From 17- 19 October 2023, MWC Kigali returned to the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda, with His Excellency Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda participated in the event’s celebratory opening ceremony. The event brought together policymakers and global business leaders for three days of discussion on innovations in mobile technology and Africa’s rapidly evolving connectivity ecosystem.
The GSMA welcome an exceptional roster of keynote speakers to MWC Kigali this year, representing leading names in government, global business, emerging technologies and more. This includes ATU, Ethiopia Telecom, Huawei, MTN Group, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Orange Middle East and Africa, the Rwandan Ministry of ICT & Innovation, the SAMENA Telecommunications Council, Smart Africa, Take Back the Mic and ZTE Corporation.
In his remarks during the event’s celebratory opening ceremony, H.E. Paul Kagame said “Today, Africa has the fastest-growing mobile penetration rate globally. But we still have a long way to go. Yet, we already have the means to address the problems we are dealing with today. We must continue to prioritize digital skills and literacy. Globally, we are also seeing strong momentum to support Africa’s digital transformation. If there is one lesson from the pandemic, it is that in times of crisis, we have to look for the common denominator. Only then, can we see the light at the end of the tunnel, and build the future we all deserve.”
Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA said, “The mobile industry has seen remarkable growth across Sub-Saharan Africa and now reaches almost 490 million unique subscribers – but only one-in-four people in the region subscribe to the mobile internet. MWC Kigali provides a forum for policymakers and leaders in connectivity to come together and discuss ways of accelerating the digital transformation of Africa, closing the usage gap and, ultimately, ensuring everybody in the region benefits.”
Boris Raichman, the Presale Director of effortel company, in exclusive interview, he said that in the contemporary world, effective communication and networking hold great significance, as this conferences offers a cost-effective way to connect with numerous people quickly, avoiding the need for extensive global travel and they provide a convenient and efficient means to achieve the same goals in a short timeframe.
“Well, in today’s world, communication and reaching out is the most important thing. So, this kind of conference has given us the chance to meet a lot of people in a short period of time. So, it’s a great investment in terms of money. You don’t need to spend your time, money, traveling all over the world in order to meet all the companies and all the people that you can meet here in one place within a few days. So, this is very nice” He said.
Boris Raichman, the Pre-sales Director of effortel company
Boris Raichman said that from a telecommunications perspective, Rwanda is relatively small due to the limited number of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), which opens opportunities for virtual operators. Nevertheless, the appeal of events like this lies in the ability to connect with potential clients not just from Rwanda but globally.
He personally expresses a strong desire to work in Rwanda, having had a positive experience in the country and finding it to be an amazing place with friendly people. Thus, they are enthusiastic about the prospect of working there.
“In general, I personally would love to work in Rwanda because I had a chance to have a small trip here. We went to safari. In general, it’s amazing, very nice country, nice people, very friendly. So, yes, for sure, we would like to work here.” He said
Effortel, based in Belgium, specializes in developing cutting-edge BSS (Business Support Systems) platforms for mobile operators.
Effortel has a diverse workforce from over 15 countries and manages over 7 million subscribers globally, with approximately 4 million in Africa. Notably, Equity Bank in Kenya, recognizing the impact of mobile money on banking profits, made the strategic decision about five years ago to enter the mobile business. After thorough consideration, they selected Effortel to enable their mobile business.
