Who Owns Whom

telecommunications industry kenya

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2022

Carole Veitch | Kenya | 16 March 2022

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2019

Natalie Bryden | Kenya | 11 October 2019

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2016

Louise Mitchell | Kenya | 30 November 2016

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2014

Amanda | Kenya | 28 July 2014

Enquire about this report

Report Coverage

This report focuses on the telecommunications industry in Kenya and includes information on the state and size of the industry, the major players, infrastructure development and technology rollouts, major developments and factors that influence the sector. There are profiles of 23 companies including major players such as Telkom Kenya, Safaricom and Airtel, South African companies in Kenya such as MTN and Vodacom, data communications services companies such as Jamii Telecommunications and underseas cable companies such as The East African Marines Systems.

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya

The Kenyan telecommunications industry connected people and facilitated online learning, remote work, ecommerce and financial services during the pandemic. In response to the surge in demand for mobile voice, data and internet services, telecommunications companies are rolling out infrastructure countrywide. Kenya launched 5G trials in March 2021, becoming the second country in Africa to do so, after South Africa. Kenya is the world’s largest provider of mobile money services.

Infrastructure Development

The development of telecommunications network infrastructure was limited by operating constraints and supply chain disruptions linked to the pandemic, but new projects have been initiated since 2021 including a rural tower expansion project, the installation of 4G towers and the rollout of fibre infrastructure. The telecoms industry continues to increase coverage, focusing on bridging the digital gap between urban and rural areas.

Trends

Mobile phones are the main platform for voice and data connectivity. Despite the availability of relatively cheap smartphones, a large section of the population is unable to afford 3G- and 4G-enabled devices and still relies on 2G devices. Internet services are becoming more accessible, and there is strong demand for digital services and cashless payments for financial transactions. There is a shift from voice to data, and voice and data prices are coming down. Safaricom remains the dominant player with the lion’s share of the mobile subscription market, mobile broadband market and mobile money market.

Read More..
The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2022

Full Report

R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $501.00 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 6 650.00(ZAR) estimated $ 350.70 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2019-10-11

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2016-11-30

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2014-07-28

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. COUNTRY PROFILE 1
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 6
3.1. Industry Value Chain 9
3.2. Geographic Position 12
3.3. Size of the Industry 15
3.4. Key Success Factors and Pain Points 23
4. LOCAL 25
4.1. Key Trends 27
4.2. Notable Players 28
4.3. Corporate Actions 30
4.4. Regulations 32
4.5. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 35
5. AFRICA 36
6. INTERNATIONAL 40
7. INFLUENCING FACTORS 43
7.1. COVID -19 43
7.2. Economic Environment 45
7.3. Frequency Spectrum Management 47
7.4. Government Support 48
7.5. Infrastructure 50
7.6. Corruption 50
7.7. Cyber Security 50
7.8. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 51
7.9. Labour 52
7.10. Environmental Concerns 54
8. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT 54
8.1. Competition 54
8.2. Barriers to Entry 55
9. SWOT ANALYSIS 56
10. OUTLOOK 57
11. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 58
12. REFERENCES 58
12.1. Publications 58
12.2. Websites 58
APPENDIX 1 60
Summary of Notable Indigenous and Foreign Players 60
COMPANY PROFILES 63
Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd 63
Dimension Data Solutions East Africa Ltd 65
DT One Fixed and Mobile Pte Ltd 67
East African Marines Systems Ltd (The) 69
Eaton Towers Ltd 71
Echotel International Kenya Ltd 73
Ericsson Kenya Ltd 75
FiberLink Ltd 76
Finserve Africa Ltd 77
Huawei Investment & Holding Co Ltd 79
Jamii Telecommunication Ltd 83
Liquid Intelligent Technologies Kenya Ltd 85
Mawingu Networks Ltd 87
MTN Business Kenya Ltd 89
NewTelco South Africa (Pty) Ltd 91
Poa Internet Kenya Ltd 93
Safaricom PLC 95
Sea Submarine Communications Ltd 98
Space Engineering Ltd 99
Telkom Kenya Ltd 101
Vodacom Group Ltd 105
Wananchi Group Kenya Ltd 109
ZTE (Kenya) Ltd 111

Report Coverage

This report on telecommunications in Kenya focuses on telephony, internet and broadband and the infrastructure that supports them. It includes comprehensive information and key statistics on the industry including telephony, internet, fibre-optic, undersea cables and the internet of things. There are profiles of 19 companies, including Safaricom, which has the highest market share for mobile data subscriptions, and other major players such as Airtel Networks, Finserve Africa, Telkom Kenya and Mobile Pay. Other companies profiled include iWay Africa Kenya, which announced an agreement to merge its internet service provider operations with Echotel International.

