HiPipo Money

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Valentine’s Day may have elapsed, but we still lie in the season of love. If you are in love, you need to know how to stay in it. Special things should not just be presented on special occasions, everyday deserves an expression of affection to show your loved one that you have them at heart and in mind all the time. And regardless of whether you are loving or being loved, this is a chance for you to experience both at the same time. Expression, however, is not always that simple or cheap. Here is a little help on a less expensive way to say “I love you” without even saying a word

A bag of kisses

 With the right creativity, you can blend the romance of the season of love with every woman’s favorite accessory. Write down every kind of kiss that you can think of (examples: passionate, on the cheek, etc.). Then buy and fill a stylish red purse or bag with your “kisses” and give it to your spouse. Ask your spouse to pull out one of the several pieces of paper from the filled bag, and then give your sweetheart whatever kind of kiss is described. 

The Book of Love

Find a small book or journal and fill it with reasons why you love your spouse and why you are thankful for him/her. Guys, the ladies will definitely love this, as it shows them you recognize appreciate certain things about them

Scavenger Hunt

Discover the fun and games of falling in love. Take your sweetheart on a scavenger hunt. Ask him/her to answer riddles to find the clues to special gift items that you placed strategically around the house. A trail of rose petals is perfect to hint them in the right direction. Remember, the last item should be the most valuable of all the presents, e.g. her favorite pair of heels, or his dream wrist watch.

Candlelit Love

After that little run around the house, running a steamy bath for you and your loved one is the way to go. Fill the tub with foam and incense to relax yourselves. Kill the lights and surround yourselves with the glow of scented candles. You might never want to leave if there is a bottle of bubbly chilled champagne to keep you laughing and reminiscing through the night. Complete the scene with the right selection of romantic songs playing from a pair of portable speakers so you won’t need to move a muscle.

Cupid’s Cook

Do you have kids? Here’s your chance to create a subtle yet intimate post-Valentine’s Day evening at home, without the children. Guys, we all know the ladies love a good cook. But regardless of your cooking skills, this season shows us how it is the effort that counts. It can also present a great bonding experience between you and your sweetheart, as you cook and learn from one another. Myths claim that cooking to soft, romantic music can really be a turn on! Just be sure not to burn the food while you slow-dance in the kitchen. Once the food is ready, settle down for a romantic candle-lit dinner with the same soft, romantic music as the mood-setter. To top it all off, open a bottle of your finest wine to wind down the night. With good food and the right mood, there’s no telling where the night will take you. 

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Following a comprehensive selection process conducted by MTN Group technology division on the prospective bidders to take on MTN Uganda‘s technical team to manage the telecom giant’s mobile networks, Chinese equipment vendor ZTE has been awarded the outsourcing contract. This means ZTE will officially take on the firm’s Operations and maintenance section which is currently part of the technical department.  Other bidders for MTN Uganda’s technical outsourcing project included Huawei and Ericsson.

“Transition is anticipated to take 6 months”

According to a memo sent to employees by MTN Uganda’s Human Resource General Manager Micheal Sekadde, he said;

The final details regarding the transition of staff and Human Resources related issues are being concluded with ZTE and this transition is anticipated to take 6 months from today before the affected staff can move to the new vendor. In the interim, all Network Group staff are still formally employed by MTN Uganda until that process is concluded.

In July last year, it was initially rumored that all the technical team will be outsourced but basing on the latest information, only the managed services section of the technical team will be transferred till further notice. This is not the first time MTN Uganda has outsourced one of its internal departments, they recently did the same for their IT department.

This deal will finally cement ZTE’s relevance as an equipment vendor in Uganda’s telecom industry, as they have only been an equipment vendor for new entrant Smart Telecom.

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Mapula Bodibe is a qualified Chartered Marketer with over 15 years marketing experience, 10 of which have been spent working in the Telecommunications sector. She has extensive experience developing profitable Customer Value Propositions to drive sales and revenue, whilst building long lasting relationships with customers. She was involved in the pioneering World first launch of the MTN Zone product within the MTN Group in 2007 and has contributed to the strength of the MTN brand through the development of highly competitive products and services.

Mapula Bodibe started her Marketing career in 2000 as Customer Marketing Representative at Unilever South Africa.   In 2003, she became an Assistant Brand Manager at Yum Brands Inc., one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with over 41,000 outlets in more than 120 countries. In 2005, she joined MTN South Africa as a Market Segment Manager looking after the Mass and emerging market segments, where she worked her way up to eventually take up the role of General Manager for Consumer Marketing in 2010; a position she held for 4 years until her recent appointment as the Chief Marketing Officer for MTN Uganda.

