Meeting, collaborating and forging partnerships - networking at East Africa Com 2016

By Sarah Nemeth - VIP Relations Executive, KNect365 at Informa

Last month’s East Africa Com in Nairobi served as a central hub for the East African tech and telecommunications community to engage in discussion, collaborate and grow their business network.

Throughout the years, East Africa Com has evolved into the must-attend forum for the East African ICT and telecommunications industry. As such, East Africa Com prides itself on being the region’s number one networking platform. Our conference attendees are among some of the biggest and most prestigious international enterprises, such as: Unilever, Kenya Airways, National Bank of Kenya, the BBC, DHL and KenGen. Also in attendance were government entities like the Kenya Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Kenyan Ministry of ICT and the United Nations.  

As varied as the attendees and the topics up for discussion this year, so was the vast array of networking opportunities to choose from. The platforms available ranged from an exclusive VIP dinner, speed networking sessions, a networking pool-side after party sponsored by icolo.io, as well as pre-arranged one-to-one introductions.

“Networking receptions are very well received in East Africa – it is a very enthusiastic environment”
Penuel Ongwae - CIO, Nestle Kenya

The evening prior to the event saw our VIP guests, speakers and sponsors join the East Africa team for a VIP dinner comprised of exquisite food and engaging conversation. The dinner reception was privately held at the Radisson Blu Hotel and attended by C-level telecommunication operators such as: Safaricom, Zantel and Tigo, alongside industry analyst Ovum. The leading event sponsors such as Papersoft, Huawei and SES were also among our VIP attendees. The dinner served to introduce all our VIP guests and sponsors in a relaxed environment ahead of the busy 2 day conference.

“The East Africa Com 2016 VIP dinner presented a great networking opportunity for me. We had great conversations on the themes and topics of the conference.The crowd at the dinner event was just awesome”
Danson Njue - Research Analyst, Ovum 

A key feature of Informa events is the executive speed networking feature, which is held over both days of the conference. These sessions have proved to be one of our most popular interaction opportunities because it allows VIP guests, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors to network in an informal but structured setting. Speed networking gives company decision-makers, investors, start-ups, government leaders and vendors the opportunity to meet and introduce their businesses and services in short, timed sessions. If buyers and sellers find eachother’s offerings attractive, they have a chance to exchange business cards and meet again later in the day for an extended one-on-one discussion.

“Speed Networking facilitates business opportunities – some of the biggest industry projects have grown over the years through contacts made during the sessions at our events”

“The opportunity to meet and interact with solution providers that are creating future-shaping technologies has opened my eyes to new possibilities we as a telco could explore, to serve our customers better and grow our business.”
Marta Paiar - Head of Sales Transformation, Safaricom

We continuously strive to optimize the networking offerings at our events and understand our audience better. In co-operation with icolo.io we introduced the networking pool-side after party on the evening of the first day. This party, which was open to all conference attendees and partners, was a huge success and was attended by over 300 event guests.

At events such as East Africa Com we ensure our VIP guests and sponsors meet their target audience by offering tailored and pre-arranged one-to-one meetings with their preferred audience from the telecommunication and digital technology sector. Unlike the short session offered at speed networking, the one-to-one sessions are in-depth private meetings. This networking feature gives both parties the chance to discuss future projects and cooperation in detail behind closed doors.

“East Africa Com was a great opportunity to network with some of the most important Kenyan telco and IT players. The meetings arranged by Informa were excellent and very relevant. We will take some great new contacts, conversations and ideas home with us”
Gonçalo Barata - Marketing Manager, Papersoft

The networking opportunities offered at East Africa Com this year were the most successful in the event’s history. The VIP relations team facilitated 450+ onsite meetings. We are delighted that the new networking functions such as the VIP dinner and the networking pool-side after party were so well received by the conference attendees. Based on the great success this year we look forward to further extending our networking offer in the coming years.

If you would like to learn more about networking opportunities at East Africa Com or any other Com World Series event, please get in contact with Sarah Nemeth, VIP Relations Executive at Informa here.

 

The African Investment Insight: An interview with Andile Ngcaba

Investor, businessman, ex-policymaker, teacher, ANC freedom fighter, telecommunications expert, tech trend forecaster - they’re all applicable labels which can be used to describe Andile Ngcaba.

