Mobile operators in sub-Saharan Africa have a unique set of challenges that they face in the region, but if they manage to overcome these obstacles, success awaits.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many mobile operators who have dominated their markets, from Vodacom in South Africa to Safaricom in Kenya, but that dominance has not come easy.
Now a fresh set of issues stand in the way of further success on the continent, but these telecoms companies are gearing up to take on increased competition, pricing issues, regulations and all of the other sticking points disrupting profitability and continued development.
Here are 10 challenges for mobile operators in sub-Saharan Africa to negotiate.
Sources: ITWebAfrica, Fin24, OAfrica, InfoVista, PiranPartners.
The volume of data used has increased exponentially due to demand, but data revenue is not rising as fast, because mobile operators have not yet found the best and most innovative data pricing solutions. On top of that, more investment is consistently required in order to meet ever-increasing data usage.
Instead of benefiting from the revenue that comes with the use of content that customers are using on mobile platforms, operators only see minimal revenue from the data used. Mobile operators in Africa therefore need to develop and monetize content, apps and services that their users will enjoy and subscribe to.
Competition between rival mobile operators and disruptive influence from over-the-top content providers is beginning to build in most sub-Saharan African markets, which in turn produces less revenue. The operators who are going to thrive need to look at the competitive landscape and consider where their opportunities lie.
According to a GSMA report, ‘The Mobile Economy Africa 2016’, revenue growth rates for African mobile operators – which were above 3.8 percent at 53.5 billion in 2015 – will slow down in the next five years, highlighting the need for these companies to move away from focusing on voice and text along and build other revenue streams such as data, mobile money and online services.
Mobile operators need to embrace to lower margins in order to survive. Stats show that the margin of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization is declining, from around 38 percent in 2006 for 93 African operators, to 31 percent in 2016. Factors such as price wars, inability to contain costs, and necessary infrastructure investments have had this effect.
Regulation can be somewhat unpredictable and problematic in certain countries. Regulation influences the evolution of the telecommunications industry and directly affects revenue generation for operators through elements such as taxation and ICT development policies. These policies need to be developed proactively and with all stakeholders in mind.
Price wars between competitors have put operators under pressure, reducing revenues and margins for these telecoms companies. One of the biggest customer complaints across the continent remains pricing, and the pressure to consistently innovate to keep customers happy with pricing models, effective tariff rate control and simplicity is weighing on operators.
Customer bases are under threat, and it appears easier than ever for users to be able to jump ship to competitors, which is why operators need to be fully focused on improving individual customer experience in order to keep customers happy. Making the customer feel unique and providing them with an incomparable experience will help to generate more value and keep them loyal.
The challenge that lies in store for all mobile operators on a global scale is that of effectively converting information of all kinds into insights and action. Many telecoms companies are overwhelmed by the volume of data (such as user info) that is available to then, and become unable to extract the full value from the priceless information.
As the telecoms industry continues to evolve, operators need to react by building new business models adapted to the new context of the industry and the users they serve, allowing them to generate value and remain profitable.