In her current role as Chief Marketing Officer, Mapula’s primary responsibility is to define and execute the organization’s overall marketing strategy, build the brand and drive market share growth and generate revenue through the development of successful marketing initiatives. Her areas of expertise include Strategic Marketing, Market research and Segmentation, Pricing, Product development and Management, Business Intelligence, Customer Relationship Marketing, Marketing communications, Advertising, Public relations, Sponsorships and Trade marketing across the Consumer and Enterprise sectors.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics, a Postgraduate diploma in Marketing as well as a Master’s in Business Administration, all from the University of South Africa.

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Partnership shines spotlight on Africa, via infographics-based series and special news app 

Africa’s leading mobile operator, MTN, is the commercial partner for CNN International’s multi-platform initiative ‘Africa View’, which tells the story of Africa’s diversity, dynamism and role on the global stage.

Through its integrated television and digital sponsorship campaign, MTN is proud to partner with CNN International on its programme to showcase Africa’s social and economic progress. The advertising and sponsorship campaign is focused on the ‘Africa View’ infographics series, which runs on CNN International’s highly popular television and digital platforms. Consumers will also have access to a dedicated news app for ‘Africa View’, when it’s launched later in 2015. 

The ‘Africa View’ vignette series airs within CNN’s flagship news and current affairs programme ‘Connect the World with Becky Anderson’. The series provides background and context to trends, figures and initiatives shaping the African continent.Dynamic, entertaining, modern and inspirational in style, the insert showcases topics and influential sectors driving African countries, from education and energy to technology and innovation.

MTN’s campaign around ‘Africa View’ marks the latest development in a long-standing commercial partnership between the two companies, dating back many years. This successful legacy includes a cross-platform advertising campaign around a flagship Africa-focused business programme, exclusive sponsorship of the ‘2010 South Africa World Cup Updates’, and brand advertising campaigns on the international network.

The new, bespoke campaign sees the MTN brand feature prominently across CNN platforms in Europe, Middle East and Africa, positioning MTN amongst CNN’s upscale audience. The latest EMS figures released by Ipsos in July 2014 show CNN as the undisputed number one international news brand in the Middle East and Africa, reaching a larger audience than all direct news competitors in every metric across both regions on TV, digital and cross-platform.

Antonio Canto, Vice President, Advertising Sales, CNN International said: “We’re delighted MTN and CNN’s long-standing relationship continues to develop and grow. The development of the ‘Africa View’ segment is perfectly suited to reach a global audience, providing dynamic content and insights about the continent. We are proud to partner with MTN on this exciting new venture.”

Jennifer Forrester, MTN Group’s Executive for Marketing said: “CNN reaches an important segment of customers and key stakeholders in our markets and globally. This partnership provides an important platform for MTN to be associated with CNN telling the story of how people in Africa are taking advantage of the technology boom and favourable economic conditions to change their lives and take the continent forward. As MTN, we feel privileged to have the opportunity to be commercially associated with CNN bringing these special stories its viewers.”

Notes to Editors:

About CNN International

CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in five different languages across all major TV, internet and mobile platforms reaching more than 385 million households around the globe. CNN International, awarded “News Channel of the Year” by the Royal Television Society in 2013 and 2014, is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America. The CNN digital network is consistently one of the top news and current affairs destination on the web. CNN has 42 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

About the MTN Group

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 30 September 2014, MTN recorded 219,2 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Visit us at www.mtnbusiness.com  www.mtn.comand www.mtnmmo.com

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Qalaa exits its full 80% stake in leading national investment bank in sale to group of investors led by Pharos’ chairman and founder; Pharos grew to top-five broker and a leading advisory, asset management, research, private equity and bookkeeping firm during the period of Qalaa’s investment

Qalaa Holdings (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Exchange, formerly Citadel Capital), an African leader in infrastructure and industry, signed today a sale and purchase agreement to divest its full 80% shareholding in Pharos Holding in a deal valuing 100% of Pharos Holding at c. EGP 40 million(approx. $5.2million).

Pharos is a leading full-service investment bank based in Cairo with thriving investment banking, private equity, asset management, securities brokerage and bookkeeping operations backed by a global-quality research arm.

The acquiring parties are a group of investors led by Pharos Holding Chairman and Founder Dr. Mohamed Taymour. The Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), which was executed through Qalaa Holdings subsidiary Finance Unlimited, covers the sale of 100% of shares owned directly and indirectly by Qalaa Holdings in the share capital of Pharos (representing 80% of Pharos’ issued capital).

