Oluniyi D. Ajao » South Africa

App spotlight: DStv Guide for Android

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:46:53 +0000

DStv Guide is an Android app by Multichoice Africa (PTY) Ltd, operators of Africa’s leading direct-to-home digital satellite platform, DStv. The app offers the program guide of some of the television channels on DStv.

Its features include:

7 day schedule information
Extended programme information
Localized information for all countries where DStv is available
Set reminders for any movie, show or sporting event

The nifty app is only 575KB and is free-of-charge. It offers programming guide for 66 channels (in Ghana). The number and order of the listed channels is fully customizable. DStv Guide for Android is available in the Android Marketplace.

Fly540: the budget airline for African destinations?

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:25:40 +0000

Too many people in Africa happen to fall within the low-income bracket. Thus, one would expect budget airlines to be commonplace on this continent, catering for the masses. This is not so. Budget airlines are rather common in high-income countries of Western Europe, North America, India and many Asian countries.

The relatively few airlines that ply major African cities do so at rather exorbitant fares. As of 21 Nov 2011 7:30am GMT:

a return flight (19 to 26 Dec 2011) from Accra (Ghana) to Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) costs $538 on Emirates or $567 on ASky Airline (an Ethiopian Airline subsidiary). The distance is only 259 miles and the flight duration only 1 hour.

Compare this to a return flight on the same dates from London Stansted Airport (UK) to Dublin (Ireland) for a fare of only $78 on Ryanair (a budget airline) or $173 on Aer Lingus. The duration of this flight is 1hr 10 mins.

The very low fare offered by the Irish budget airline, RyanAir, demonstrates how low air fare can go when the market conditions are right.

A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as a no-frills, discount or budget carrier or airline) is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. (Wikipedia). There are very few of them in Africa with most catering for domestic destinations within their respective national boundaries only. They are:

Egypt: Air Arabia Egypt
Kenya: Fly540
Nigeria: Aero Contractors
Morocco: Jet4You, Air Arabia Maroc
South Africa: Kulula, 1Time, Mango, Velvet Sky
Tunisia: Karthago Airlines

A change in the status quo?
Fly540 seems ready to position itself as a pan-African budget airline. As of now, Fly540 already flies to about 20 destinations in these East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

In 2008, the airline opened-up its pan-African ambitions in a report by Ugandan newspaper, The Monitor:

“…we will open up Kigali and then head to West Africa. Ghana will be the hub for West African region. In Southern Africa, we shall use Angola as our hub, so it will become a pan African low cost airline”.

I didn’t give much weight to their lofty dream until I saw a Fly540-branded jet take-off on the runway of Kotoka International Airport in Accra Ghana on 18th November 2011. While Fly540 Ghana has not commenced revenue flights as of now, they plan to do so by the end of 2011 and have already taken delivery of aircraft, recruited staff and obtained the necessary licences.

Senegal and Equatorial Guinea are among the first destinationsto be serviced by Fly540 Ghana.

Fly540

Harnessing the full power of WordPress for multimedia publishing – WordCamp CT 2011

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 18:54:37 +0000

WordCamp Cape Town 2011 was informative and exciting. I had the opportunity to attend a blog camp that was focused exclusively on WordPress. WordPress is the software that powers this blog, as well as millions of other websites around the world.

Wordcamp Cape Town 2011

WordCamp Cape Town was split into two tracks: publisher and technical. I was privileged to speak at the publisher track though I spent most of the day at the developer track.
The galaxy of speakers were definitely experienced in their respective areas of specialization and so one was able to learn from other bloggers’ experiences. Never mind that it wasn’t as interactive as I expected a barcamp to be, but it was fulfilling all the same.

Find a video of my presentation titled “Harnessing the full power of WordPress for multimedia publishing”, below:

You may find other WordCamp CT 2011 videos here. WordCamp CT 2011 was organized by Ashley Shaw and his team at LightSpeed.

Have smartphones become indispensable business tools?

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:21:31 +0000

I have used smartphones (mostly Nokia) for a few years now but started using BlackBerry since July 2010 and have never been a day without a BlackBerry ever since – until now. The BlackBerry device became the central point of my daily communication routine. I could read, forward, reply personal and business emails quickly. I could follow the conversation streams on Facebook and Twitter apps when I was idle. I could take photos at events and post same to Twitpic without waiting till I got to my laptop. I could chat with friends far and near via BlackBerry Messenger or some of the other chat apps installed on the device. I used phone calls and SMS only where extremely necessary, thus saving costs. I could manage my blogs from the device: moderate comments, publish new blog posts, view traffic stats etc. I could grab trophies from FourSquare as I explore new places. I could find my way around using Google Maps. I even completed hotel bookings on the device, using BlackBerry Travel app. Granted, the BlackBerry smartphone could never replace the full experience of a laptop for me, but it made me much more efficient as I had a lesser workload to tackle when I sat behind my laptop.

