African mobile market continues to develop at a rapid rate,.African operators need to look to next-generation business models to sustain growth

Johannesburg, South Africa – November 9, 2009 - African telecoms operators have faced several challenges in 2009 – an increasingly intensive competitive landscape, a harsh economic climate and the need to expand networks into rural areas. And yet, according to forecasts from Informa Telecoms & Media, mobile subscription growth is still set to increase by 26.6% y-o-y with the total number of active subscriptions to exceed 473 million by the end of 2009. This figure is projected to increase to approximately 800 million by 2014, by which time SIM penetration across the region should reach 70%.

“African operators have always recognised the need for innovation in meeting the demands of a low-income population, but the need to stand out from the crowd and differentiate from one's competitors is taking this requirement to a new level,” comments Nick Jotischky, Informa Telecoms & Media's Principal Analyst covering Middle East & Africa.

“Those operators that adapt to the increased intensity of competition and the evolving role of communications will be best suited to surviving a dynamic but harsh operating environment,” adds Jotischky.

A sign of this harsher operating environment is the need for operators to manage their costs and maintain margins. Offsetting the ongoing fall in voice revenues is becoming central to operator strategies across the world. Not only are data services important as an income generator, but they are also useful as a customer retention tool. Investing in infrastructure to provide reliable data services to corporate and consumers will also be a focus of discussions.

In order to reflect a market that is developing at a rapid rate, this year's AfricaCom event (11-12 November in Cape Town) will focus on strategies to maintain the momentum of growth. Leading industry players from across the world will discuss the need for new business models to meet the changing demands of Africa's communications market.

To hear more on this and other hot topics, please attend Nick Jotischky's presentation on day one of the conference. For more information please visit: http://africa.comworldseries.com/

About AfricaCom
The 12th annual AfricaCom Congress & Exhibition is the continent's one and only must attend telecoms event. This year offers a programme packed with inspirational conference sessions delivered by 50% more CxO level speakers, networking with 3,500+ telecoms players and a 220+ stand exhibition to discover new telecoms products and build profitable partnerships - not to mention the 2nd annual AfricaCom Awards.

About Informa Telecoms and Media
Informa Telecoms & Media (www.informatm.com) is the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecoms and media markets.

Providing business critical information
Informa Telecoms & Media (ITM) conducts primary and secondary research on the latest trends impacting the mobile communications, fixed communications and TV sectors, on a global basis. ITM's market intelligence services - World Cellular Information Service (WCIS), World Broadband Information Service (WBIS) and the Intelligence Centre – give clients access to market forecasts and key performance indicators (KPIs), as well as detailed analysis and exploration of trends. These comprehensive and reliable data sources combined with access to a team of dedicated analysts provide clients with essential business tools to assist in their strategic and tactical decision making processes.

Creating communities
In addition to the Training Academy, Informa Telecoms & Media delivers the latest industry news and analysis through its range of newsletters, magazines, reports and online information portal - telecoms.com. From large exhibitions to intimate networking lunches, Informa Telecoms & Media organises over 100 annual events bringing together the industry's leading decision makers.

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