With a vibrant and varied background working to accelerate the socio-economic growth and development not only in his home country of South Africa, but the continent at large, Andile brings 35 years of experience in the tech and telecommunications sectors, in order to continue to build what he terms “digital Africa”.

We sat down with Andile following his Investor Insight address at East Africa Com to talk about his background, his life's passions and Convergence Partners' plans for the future - "watch this space!"

1. You have devoted a great deal of your life and career to the growth and development of ICT in Africa, from where did this interest and passion first stem?

This passion I was taught by my father, my father worked for the [South African] post office for over 40 years and he taught me. At that time, the post office was involved in telex and telecoms and that’s how I learnt, I learnt from him. Apart from learning from colleges and universities, he taught me how it’s important to facilitate communications between people, using technology and any other form of communications. 

"I have spent all my life in the technology of communications, specifically on the African continent - I am very proud of that"

So for the rest of my life I have dedicated myself to this, to say: “How do I operate and participate in the communications environment, in the information environment?” For the last 35 years or more, I have spent all my life in the technology of communications, specifically on the African continent. I am very proud of that and I will continue to do this because this is where I derive personal joy and fulfillment.

When I go to a village and people have never heard [about] communications and we put in a mast and connect and provide the microwave link and put Wi-Fi at the edge of that microwave link and people start to use Wi-Fi. We put in solar power to connect their batteries and you see the change - you don’t have to teach people, they go onto the internet, they know what they want, they know how to use the internet and they connect into the world of information. I see these things all the time.

"When we provide this kind of connectivity to villages who are in very mountainous areas, you see how important communications are to connect rural people"

Originally we come from a very small part of South Africa called Pondoland, this is a very remote part of the Eastern part [of the country] and when we provide this kind of connectivity to villages who are in very mountainous areas, you see how important communications are to connect rural people. But of course, we provide as Convergence Communications, even to the most modern and sophisticated Africa – we provide communications in Johannesburg, in Lagos, in Nairobi and in many other countries.

2. During Apartheid you were heavily involved in the struggle for a democratic South Africa, playing a key role in ANC [African National Congress] insurgency operations and communications. How do you think your background informs what you do today?

"Like any young person in the 70s in South Africa, because of the nature of our society, we all had to participate to ensure that South Africa was free"

I was at Philips before doing that – my background started at Philips, in the electronics division. I worked in all different electronics sections, departments and divisions of Philips. So like any young person in the 70s in South Africa, because of the nature of our society, we all had to participate to ensure that South Africa was free - that there was freedom in our country and people were able to vote, young people were able to access education and people could access opportunities equally.

"My role in that was in communications, in the ANC and in the military I was responsible for military communications"

We are now all happy with the fact that we now have a constitution that we are very proud of, that constitution belongs to all of us and that constitution defends us. Having been a part of the people who fought to make sure that Apartheid must not exist in our country - I am very proud of that. My role in that was in communications, in the ANC and in the military I was responsible for military communications, and that really was what my role had been.

Post that I got involved in policy development, I worked for government for almost 10 years, writing new policies in the post-Apartheid South Africa. After those 10 years, I went into business and this is what I do and will continue to do. But alongside all that I have been involved in research and innovation working with universities, assisting here and there, teaching part-time. Those are the things I live for, that’s what gives me fun and joy. 

3. Convergence Partners is celebrating 10 years this year, what would you say is its overriding ethos?

The ethos of Convergence is that of ensuring that we invest for the purposes of connecting people and connecting the people of Africa to the internet, and being able to provide them with basic infrastructure from fibre, right up to the most sophisticated technology that sits way on top of Cloud. So we are getting involved in all the value stack of ICT, internet or digital - whatever language you want to use. So that is what Convergence is all about.

We have companies that we have invested in and my philosophy is very simple: When you are on the African continent, as long as you are going to use any digital platform, you must use any of our technologies 6 times from morning until the time you go to bed. Whether it’s a sim card in your phone, whether it’s an SMS we have sent you with a notification, whether it’s an Internet of Thing in your house connecting your electricity or water, whether it’s the fibre that we build, whether it’s the fibre in the ocean or the land.