A BlackBerry Curve 8900

You can thus understand how frustrating it has been in the past 10 days that I have been without the full benefits of my BlackBerry smartphone. Most personal emails remain unread, I’m struggling with a piling workload, over 150 comments are pending moderation on my personal blog alone, I’m out of touch with friends I normally chat with regularly. I’m unable to share the fun of: Cape Town, WordCamp, how I celebrated my birthday, and other escapades in South Africa. In a nutshell, life has not been so frustrating in recent days.

Yes. I have tried very hard to fix this problem. I’ve subscribed to BlackBerry Internet Service from two cellular operators: Vodacom SA and MTN SA. I’ve contacted MTN Nigeria where I last used the device successfully and they confirmed my device is not tied to their network, I’ve called MTN and Vodacom customer service over 16 times, I’ve visited MTN offices in Cape Town and Jo’burg 3 times, I’ve wiped the device and re-installed the operating system in case any of the installed apps is causing the problem. MTN is suggesting the device is the problem, I’ve entered the settings they gave me and diligently followed all their suggestions. All to no avail. Now I am in touch with RIM, manufacturers of BlackBerry smartphones.

This little experience I am still going through has emphasized how much many of us have come to rely on smartphones, for running our personal and business lives. It is quite normal fiddle with the smartphone before falling asleep and it is the first thing we grab before brushing our teeth in the morning or saying those morning prayers. Ah, I use the Bible app on my smartphone more than my bulky physical Bible.

Business life is much easier with a BlackBerry but when things go wrong, life can be hectic. Very hectic.

Have you been separated from the joy of using your smartphone for a long period? Share the experience in the comment area.

WordCamp Cape Town 2011

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 08:17:36 +0000

WordCamp Cape Town 2011

WordCamp is a conference that focuses on everything WordPress. There have been dozens of such events around the globe in the past, and there will be WordCamps for as long as WordPress continues to exist in its current shape and form.

WordCamp Cape Town has been scheduled for 15th September 2011 and will serve as a platform for discussing the latest trends in WordPress, targeting developers and publishers alike.

The event fee is only R135 (about $20). Considering the venue is a limited space, it’s a good idea to register and make travel arrangements early.

Visit WordCamp Cape Town to read more, and register today.

Meet WACS, the latest submarine cable into Africa

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:57:56 +0000

In case you missed the memo, Africa is rising. Having been largely ignored in the development of the Internet, things have been changing rapidly in the past decade with telecommunication companies forming alliances with financial institutions to bring serious data connectivity into Africa, and with it, lots of potential for prosperity. You can thus understand my excitement each time a new submarine cable is announced.

WACS logo

West Africa Cable System (WACS) is the latest and biggest submarine cable to connect Africa to the world, and the world to Africa, through the Internet. The cable has been laid from United Kingdom to South Africa, branching at several African countries along the way. Though the end of the cable landed in South Africa in April 2011, it is expected to be operational in the 3rd quarter of 2011 with full commercial service expected in the second quarter of 2012.

Being constructed by Alcatel-Lucent, the cable is 14,000 km in length, linking from Yzerfontein in South Africa to London in the United Kingdom. It has 15 terminal stations along the western coast of Africa. The total cost for the cable system is $600 million. MTN Group has invested $90 million in the cable making it the largest investor, and in return will receive 11% of the initial capacity of the cable. MTN Group is a South Africa-based multinational mobile telecommunications company, operating in 24 African and Middle Eastern countries.

The cable is expected to land in the following countries (countries with MTN presence are marked *):

South Africa*
Namibia
Angola
Democratic Republic of Congo
Republic of Congo*
Cameroon*
Nigeria*
Togo
Ghana*
Côte d’Ivoire*
Cape Verde
Canary Islands
Portugal
United Kingdom

Though within reach of other pan-African submarine cables, Namibia, the DRC, the Republic of Congo and Togo would gain access to their first direct connections to the global submarine cable network, via WACS.

WACS was initially designed with a capacity of 3.84 Tbit/s but this was later upgraded to 5.12 Tbit/s, making it the submarine cable with the biggest capacity into Africa at the time it goes live. WACS is also significant because it branches at Portugal before terminating in the UK. Glo-1 (the most connected of them) branches into Spain and Portugal before terminating in the UK. SAT3 terminates in Spain and Portugal while MainOne terminates in Portugal. For comparative analysis, I have listed some other African submarine cables and their respective capacities:

EASSy: 4.72 Tb/s
GLO-1: 2.5 Tb/s
MainOne: 1.92 Tb/s
Seacom: 1.28 Tb/s
TEAMs: 1.28 Tb/s
SAT3: 120 Gb/s

*ACE is expected in 2012, with an installed 5.12 Tb/s capacity.

Active and planned African submarine cables as of May 2011

The WACS consortium members and landing parties are:

Neotel: South Africa’s second fixed line operator
Telkom SA: South Africa’s incumbent fixed line operator
MTN Group: a South African based regional mobile operator
Vodacom: a South African based regional mobile operator
Gateway Communications: a leading pan-African wholesale connectivity and telecommunications provider
Broadband Infraco: a South African state-owned telecom infrastructure company
Angola Telecom: leading Angolan telecom operator
Cable & Wireless (London UK point-of-presence)
Telecom Namibia: leading Namibian telecom operator
Portugal Telecom: leading Portugese telecom operator
Sotelco: telecom operator in Congo Brazzaville
Tata Communications: owns majority stake in Neotel and is also a landing party for WACS in Portugal and the UK.
Togo Telecom: leading Togolese telecom operator

MTN Group seems to be the most excited since WACS would enable it connect some of its operations in West and Central Africa directly to the world. Before now, MTN has been leasing data capacity on the other cables.

