Enterprise Ecosystems

Digital payment deals continue to makes headlines across Africa. This time Nedbank and Mastercard have announced what is called a landmark agreement to transform digital payments across Southern Africa.

Social media platform TikTok and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 170 countries, have announced the launch of the Digital Commerce Labs programme.

Moroccan telco Inwi announced on Wednesday it has partnered with China Mobile International (CMI) to deploy what it claims is the country’s first private 5G network dedicated to industrial use.

Orange Maroc and Ericsson announced on Wednesday they have signed a partnership deal to co-develop and promote private 5G network solutions for Morocco’s enterprise sector.

Intelligent transport solutions company Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract to deliver the advanced signalling and rail infrastructure technology solution European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1 for the Mexico City – Querétaron – Irapuato railway corridor.

Two Zimbabwean companies, Hurudza AI and Paltech Africa, have announced a strategic partnership to launch The Farmers’ Bench, an AI-powered solution aimed at transforming access to agricultural knowledge across Zimbabwe and beyond.

Cambodian telco Cellcard revealed on Friday it has signed an MoU with local ride-hailing firm PassApp, which will leverage Cellcard’s 5G network to enhance the travel experience for its drivers and passengers.

Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison says it will utilise Nvidia’s latest Nemotron open models as part of its ambition to spread AI accessibility to all corners of the country.

Ericsson said on Monday it is partnering with Vietnamese telco VNPT to install next-gen mobile infrastructure for major airport projects in Vietnam.

Ecuadorian operator Xtrim has selected Qvantel’s digital BSS solution as it seeks to modernise its TV, fibre broadband and telecoms services.

MoneyHash, a payment orchestration platform built for emerging and global markets, has announced a new partnership with Wayl, a local payment solutions provider, checkout engine, and merchant of record supporting global and regional businesses entering the Iraqi market.

Telkom Indonesia’s intermational arm Telin announed on Thursday it is partnering with IPification to commercialize its Mobile Network Verification (MNV) solution, which leverages Telkom’s network APIs to authenticate users without the need for OTPs.

Nvidia’s latest survey reveals artificial intelligence is delivering tangible commercial impact across telecommunications, becoming central to network automation and investment strategies as operators prepare for next-generation services.

Thai telco True Corp said on Tuesday that its enterprise arm TrueBusiness is partnering with Japan’s SoftBank to co-develop innovations and tailor-made digital solutions for Thai enterprises.

PLDT Enterprise announced on Friday it is collaborating with TikTok to launch TikTok Go LIVE! Studio Packages targeted at creators, multi-channel networks (MCNs) and SMEs in the Philippines.

PLDT Enterprise said on Thursday it is partnering with local energy solutions provider Lin Man Power Technology to deploy cellular smart meters across the Philippines.

Malaysian telco CelcomDigi said on Wednesday it is collaborating with Google’s Firebase and Telenor Linx to boost its API-as-a-Service (APIaaS) offering for phone number verification.

Malaysian 5G telco U Mobile said on Thursday it will launch a neutral sandbox for enterprises to develop 5G-Advanced use cases, and has already signed on several big-name ecosystem partners to support the project.

Artificial intelligence technology company AfricAI says it has signed a multi-year exclusive distribution and deployment agreement with Micropolis Robotics, granting AfricAI sole and exclusive rights to commercialise, deploy, and scale Micropolis’s advanced robotics platforms across Africa.

Vodafone Business, a division of the country’s leading operator Vodafone Egypt, has announced its entry into Egypt’s agriculture sector, marking what is described as a significant expansion of its enterprise services into one of the country’s most critical economic areas.

Military-owned telco Viettel Group announced on Friday it has kicked off construction of Vietnam’s first semiconductor chip manufacturing plant to support the government’s ambition to develop a fully-fledged semiconductor ecosystem.

Malaysian operator CelcomDigi has announced the completion of a large-scale connectivity and tower infrastructure deployment across IOI Corporation’s plantation estates in Sabah, a state on the northern part of Borneo, and Peninsular Malaysia.

Ocean Network Express (ONE), one of the world's leading liner shipping companies, and Japanese technology group MTI have established a joint venture called Quaveo in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City.

Ooredoo Qatar has launched a new eSIM solution for IoT devices, which it says can help enterprises simplify device management, enhance security, and scale IoT operations across borders.

Ericsson and Zain Bahrain announced on Monday they have expanded their strategic partnership to include Ericsson’s 5G Edge User Plane technology, which Zain will deploy to enable Industry 4.0 technologies in Bahrain’s industrial sector.

Vietnamese telecoms player Viettel said it has held “high-level bilateral working sessions” with Japanese companies Nikon Corporation and Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) as part of its preparation to help build Vietnam’s first domestic semiconductor manufacturing plant.

Uruguay-headquartered dLocal, which describes itself as the leading payment platform connecting global merchants to emerging markets, has announced a new strategic partnership with commercial payments specialist Convera.

Payments giant Mastercard say it has partnered with MoneyHash, a payment orchestration platform built for emerging and global markets, to expand merchant access to the newly launched Merchant Cloud across the Middle East and Africa.

China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak, a.k.a. Zong 4G), announced on Friday it has signed a strategic partnership deal with local communication-as-a-service provider Eocean to launch a digital commerce-as-a-service (DCaaS) offering.

Thai market leader AIS (Advanced Info Service) has tapped Netcracker for what the companies describe as the largest cloud deployment in Thailand.

Syria’s Central Bank (CBS) has announced a strategic partnership with Visa to accelerate the country’s integration into the global digital economy. Local press reports say that the agreement was formalised during a meeting at the Central Bank late last week.