“The exit of Pharos is part of executing our strategy to divest non-core businesses in a timely manner at the right valuations as we narrow our focus on core subsidiaries in sectors including energy, cement, agifoods, transportation & logistics and mining,” said Qalaa Holdings Co-Founder and Managing Director Hisham El-Khazindar.

“Management buyouts are entirely too rare in Egypt. It is a fantastic feeling for all of us at Qalaa — where we pride ourselves on our entrepreneurial spirit — to return full ownership of Pharos to a group led by the visionary entrepreneur who founded it,” said Ghada Hammouda Qalaa Holdings’ Chief Marketing Officer.

Taymour on his part added: “We’re delighted to have concluded this transaction with Qalaa, which has been a trusted partner since our founding. We are looking forward to serving Qalaa as a client as we continue to build on an outstanding track record and capture the upside presented by the ongoing economic recovery in Egypt.”

Pharos’ professional practices include one of Egypt’s five-largest securities brokers and a highly sought-after advisory practice with particular expertise in M&A, equity and debt transactions. The investment banking advisory division has closed landmark transactions across sectors ranging from chemicals and fertilizers to consumer finance, education and telecommunications. Transactions closed in 2014 include service as independent financial advisor to Orascom Telecom, Abu Soma Development Company and Global Telecom Holding as well as to Arabian Cement Company on its 18.5x oversubscribed IPO, the first such equity offering in Egypt since 2011.

Pharos’ asset management practice controlled AUM in excess of nearly EGP 900 million at year-end 2014, comprehensively covering equity, balanced, Shariah-compliant, fixed-income and capital-guaranteed portfolios. Management expects the transaction to close during February 2015. 

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MultiChoice Uganda’s leading pay television provider today unveiled its latest HD decoder product with the launch of its first single view High Definition HD decoder, the DStv Zapper. The new decoder which delivers the very best high quality picture and sound quality available on the market will replace the existing standard definition single view decoder which is being phased out.

“The launch of the Zapper bears testament to our continued investment in technology as a tool for providing our subscribers with the very best television viewing experience in Africa said Brian Muwonge Marketing Manager DStv Uganda.

The decoder only will be at UGX 160,000 only however the full kit is at UGX 309,000 which is very affordable for a decoder of its quality. He stated ‘the DStv Zapper will guarantee a lot more subscribers have the possibility of accessing DStv’s ever expanding HD channel offering which currently includes sports, movie, documentary and news channels”. High definition creates a far superior television viewing experience in terms of picture quality and the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound adds a new dimension to the audio experience. The DStv HD Decoder will open up a whole new world for many DStv subscribers.”

Speaking about some of the functionalities and features Ronald Ogwal MultiChoice Uganda’s Customer Service Representative compared The DStv Zappers user interface as similar to the DStv Explora, “most functions can be performed from DStv Central, accessed through the blue DStv button on the remote control. This user interface makes for easier navigation through the HD menus and helps customers discover great DStv content available via multiple search options directly from the remote control”.

Talking about some of the optional extra’s he noted that the Zapper is XtraView capable meaning it can be paired with selected XtraView compatible decoders (excluding the SD PVR), allowing a cost effective and flexible option for clients who wish to enjoy dual viewing environments.

In conclusion Brian Muwonge encouraged Ugandans to purchase the Zapper decoder in the build up to the digital migration which is scheduled to take place in June this year because “HD television represents the best picture and audio format currently available and as such it is a natural promoter of the migration which will result in an overall improvement in the quality of television globally”. “This is the reason MultiChoice has been championing its widespread uptake in Uganda and the rest of the continent” He added. .

The DStv HD Decoder is currently available at all MultiChoice offices, dealers and agents throughout Uganda and will cost UGX 160,000 for the decoder only.

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Med Kimbugwe.

By exactly 2:30PM yesterday (3rd December 2014), members of the media were already at the new MTN Business Center located at Nyonyi Gardens, Kololo eager to engage the MTN CEO and his leadership team on several issues that have received a lot of publicity in the past month.

Honestly, I for one was burning with questions and concerns; and couldn’t wait for CEO Brian Gouldie to finish delivering his statement. You know, it is always better to table your questions and concerns to the relevant parties instead of hating and spreading unsubstantiated information from wherever you are.

In a straight forward manner, the CEO expressed concern about the multiple bundle activations and reiterated the determination by MTN Uganda’s leadership to resolve this issue once and for all.