Though prices of broadband to end users in West Africa have not been falling as radically as one would have expected, there is hope that the launch of WACS would affect the market forces: consumers would have access to bigger internet bandwidth at much lower prices than are currently obtainable.

Android Market paid Apps now accessible to 26 African countries

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sat, 14 May 2011 07:30:54 +0000

Google recently announced that more smartphone users on the Android platform in some 99 countries now have access to paid apps in their official apps store, Android Market. The newly-added countries include 26 African countries including South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. The Android users in this category had hitherto been restricted to free apps only, from the Android Market.

From the official press release:

Google Nexus S is Google's flagship smartphone on the Android platform

Today Google announced that Android Market will increase consumer access and developer support for paid applications in several new countries. From today, consumers from 99 new countries – including 26 African countries – will be able to purchase apps from Android Market. This latest expansion of Android Market means more applications – including games, social, and productivity apps – for consumers and more selling opportunities for developers in more countries.

Over the next few days, the number of countries where Android users can purchase priced apps will increase to 131 including the addition of South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. Consumers from these newly supported countries will have access to over 200,000 free and paid apps in Android Market, which they can access directly from their Android-powered device.

Android Market was launched to help developers distribute mobile applications on a level playing field, while enabling users to find and download apps which leverage the unique capabilities of the Android platform. Today, we’re pleased to announce the expansion of Android Market’s offerings in these additional countries to deliver more apps for more people.

At the time of blogging, residents of Ghana are still restricted from rival BlackBerry’s Appworld.

The Android OS is used on smartphones, netbooks and tablets, including the Dell Streak, Samsung Galaxy Tab, TV and other devices. It is presently the world’s best-selling Smartphone platform. Android Market is the online app store run by Google, though apps can also be downloaded from third-party sites.

Big Brother Amplified (Big Brother Africa 2011)

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sun, 01 May 2011 17:26:48 +0000

Big Brother Amplified debuted this evening with the 28 contestants from 14 African countries. The 28 were selected out of over 7,000 applicants.

As always, Big Brother Amplified came with its unique set of innovations among which is Live Video streaming available 24/7 on Big Brother Africa’s official website http://bigbrotherafrica.dstv.com

Sponsored by Coca-Cola, this edition is exclusive to DStv Premium, DStv Compact and DStv Mobile subscribers.

More African countries can now receive money via PayPal

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:39:04 +0000

I got a tip through a comment from a reader of this blog. I am republishing the comment verbatim because I have verified the information.

Sehemu-Nyeti wrote from Kenya:

PayPal users in the following African countries can now receive money: Malawi, Algeria, Mozambique, Lesotho, Morocco, Botswana and Seychelles. Whats even better for them (unlike those from South Africa and Kenya) is that they can withdraw directly to a debit card which is a faster way of withdrawing. In Kenya for instance, you have to withdraw to a US bank account , which very few people have, and if you have it, it takes 3-4 days to withdraw it. I now so much envy guys from all these other countries that can withdraw using a credit card.

This is significant because PayPal is the leading online payment system with 237,778,590 users worldwide at the time of writing.

e.TV Africa comes to DStv

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:14:12 +0000

e.Tv is one of the truly world-class TV channels on the African continent today, airing compelling soap-operas, blockbuster movies and much more. e.Tv has since evolved from a single free-to-air TV station in South Africa, to a pan-African network of channels with even a spin-off dedicated news service called eNews channel.

From tomorrow 14th December 2010 at 12:00hrs GMT, its pan-African service e.tv africa would be available on DStv.

The description currently appearing on DStv channel 144 reads:

e.TV Africa provides popular programming including Hollywood movies and series. The channel also includes news bulletins from eNews Africa service. Launches on 14 December 2010 at 14:00 CAT.

e.TV Africa is coming to DStv Africa

From the text below from etv.co.za describes what’s coming to DStv:

eAfrica
Viewers in 12 countries across Africa now have access to a 24-hour syndicated version of South Africa’s e.tv. e.tv has been received enthusiastically across the continent where e.tv programming is popular and sought after.

Research shows that Africans are passionate for high-quality African and International produced content. The channel also broadcasts two live half-hour news bulletins from the eNews Africa service. These bulletins focus on pan-African news by Africans for Africans.

e.tv Africa’s syndicated broadcasts are provided on a free-to-air, predominantly terrestrial basis, in the following countries:

Kenya on Nation 2

Namibia on One Africa Television

Zimbabwe on ZTV2

Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Guinea, Burundi and the Central African Republic on Star TV

Nigeria on MITV

Ghana on eGhana, e.tv’s sister channel

Botswana on eBotswana – which is also a sister channel to e.tv