Telecoms & IT

Fuelled by private investment and broader economic growth, the telecoms market grew 13% in 2012 and is projected to expand by a further 11% in 2013. As the mobile market becomes more saturated with the entry of a fourth mobile operator in 2013, non-voice services are being rolled out to maximise customer revenues, such as mobile money and banking. The dominance of two operators in the mobile segment, stagnation in the fixed-line market, and the obstacles to the establishment and maintenance of telecoms infrastructure in rural areas continue to pose substantial challenges to the sector. Though the IT market grew 12% in 2012, growth is forecast to slow to 6% in 2013, with the hardware segment being the largest contributor to industry revenues, followed by IT services. Nonetheless, a more coherent national policy, coupled with a budding software market and a growing reputation as an outsourcing destination should ensure stable growth for the sector in the near future.