“We identified a logic problem between 30th June to 16th Oct and between 17th October to 17th November. A total of 360,893 data instability incidents were identified, verified and refunded. The customers that were affected by the data instability represent about 10% of MTN’s total data subscribers currently standing above 3.4 million.” CEO Brian noted.

This was the second time in the past 3 weeks that MTN was coming out to give its position on the whole data instability issue. And for this, they need to be credited as it is almost unheard of in these economies for brands to go public on such issues.

MTN has proactively rebated all affected customers to a tune of Ushs. 778,102,469 worth of airtime and Ushs. 213,729,050 worth of goodwill data bundles disbursements. The company says that it will continue to identify, verify and refund all similar issues on a case by case basis.

Brian noted that compensation was for all affected customers, since it is very easy to identify which customer lost airtime and how much.

By the end of the day, the whole picture was clear in a number of ways.

First and foremost, the technical glitches did not in any way ‘snatch’ the data customers’ airtime. They only caused inconvenience, since customers would get multiple bundle activations hence paying more money.

Secondly, compensation has been made and continues to be made as long as more cases are identified and verified.

Finally, the leadership of MTN Uganda is genuinely dedicated to solving this data issue and very soon, customers will continue to enjoy stable and world class Internet without interference, as well as the first class services that MTN Uganda has always provided.

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Happy Holidays at the Sheraton

Why you should spend this festive season with the Sheraton Kampala Hotel?

The holidays are here, the kids are home and the relatives are visiting. With Christmas days away, you need a fun plan with the best value for money. Sheraton is your best bet with fun for everyone; not forgetting the food. Word on the street is that there are 5 new international chefs.

For those of us who grew up going to the Sheraton for Christmas brunch, this is music to our ears. We can all remember the sumptuous food and playing in the large lush gardens or splashing around in the pool. To have this revived is simply divine.

This year, Sheraton is offering you some little titbits to make your Christmas as festive as possible.

Christmas Turkey

The origins of having turkey for Christmas dinner have been narrowed down to the fact that turkeys are large enough to feed an army. Over time, people have found ways to turn this bird into something sinfully delicious and Sheraton has chosen the best recipes for you. Get this yuletide staple perfectly cooked with delicious stuffing, sauce and gravy plus all the trimmings for you to enjoy with friends and family.

Christmas Cake

What is Christmas without cake? Temptations probably the best cake shop in Kampala is offering you a wide selection of delectable cakes for your pleasure.

Christmas Eve

Be washed in the joy of Christmas with carols from the Harmonic Band. The band will walk around the hotel singing to each and every person they meet. 

Christmas Day

Get ready for a delicious buffet of continental, Indian and Ugandan Cuisine plus traditional Sheraton Christmas carvery of succulent slow roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham and beef fillet. Salivating yet? Better make reservations now.

Boxing Day

As you revel in the presents you’ve received, Sheraton will be serving a Mediterranean Fiesta of French, Turkish, Spanish, Greek and Italian cuisine. All in one night!

New Year

Everyone knows that Sheraton is place to be on New Year’s. The food, the party, the fireworks, nothing beats that sight. This time, put a spin to the action and usher in the New Year at the Paradise Gardens or pool deck with some bubbly. It is also the perfect place to catch the fireworks.

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Find it in all MTN stores!

The 7-inch tablet category has lately been seeing an influx of options with voice-calling capabilities. Buyers seem to be toying with the idea of screens bigger than phablets, even if such devices make them look ridiculous while making calls. We’ve seen quite a few people in the wild using Samsung Galaxy Tab 2s and 3s stuck to their faces. We are trying to recollect if we actually got to see their faces, though. Thankfully, others use wired/Bluetooth headsets for making calls.

Asus is making the most of this trend by launching Fonepad variants left, right and centre. In a little more than a year, the Taiwanese technology major has launched three Fonepad tablets – all of them featuring SIM card support and voice calling. The latest one is the Fonepad 7 Dual SIM. Now, buyers can make phone calls on two networks instead of one.

The updated Fonepad 7 Dual SIM has the same specs as its single-SIM sibling.

Verdict

Amazingly, with a price of 450,000 UGX, the Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM is in fact the cheapest classy device ever in this market. The increased girth notwithstanding, it has all the features that you would expect from a tablet priced at more than 1,800,000 UGX- a good screen, great media playback, respectable battery life, lag-free performance and a decent camera too. We can’t find much fault with the device and Asus seems to have hit the bullseye with this one.