"I envision Africa 30 years from now...[becoming] the digital continent"

For any of our infrastructure, our view is we need to be involved and invest in West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, in Sub-Saharan African - to make sure that we can continue to contribute building, what we call, 'digital Africa'. We are there and we will continue to do this for the rest of our lifetime, and those that continue with Convergence will continue on the same journey. We focus on tech, that is what we believe and when I share with you how Africa was 30 years ago, and how Africa is today, and how I envision Africa 30 years from now, this is going to become the digital continent. Why? Because we have a young population, because we have young people – young people enjoy technology. So the market is there and the opportunity is there. So in a billion people, whom over 60 % of them are young, you can’t go wrong.

4. Convergence Partners has been involved in a number incredibly significant infrastructure projects across the continent, among them Seacom and Intelsat New Dawn, what’s next for the company?

"We see East Africa as a very critical part in our investment journey as a private equity firm"

Watch this space, we are now at East Africa Com and by the time we reach Cape Town [at Africa Com in November] a lot will have happened, but I’m not going to reveal anything yet. But we do see East Africa as a very critical part in our investment journey as a private equity firm because East Africa is now moving towards that part of the curve, whereby people realise that they need equity investment, they need mezzanine, they need debt funding, they need other instruments – in all the tech companies that are here.

Similarly, as Convergence we are involved in a VC firm in South Africa as an LLP called 4Di. We hope to create those linkages between East Africa and Southern Africa basically, whereby we can bring knowledge around issues that are related to VC funding and issues related to start-ups, around incubation, acceleration, entrepreneurialship, and that culture which is emerging in this part of the world - these are some of the things we are looking at. At one level we are looking at a PE investment space but also East Africa is becoming a centre whereby this VC environment is becoming very interesting for a number of people. 

5. With regards to interactions between the private and public sector, which you have a great deal of experience in, are collaborations proving effective at these kinds of forums like East Africa Com? Do these interactions facilitate enough productive discussion to make a difference?

I think this is where as Convergence and Informa we need to work together to see how we can bring more regulators and more policy-makers onto this platform. The platform is wonderful – Cape Town, Nairobi – it is great. OEMs are here, MNOs are here, entrepreneurs are here, investors are here - we need to bring more policy-makers and regulators onto the platform.

"The people are great, the exhibition is great, and generally this is a great place to do business"

We are getting onto one billion mobile devices - this is not a small industry. So for us, under this platform of Informa, which is great and we appreciate and we will always be here, we need to engage with government and senior government people. So we would really like to have that dialogue with them, using this platform.

You have a cross section of various players, you have MNOs, OEMs and you have users and you also have system integrators and people who are really coming up with that application layer, or what I call the 'digital layer', so I think this combination of all different players in the ecosystem is very critical and we would like to invite more government people.

The people are great, the exhibition is great, and generally this is a great place to do business. People are making deals, we are talking to lots of people, we are investors, we have meeting rooms, we are scheduling meetings, we are speaking at the conference, we have an exhibition stand. So we are moving around, our day is full - it is packed and this is going to grow, I have no doubt about it. In no time there is going to be over a thousand people and good luck – East Africa is a good place to be.

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The East African tech ecosystem documented - East Africa Com 2016

This year’s East Africa Com attracted a diverse array and cross-section of the continent’s most prominent movers and shakers in the areas of technology and telecommunications. From government leaders, key policy advisers, research analysts and engineers to directors, chairpersons and CEOs – East Africa Com welcomed them all and served as a platform for them to present, engage and debate. 

"It was a varied and extensive two days"

It was a varied and extensive two days which sought to bring the region’s most pressing tech and connectivity topics and issues into the spotlight, showcasing the latest solutions and best practice, as well as tracking what is up-and-coming on the East African tech horizon.

East Africa Com served to bring the public and private sectors together, in order to facilitate effective discussions and further collaboration. Government leaders and advisers presented a number of keynote addresses and sat side-by-side with company decision-makers and industry experts on numerous panel discussions, spanning a variety of tech and connectivity topics. 

 

"Without a doubt the words ‘collaboration’ and ‘partnership’ were used to underpin discussions on nearly every single one of the event’s sessions"

The overriding theme of these two days was undoubtedly the notion of collaboration - the co-operation within the public sector, the collaboration within the private sector, and the overall synergy between both parties. Andile Ngcaba, Chairperson of Convergence Partners, summed this up in one when he said that: “The African model is a collaborative one”.

