Informa Telecoms & Media: 22% Annual Growth Predicted for VAS in Africa – Operator Leaders Meet to Set Strategies for Satisfying Local Demand

The value added services market in Africa is booming thanks to developments in mobile networks and to service innovation strategies from operators looking to increase their non-voice revenues. Indeed, Informa Telecoms & Media estimates the mobile VAS market in Africa to grow at a strong compound annual growth rate of around 22% and to be generating revenues of over US$11.5 billion by 2014.

“We are pleased to have received the support of the most influential names in the market”

Some world-leading services (such as mobile money transfers) have been launched in Africa, showing the great dynamism of local companies. Operators in Africa have to be particularly innovative when developing new services, as they have to not only meet the local demand but also fit the budget of a customer base with mostly low spending power and limited access to high-end devices.

It is therefore timely that this July in Johannesburg, the industry will have a new forum in which to address these issues – VAS Africa conference and exhibition www.comworldseries.com/vasafrica. Brought to you by the organisers of the Com World Series and AfricaCom, this exciting new event is the only forum dedicated to bringing together the VAS ecosystem in Africa to discuss how to make the most of this growing market. Over two days, VAS Africa includes a business-focused conference, an exhibition showcasing the latest products and solutions for operators, and many networking opportunities for participants to share ideas and build partnerships.

“We are pleased to have received the support of the most influential names in the market,” says Julie Rey, Conference Director at organiser Informa Telecoms & Media; “the continent’s major operators will share their VAS innovation strategies in the conference (MTN, Airtel, Orange, Vodacom, Etisalat and others), and the vendor community is participating too – with Comviva, Huawei, Ericsson, Giesecke & Devrient and DSG sponsoring the event.”

The conference will include keynote presentations and interactive panel discussions covering all the hot issues affecting the VAS market in Africa including: innovation strategies, managing VAS cost-effectively, understanding the mobile entertainment ecosystem, messaging & social networking, mobile marketing, m-commerce, mobile finances and more.

200+ participants will be able to hear from the leading operators in the VAS market, including: Rupinder Goel, Chief IT Officer at Airtel Africa; Christian de Faria, Senior Vice President for Commercial and Innovation at MTN Group; Arnauld Blondet, Director in charge of AMEA at Orange Technocentre; Jose De La Torre Chamy, Group Strategy & Planning Director at Etisalat Group; Prins Mhlanga, Managing Executive at Vodacom; Paul N. Mugambi, Senior Manager –VAS at Safaricom, Kenya; José Henriques, Marketing Director at Unitel Angola; Vishal Phlad, Executive for Products and Services at 8ta/Telkom South Africa; Samson Isa, Head of Value Added Services at Globacom Nigeria, Lee-Ann Harris. Head of WASP, Mobile Advertising & Content at Cell C South Africa, and more.

Following the model of other Com World Series events such as AfricaCom, registration is free to African operators in order to facilitate their participation.

VAS Africa takes place 5-6 July 2011, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. To find out more and register your place, please visit www.comworldseries.com/vasafrica or contact: Julie Rey, Conference Director, VAS Africa, julie.rey@informa.comTel: +44 (0)20 7017 5394

About Informa Telecoms & Media
Informa Telecoms & Media is the leading provider of business intelligence to global telecoms and media markets.

Our aim is to provide actionable, strategic advice and forecasting on all aspects of converging mobile, fixed, entertainment and IT markets. Driven by constant first-hand contact with the industry our team of analysts and researchers produce over 300 annual events and intelligence services including news and analytical products, in-depth market reports and data sets. We benefit from outstanding people, including 100+ analysts, researchers and journalists across 14 countries. Our customers include major blue-chip vendors, operators, and regulators in addition to key players from the financial and content communities. We are proud of the role we play in bringing the industry together and keeping 100,000 individuals better informed. www.informatm.com

Contacts

Informa Telecoms & Media
VAS Africa
Julie Rey, Conference Director
Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 5394
julie.rey@informa.com