Asus surely gives you value for money!

Read our review for details.

Look and Feel

The Fonepad 7 Dual SIM has quite a few differences in the design department when compared to the Fonepad 7. It is slightly heavier, at 340g, and slightly wider and thicker too. The dual front-firing speakers have been replaced by a single speaker grille on the lower back of the device. The back features the same white plastic panel which is really glossy, reflective and attracts smudges easily. The camera is, however, not protruding this time.

The bare front of the Asus Fonepad 7 makes way for an Asus logo below the screen on this device. The right edge features the volume rocker and power button – both made of plastic. On the top, we have the Micro-USB port and 3.5mm headset jack. The plastic is slippery and we were forced to use two hands for operating it most of the time.

Camera

Asus has a proprietary camera app that allows users to change manual settings such as ISO, exposure value and white balance. It also has a severely limited set of four effects that one can apply.

The 5-megapixel camera on the Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM is a mixed bag. Focusing is slightly erratic but once focused, the camera manages to capture images really quickly. The details captured by the camera are great but the colour seems to be slightly off. The camera has a problem with the auto white balance feature. We suggest changing the white balance manually to suit conditions. If used with patience, the Fonepad 7 Dual SIM can indeed capture some good images, especially close-ups.

The quality of captured video is not that great despite the 1080p resolution. The front camera takes just about serviceable photographs.

Features and specifications

The Fonepad 7 Dual SIM has a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 dual-core processor under the hood. Apart from this it has 8GB of internal storage of which approximately 5GB is available for the users to install apps and copy content. We have to make a mention of the fact that unlike other companies, Asus specifies this explicitly on the back of the box. Furthermore, users can expand the storage up to 64GB by inserting a microSD card, and Asus also provides 16GB of cloud storage for a year on its own cloud platform.

The 5-megapixel rear camera can shoot videos at 1080p, and for users who like taking selfies the Fonepad Dual SIM has a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera which can capture videos at 720p resolution. Both the SIMs can operate on the 850/900/1800/1900 bands. The device also has Bluetooth 4.0, a gyroscope and proximity sensor.

The 7-inch screen has a resolution of 1280×800 which is the same as both the Fonepad 7 and the original Fonepad. The screen is highly reflective and susceptible to smudges just like the back. Viewing angles are okay but legibility is not great under sunlight. On the whole, we actually liked the crispness of the screen despite its low density of 216 ppi.

Software

One look at the software and we were immediately transported back to November 2013 when we reviewed the Fonepad 7. Despite running Android 4.3 as opposed to Android 4.2.2 on the Fonepad 7, the skin is exactly the same. The only difference is that some third-party apps have been been dropped, which is good. We love it when manufacturers reduce bloatware.

Asus adds a fourth button to the standard three-button Android setup, which opens ‘floating apps’. Floating apps or widgets are nothing but apps that can be opened in a smaller window size to to allow multitasking across all the real estate that a 7-inch screen offers. Audiowizard is a barebones app that lets users choose from a set of modes which we presume are equaliser presets. Asus calls its screen enhancement tech Splendid, and there’s an app of the same name that lets users tweak colour settings to their liking.

The rest of the apps bundled with the Fonepad 7 Dual SIM are Amazon Kindle, Zinio and a few other Asus branded apps.

Performance

The Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM is one of the few Android tablets in the market to feature a hyper-threaded Intel processor under the hood. In day-to-day usage, the tablet performed really well and felt extremely snappy to use with nary a lag.

The Fonepad 7 played video files encoded at any resolution without any hiccups. Complementing this great video performance is the audio performance. We tested the audio playback on our reference earphones considering Asus doesn’t bundle any in the box, and we found the sound quality to be really good. The only blot on the otherwise good scoresheet of the Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM is the average sounding speaker. This is a setback considering the front-firing speakers were really good on the older model .

In our battery tests, the tablet lasted us a good 9 hours, 23 minutes before we had to charge it. This bodes well for the battery life of the device and we expect it to last at least two full days with heavy usage. The call quality on the device is great too (yes, we used a wired headset for phone calls) with absolutely no problem in latching on to networks.

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MTN Uganda has rebated all lost credit to all its data users due to multiple bundle loading  following the recent incidents/ complaints in which customers accounts had multiple deductions or lost airtime as a result.  In reality MTN did not take away money but due to system logic failure, customers were allowed to log more than one request and once the system  normalized, they were credited multiple bundles which in some cases depleted their airtime wallets, as a business  we find it unfair to retain the earnings in error hence the rebate.