Without a doubt the words ‘collaboration’ and ‘partnership’ were used to underpin discussions on nearly every single one of the event’s sessions, whether it be on developing local, digital broadcasting content, the roll out of the National Broadband Network, leveraging 4G infrastructure, IT security, data roaming or mobile financial services – all speakers and panelists expressed the need for strong working relationships traversing sectors and industries. 

Many attendees were encouraged by the positive conversations and alliances that are currently taking place. Kenyan ICT Secretary Dr. Katherine Getao also noted that Kenya was on the right track in this regard, with “the private sector [being]…integrally involved and are well informed about what the government is doing, and they are also able to have a voice about their concerns and about the opportunities that they are looking for in the region.” 

In Rwanda too, Tigo’s Regional Government Relations Manager Pierre Kayitana noted that Tigo has “regular meetings with the Rwandan government, the ministry of ICT, the Rwandan regulator...[and] we have an open dialogue on all the issues.” 

"It's a matter of everyone aligning themselves to the same goal and then putting their foot on the gas"

There was a definite sense of positivity and enthusiasm which pervaded these two days, with not only the conference auditoriums, but also the break-out areas and exhibitions, being abuzz with conversation between all factions, discussing the possibilities of partnerships and projects.

Nigel Bruin, Principal Consultant at Huawei, noted the importance for translating “the interest and rhetoric into action… [and] it's a matter of everyone aligning themselves to the same goal and then putting their foot on the gas.”

"I am very confident that there is going to be traction and a lot of collaboration from the government, the public and the private sector"

Delegates and speakers also expressed the hope that forums and events such as East Africa Com would lay the foundations for further partnerships to be formed between the private and public sector, with Ibrahim Empamba of Orange Kenya Telkom stating that: “I am very confident that there is going to be traction and a lot of collaboration from the government, the public and the private sector…I am very sure that conferences such as these will push people to come around the table, we hope to see more of the same.” 

"East Africa Com tackled some of the region’s, and indeed the continent’s, most deeply entrenched challenges in terms of tech and connectivity"

The thread which bound most of East Africa Com’s discussions and sessions together was the socio-economic considerations of the region. This was true in both the way socio-economic challenges are seen as blockers to connectivity and the growth of ICT, most specifically in rural areas, but also in how partnerships and innovations are able to bring about the upliftment of historically underserved communities.

East Africa Com tackled some of the region’s, and indeed the continent’s, most deeply entrenched challenges in terms of tech and connectivity. One of the biggest drawbacks of connecting those in East Africa, particularly in rural areas, is cost. 

Kenyan ICT Secretary Katherine Getao expressed this very fact in her interview with us when she said that: “I think cost is still a challenge, especially the cost of broadband. We need to look at that and see how it can become far more accessible for serious applications and using it for work.”

This issue was tackled head on in a number of the panel discussions, most notably in the talks around leveraging 4G infrastructure and the use of satellite technology and other alternatives to bring more affordable capacity to rural locales. 

It was not only the cost of deploying new networks and infrastructure that is considered expensive but also the cost of “getting the end customer connected, [as] the challenge remains in getting access to smartphones. The cost is still very high for the market, which we need to address”, said Tigo’s Pierre Kayitana.

As a smartphone manufacturer with 50% market share in Kenya, Huawei seems to be leading the way in this regard, with Kenyans being able to get their hands on unlocked IDEOS smartphones for under $50 US. So as connectivity initiatives continue to be rolled out there is now starting to be an affordable provision of smartphones for the public at large.

But once the infrastructure is in place and the public have smartphones in their hands, what will their monthly costs be - will data be affordable for the masses?

Historically, data roaming has been incredibly expensive on the continent, but once again, partnerships have stepped in, traversed geographical boarders, in order to bring about a more affordable alternative. This is no more apparent than in the creation of the One Network Initiative which was the focus of the closing keynote panel on day one. The One Network Initiative has been able to bring affordable voice and SMS tariffs to the Northern Corridor countries. This ensures that individuals traveling between these countries enjoy the same local rate as being in their home country.

"The socio-economic impact is that you have a lot of intra-regional business being very successful"

Panelist Pierre Kayitana noted that: “The socio-economic impact is that you have a lot of intra-regional business being very successful because people are able to use the same line while they are traveling in the region, so we have seen tremendous growth in terms of traffic in between the countries - we did not expect this.”