The Telecommunications Sector in Kenya

Kenya’s telecommunications sector grew relatively strongly in 2018, supported mainly by growth in the digital economy, mobile telephony, and internet penetration. Access to the internet is mostly obtained through mobile phones, which have become increasingly available and affordable, and data subscriptions stood at 46.8 million, out of which nearly half were on broadband. The Kenyan government identified the telecommunications industry as a key sector to aid rapid economic growth, and the sector is riding a wave of digital advancement that is expected to affect the telecommunications, digital services and cyber security markets in particular.

Mobile Money

Kenya has the world’s highest mobile money penetration rate, with 58% of the population using mobile money. The first mobile money service in Kenya was launched in 2007. At the end of March 2019, active mobile money transfer subscriptions stood at 32 million and there were 223,084 mobile money agents. A total of 784.4 million transactions were made during the quarter to March 2019 and included the purchase of goods and services and person-to-person transfers. Over 80% of mobile money transactions in value terms are transferred on Safaricom’s M-Pesa service.

Read More..
The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2019

Full Report

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.14 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2022-03-16

R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $501.00 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2016-11-30

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2014-07-28

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. COUNTRY INFORMATION 1
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 2
3.1. Industry Value Chain 3
3.2. Geographic Position 4
4. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 4
5. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 7
5.1. Local 7
5.1.1. Corporate Actions 12
5.1.2. Regulatory Environment 12
5.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 15
5.1.4. Opportunities for SMMEs 16
5.2. Continental 16
5.3. International 19
6. INFLUENCING FACTORS 22
6.1. Economic Environment 22
6.2. Frequency Spectrum Management 23
6.3. Government Initiatives 23
6.4. Private Sector Initiatives 26
6.5. Infrastructure 27
6.6. Corruption 28
6.7. Cybercrime and IT Security 28
6.8. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 29
6.9. Environmental Concerns 30
6.10. Labour 30
6.11. Electricity Supply Constraints 32
7. COMPETITION 33
7.1. Barriers to Entry 33
8. SWOT ANALYSIS 34
9. OUTLOOK 35
10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 36
11. REFERENCES 36
11.1. Publications 36
11.2. Websites 37
APPENDIX 1 38
Summary of Notable Players 38
APPENDIX 2 42
Technology Service Providers of Kenya (Tespok) Membership List 42
COMPANY PROFILES 44
AIRTEL NETWORKS KENYA LTD 44
DT ONE FIXED AND MOBILE PTE LTD 47
EAST AFRICAN MARINES SYSTEMS LTD (THE) 50
EATON TOWERS LTD 52
ERICSSON KENYA LTD 55
FINSERVE AFRICA LTD 56
HUAWEI INVESTMENT & HOLDING CO LTD 58
IWAY AFRICA KENYA LTD 62
JAMII TELECOMMUNICATION LTD 64
LIQUID TELECOM KENYA LTD 66
MTN BUSINESS KENYA LTD 68
NEWTELCO SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD 70
SAFARICOM PLC 72
SEA SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS LTD 75
SPACE ENGINEERING LTD 76
TELKOM KENYA LTD 78
VODACOM GROUP LTD 82
WANANCHI GROUP KENYA LTD 86
ZTE (KENYA) LTD 88

Report Coverage

The detailed report on Kenya’s Telecommunications sector describes the current market, examines the latest regulatory and corporate developments and discusses factors influencing the success of the sector. As well as profiling the two dominant companies, the report includes profiles for 18 other companies including two smaller players in the mobile sector, Airtel, and Finserve Africa Ltd t/a Equitel.

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector was the smallest contributor to Kenya’s GDP of US$59.8bn in 2015, at 0.9%, but has been identified by the government as a key sector to aid rapid economic growth. Since 2013 there has been continuous growth in the number of subscribers, with mobile penetration reaching 89.2%, internet penetration 87.2% and broadband penetration 18.6% in the first quarter of 2016.

Market Dominance

In the Kenyan communications sector the sole fixed-line provider is Telkom Kenya, the semi-privatised national operator, and the mobile arena is dominated by Safaricom with a market share of 65.6%. Industry commentators blame Safaricom’s market dominance for the exit of India’s Essar in 2014 and France's Orange which sold its Kenyan operation in 2015. In an effort to gain market share all current role players have invested in and control some level of network infrastructure. Recent regulatory changes have resulted in mobile operators acquiring internet service providers (ISPs) who provide services that include broadband, business internet, fibre to the premises, local area networks, and satellite and VSAT.

