunity to experience what their peers are doing with technology in other countries.

“We are committed to nurturing and developing young talent in Uganda,” noted Jackie Namara, Vodafone Uganda Head of Marketing. “We shall soon be introducing an online platform and community called JUMP that will transform how the youth, professionals and SMEs learn, share and interact in a digital world.”

In order to enhance customer experience Vodafone has also launched the following solutions;

• My Vodafone App gives customers the flexibility to manage their account. They can top- up, track usage, purchase data bundles using a voucher, Debit or Credit card. Customers can download and use the app for free on the network.

• Vodafone Chat+ enables customers to stay in touch with family and friends by making free audio HD quality calls and messaging on the Vodafone network with anyone who has downloaded the app.

Working so hard so see that their customers are satisfied with data plans they subscribe to, ISPs always come up new promotion to be named the king of internet. This time around, Vodafone Uganda in their new promotion dubbed “For G Offer” is giving you a special deal of you getting 4GB data for a life time and a discounted Vodafone Mi-Fi.

It seems Vodafone Uganda is strengthening all their loose ends on the data plans that they have in stock for their customers.

How to get this deal

Recommend three of your friends via the Vodafone For G offer portal and you automatically qualify to receive an offer of 4GB of data for UGX 40,000 – for the rest of your life. Adding to this excitement, you also get a discounted Vodafone Mi-Fi at only 30,000 UGX from 170,000 UGX.

Claim for the offer if you sign up at For G website. However, note that the Offer is limited to the first 25,000 customers, thus register when the offer is still valid.

Vodafone Uganda announces that today the three winners of the #ICreateTomorrow competition – artist and student Darsan Ainembabazi, filmmaker Chris Lutanga and health care administrator Cathy Namubiru – have departed for London on a once in a lifetime trip.

During their time in London the lucky winners will each visit key tech hubs, influencers and leaders in their respective fields, equipping and inspiring them to build and brighter tomorrow. Chris Lutanga says, “This trip will give me an insight into how professional filmmaking is done and not to settle for less but to aim for more.”

According to John Ndego, CEO Vodafone Uganda the purpose of the #ICreateTomorrow campaign is to connect new people and new ideas, to inspire Uganda to build a future that we’re proud of. “We are giving our winners different experiences so they come back renewed, motivated and ready to create their own tomorrow in Uganda,” John Ndego adds.

This competition forms part of a relaunch of Vodafone in Uganda and a renewed focus towards the Youth and SMEs. With over 65% of Uganda being under the age of 25 there is potential to unleash a highly productive generation of people.

“Vodafone believes that we do not only have a role to play, but a responsibility, to be an immovable force for progress in Uganda. Our simple philosophy is that every Ugandan has the potential to do, and to build incredible things. And with our network and technology we hope to make this journey of success a little easier,” noted Ndego.

During the trip Lutanga will work with filmmakers to produce his own short film to be showcased at the prestigious Somerset House studios. Ainembabazi will visit famous galleries and artistic hubs that are relevant to Africa and Namubiru will meet medical care experts and health administrators as well as tech start-ups.

Ndego comments, “we hope that she brings back knowledge and experience that can be used to create efficiencies in the health care system making her a pioneer in Ugandan health care.”

Looks like Vodafone Uganda is shifting it’s focus from Voice – a market that’s already crowded with many players and dominated by MTN Uganda – to VoIP, via an app that has it all.

Enter the Vodafone Chat+ App. Vodafone Chat+ allows you to make free High Definition app-to-app voice calls, send free messages to other Vodafone Chat+ users and enjoy High Definition video calls. As well as share files such as pictures, video clips and music on the go. However, Video Calls and content transfer are charged at normal Data rates.

Vodafone Uganda claims that the purpose of the app is not to compete with the heavy weights of the Instant Messaging and Chatting business but to lock in student communities and allow non Vodafone customers to try Vodafone quality of data services, although the Chat+ app offers some functionality competitive to WhatsApp, Skype and Messenger.

During a recent press conference at Kampala International University, John Ndego, the CEO Vodafone Uganda, said the major focus for Vodafone Uganda will be on digital, using the power of internet to tap into the younger generations’ potential.

Like it is with IM Giant WhatsApp, Chat+ will sync with your Contact list and show them within the app. Chat+ users will appear in your contacts list with a status icon next to their Display Picture.

One of the biggest catch with the Chat+ App so far is that it offers ‘0 rated data usage’ for calls within the app, as long as you have an active data bundle. Just like the Self- Care App we reviewed earlier.

Features of Chat+

• Free app-to-app Voice Calling and Messaging
• Free Group Calling
• Video Calling
• File Sharing – Documents, photos, music, videos, voice notes. (Standard data rates apply)

But how does the Chat+ App compare to the heavyweight? Let’s take a look…

Check out the App on the Play Store.