Furthermore, this initiative is to shortly be extended to include mobile browsing data, with the panelists being confident that the infrastructure in place would be more than up to the challenge of the added traffic which will result, as undoubtedly voice and SMS is still the most commonly used of mobile services, in this region. 

If there is one takeaway for individuals not working in the African telcos industry is that this sector has an incredibly strong socio-economic impetus - it is all about connecting the last mile, through any number of technologies and innovations. Serving the underserved is the top priority. 

"We have a social responsibility to connect rural communities” 

This theme was the backdrop to many of the sessions, with Intelsat’s Brian Jakins stating during a panel discussion on the provision of broadband: "We have a social responsibility to connect rural communities.”

ICT4D expert and member of the Universal Service Access Fund Nixon Mageka Gecheo declared in his Government Keynote Address that: “Every Kenyan has the right to information” before detailing the progress and achievements of the Universal Service Access Fund. The main objective of this fund is to support the provision of affordable and reliable ICT in Kenya. One its most recent achievements has been the provision of KES 500m, which will be spent on broadband connectivity in secondary schools across the country. 

East Africa is leading the way where a number of ICT developments and innovations are concerned, and this is no less apparent than in the area of mobile financial services, where the adoption of services such as M-PESA has been tremendous.

"Mobile financial services has become a way of life for a great deal of East Africans"

One only need to look at the fact that Safaricom are currently processing 1 KCB partnered loan every second, to see that mobile financial services has become a way of life for a great deal of East Africans.

Financial services came under the spotlight in a number of East Africa Com sessions, such as the Finance Leader Roundtable and the CIO Roundtable. One of the most pertinent topics was the importance of furthering financial inclusion, with Equity Bank’s GM of Technology Jack Ngare, stating during the MVNO panel that: "With 40% of Kenyans living on less than $1 a day it was important for us to make mobile banking more reasonable." 

"Banks need to work with M-PESA to drive financial inclusion"

Working together, uniting efforts and infrastructure was also a hot topic of conversation in the financial services sessions, with Kenya Commercial Bank CIO Avi Mitra stating that rather than seeing M-PESA as the competition, commercial banks should forge partnerships with mobile money firms, as they "are no longer operating in an isolated ecosystem - banks need to work with M-PESA to drive financial inclusion." 

The region’s leading banks were all in attendance during the Finance Leaders Roundtable, such as the National Bank of Kenya, I&M Bank and the Kenya Commercial Bank, where discussions centred around the importance of robust cyber security but also the need to educate customers on their role in safeguarding their accounts. The challenge for banks is to provide an easy and convenient service for banking customers that continues to be underpinned by complex and robust security.

A first for East Africa Com this year, was the introduction of the brand new ‘Broadcasting in the Digital Era’ sessions, which proved to be extremely popular with delegates. From discussions ranging from how to launch a TV channel in the digital age and the technologies that can drive access to digital television regardless of location, one of the most central issues was the provision of high quality, local content to service these digital channels.

"Live content is important, it connects – we need to bring local sports into the spotlight"

Panelists from the region’s leading media, telecoms and broadcasting companies noted that “operators have to be creative, have good content and even better connectivity and packages to bring it home.” Using the genre of live sports as an example Moses Kemibaro, Commercial Manager at Perform Group in East Africa, noted that: “Live content is important, it connects – we need to bring local sports into the spotlight [using digital television], which has been neglected.” 

This year’s East Africa Com was the scene of overwhelmingly spirited and lively debate, incorporating a multitude of novel ideas and topics, spanning the entirety of the East African digital landscape.

There are still a number of incredibly pertinent challenges that are being tackled on a daily basis but as Andile Ngcaba highlights: “There is huge change in this industry, sometimes when we look at today’s challenges, we talk about them as if we have not made a lot of improvement in the last 18 years or so in this industry, which could not be further from the truth.”

Through the numerous networking sessions, workshops, panel discussions and exclusive after party, there is a definite sense of optimism which is currently purveying the sector, conversations are being had and business is being done, which will undoubtedly result in marked growth in the near future.

“It is going to be a revolution in the next few years when all these countries come together to join the international digital community.” - Nigel Bruin, Huawei

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all delegates, speakers, partners and exhibitors for making East Africa Com 2016 the most successful to date. We look forward to meeting up with you all again next year and down in Cape Town in November for AfricaCom.

Keep up to date with all Com World Series news and take part in the conversation over on our social media channels, or comment below:

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