Access to Frequency Spectrum

Frequency spectrum is a scarce resource and the management of its allocation impacts the performance of players in the sector. As Kenya currently has no clear policy that facilitates the allocation of spectrum, solving the problems related to spectrum is vital to ensure telecommunications services providers will be able to meet the demands of next-generation systems like 5G mobile.

Read More..
The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2016

Full Report

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.14 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2022-03-16

R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $501.00 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2019-10-11

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2014-07-28

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
2.1. Industry Value Chain 2
2.2. Geographic Position 3
3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 4
4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 10
4.1. Local 10
4.1.1. Corporate Actions 16
4.1.2. Regulations 16
4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 18
4.2. Continental 20
4.3. International 22
5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 24
5.1. Frequency Spectrum Management 24
5.2. Government Initiatives 24
5.3. Infrastructure 25
5.4. Cybercrime and IT Security 26
5.5. Economic Environment 28
5.6. Private Sector Initiatives 29
5.7. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 29
5.8. Environmental Concerns 30
5.9. Labour 31
5.10. Corruption, Political Violence and Terrorism 33
5.11. Electricity Supply Constraints 34
6. COMPETITION 35
6.1. Barriers to Entry 35
7. SWOT ANALYSIS 36
8. OUTLOOK 36
9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 37
10. REFERENCES 37
10.1. Publications 37
10.2. Websites 38
APPENDIX 1 40
TESPOK Members as of October 2016 40
COMPANY PROFILES 42
ACCESS KENYA GROUP LTD 42
AIRTEL NETWORKS KENYA LTD 45
EAST AFRICAN MARINES SYSTEMS LTD (THE) 48
EATON TOWERS LTD 50
ERICSSON KENYA LTD 53
FINSERVE AFRICA LTD 54
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES INVESTMENT CO LTD 56
INDIGO TELECOM LTD 58
IWAY AFRICA KENYA LTD 59
JAMII TELECOMMUNICATION LTD 61
LIQUID TELECOM KENYA LTD 63
MTN BUSINESS KENYA LTD 65
NEWTELCO SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD 67
SAFARICOM LTD 69
SEA SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS LTD 72
SEMA MOBILE SERVICES LTD 74
TELKOM KENYA LTD 75
VODACOM GROUP LTD 79
WANANCHI GROUP KENYA LTD 83
ZTE (KENYA) LTD 85

Extract

Currently, mobile penetration at 76.9%, internet penetration at 52.3% and broadband penetration at 3.54% show there is opportunity for growth in the industry...

Description

The report covers the telecommunications industry in Kenya which contributed 12.1% to the country's GDP of US$44bn in 2013.

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2014

Full Report

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.14 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2022-03-16

R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $501.00 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2019-10-11

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Telecommunications Industry in Kenya 2016-11-30

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.20 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
11. INTRODUCTION 1
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
2.1. Industry Supply Chain 2
3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 2
4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 5
4.1. Local 5
4.1.1. Fixed Line Telephony 5
4.1.2. Cellular / Mobile Telephony 5
4.1.3. Data / Internet Services 6
4.1.4. Undersea Cabling 7
4.1.5. Mobile Money Transfer Service 7
4.1.6. Corporate Actions 8
4.1.7. Regulations 9
4.2. Continental 10
5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 12
5.4.1. Skill shortages 13
5.4.2. Training Initiatives 13
5.4.3. Environmental Concerns 13
6. COMPETITION 14
6.1. Barriers to Entry 15
6.1.1. Technology, R&D and Innovation 15
7. SWOT ANALYSIS 16
8. OUTLOOK 16
9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 16
10. REFERENCES 17
10.1. Publications 17
10.2. Websites 17
APPENDIX 1 18
TESPOK Members 18
COMPANY PROFILES 19
ACCESS KENYA GROUP LTD 19
AIRTEL NETWORKS KENYA LTD 22
ESSAR TELECOM KENYA LTD 24
HUAWEI TECH INVESTMENT CO LTD 26
IWAY AFRICA KENYA LTD 27
JAMII TELECOMMUNICATION LTD 28
LIQUID TELECOM KENYA LTD 29
MTN BUSINESS KENYA LTD 30
ONE COMMUNICATIONS LTD 31
SAFARICOM LTD 32
SEA SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS LTD 36
TELKOM KENYA LTD 37
VODACOM GROUP LTD 40
WANANCHI GROUP KENYA LTD 43