Antananarivo, Thursday 25 May 2023 – AXIAN Telecom, a leading pan-african telecommunications service provider, is joining the Smart Africa Alliance as a new silver member. The alliance is a groundbreaking commitment from African Heads of State and Governments to drive sustainable socio-economic development on the continent by increasing access to broadband and utilizing information and communication technologies (ICT). AXIAN Telecom’s decision to join the Smart Africa Alliance reflects its commitment to contribute to the development of the digital economy in Africa. As a member of the alliance, AXIAN Telecom will have the opportunity to collaborate with Smart Africa member states at both private and public sector levels. In line with this, Smart Africa and AXIAN Telecom will join forces mainly on the areas of Fair Share and taxation on the African continent. Other areas of collaboration include Smart Broadband, Cross-Border e-payments, the Smart Africa Digital Academy, Data Governance and Cybersecurity. “Welcoming AXIAN Telecom as a new member of the Smart Africa Alliance is a real pleasure and a true testimony of their commitment into our vision. We look forward to collaborating with AXIAN Telecom a true african champion, especially in areas of Fair Share and taxation to accelerate the digital transformation of the continent”, says Lacina Koné, DG/CEO of Smart Africa “We are very pleased to join the Smart Africa Alliance and actively collaborate on some key projects aimed at the digital development of the continent. As a pan-African company, we are strongly committed to pushing the boundaries of digital inclusion wherever we operate and shaping the digital future of communities across Africa. We believe in multi-stakeholder dialogue to create an inclusive digital ecosystem and the Smart Africa Alliance is the bold and innovative platform that is helping to achieve this objective”, says Hassanein Hiridjee, Chairman of AXIAN Telecom. AXIAN Telecom’s decision to join the Smart Africa Alliance is another significant move forward in achieving the alliance’s vision of creating a unique digital market on the continent by 2030. End. About Smart Africa Smart Africa is an alliance of 37 African countries, international organisations and global private sector players tasked with Africa’s digital agenda. The alliance is empowered by a bold and innovative commitment by African Heads of State to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent and usher Africa into the knowledge economy through affordable access to broadband and the use of ICTs. With a vision to create a single digital market in Africa by 2030, the Smart Africa Alliance brings together Heads of State who seek to accelerate the digitalization of the continent and create a common market. Launched in 2013 by seven (7) African Heads of State, the Alliance now has 37 member countries, representing over 1.1 billion people and over 45 Private Sector members committed to the vision and the advancement of Africa. About AXIAN TELECOM AXIAN Telecom is a pan-African telecommunications service provider operating in nine markets through its subsidiaries and affiliates in Tanzania, Madagascar, Togo, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Senegal, Réunion, Mayotte, and the Comoros. It operates across three key business segments, providing mobile and fixed networks as well as digital infrastructure and mobile financial services. AXIAN Telecom is Africa’s 7th largest mobile operator serving around 36 million customers and is a market disruptor, having expanded through active acquisitions and heavy network investments since 2015. Find out more about AXIAN Telecom: www.axian-telecom.com