In a Press Conference held on Tuesday 18^th November 2014, MTN CEO Brian Gouldie informed members of the media that following several upgrades on the system dating back to June of this year, there have been a number incidents that led to intermittent system performance of our data services. This led to MTN customers experiencing either multiple bundle activations, failed but charged activations or delayed bundle activations.

In a follow-up press conference on Wednesday December 3^rd 2014 held at the company’s newly refurbished Business Centre at Nyonyi Gardens, Mr. Gouldie reported that MTN has proactively rebated all affected customers to a tune of Ushs. 778,102,469 of lost airtime. He added that MTN will continue to identify, verify and refund all other similar issues on a case by case basis. In addition to the rebates, MTN has gone further and given data bundles to customers who might have been affected by the intermittent occurrences on MTN’s data services. 281,084 MTN data customers have also received various bundle sizes of MTN’s Mobile Internet bundle types (daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly), to the tune of Ushs. 213,729,050. Combined we have rebated approximately one billion shillings (shs. I Billion) worth of data bundles and airtime.

According to Gouldie, between 30th June and 16^th October 2014, 203, 798 incidents were reported and another 156,803 were identified for the period Oct 17^th to Nov. 17^th bringing the total number of complaints to 360,893 all of which have been verified and rebated. The affected customers represent approximately 10% of MTN’s total data subscriber base now standing in excess of 3.4 million.

Mr. Gouldie further commented that, “MTN has put in place measures to prioritize all data related complaints by attending to related incidents with the highest priority. We acknowledge that in world that is now very dependent on the Internet for new and day to day living, it’s extremely important that service interruptions are avoided as much as possible”. MTN has in addition committed more resources to fast track the resolution of data complaints. A new twitter handle, www.twitter.com/MTNUgcare has been commissioned to solely focus on resolving customer related queries. All other customer contact points including the 126 toll free data helpline, the Facebook page www.facebook.com/MTNUg and our 16 walk in service centres spread across Uganda, 9 of which are in Kampala alone will continue to prioritize all data complaints and provide timely resolutions. “At MTN, we value the trust the customers have put in our products and services and will stop at nothing to ensure that trust is never betrayed”, Gouldie said.

Gouldie told journalists that despite the temporary challenges that the brand has experienced with its mobile data solution, MTN remains committed to pioneering tailored solutions that address customer’s needs, in both a responsible but sustainable manner.

“At the heart of our strategy is value for money for our customers and at the same time being able to sustain the operations of the company for the long- term. We strongly believe that Internet access is a Human Right. Since 2010, we have enabled this right for all our customers, regardless of who and where they are in Uganda, by consistently giving them15MB of free Internet every month.” We believe that this gesture from MTN has recruited many new data users in the country and in the process contributed greatly to the digitization of Uganda’s social and business activities.

Content Management Solution (CMS) to address spamming and unexplained charges for subscriptions services

Meanwhile, MTN Uganda has also implemented a content management solution. The solution will manage the distribution and billing of content from 3^rd party content providers to MTN customers. CMS provides features that will enable MTN customers to accept or stop promotional SMS messages and subscription alerts of various information like current news and sports news, relationship/love tips and service updates among others.

“It’s a top business priority for MTN to focus on driving a positive customer experience across all our services & product portfolios,” said Mr. Gouldie. He added “We are therefore very mindful of the concerns our customers have continued to raise about the spam messages they receive from content providers and hence have taken the initiative to give them the power to take control and choose the messages they receive”. In addition, MTN is implementing a 30 day expiry and customers will be given an option to select continue if they so wish to continue receiving the subscription notifications. And it’s our recommendations that this becomes an industry standard.

This solution will in effect put the power in the hands of customers to stop unwanted SMS messages, and to subscribe or unsubscribe to messages of their choice. It will allow customers to opt out of receiving specific messages as identified by a Sender ID – which is the name/number from which these messages are received by a subscriber. Customers will still have the option to keep receiving or subscribing messages about products and services they deem important to them. To use the solution, customers dial *175# and follow prompts. We are also in the process of migrating this functionality to *196#

This solution that has been developed in collaboration with Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), is a pro-active first step towards protecting our customers from spamming and charges they knowingly or unknowingly incur as a result of subscribing to information services/alerts they receive on their mobile handsets.

“At MTN, we value the trust that customers have put in our brand and we will do all that is necessary to ensure that they have a positive experience when using our services, Gouldie concluded.

Fact sheet on Content Management

When you dial *175#, you will stop receiving unwanted SMS messages, promotional messages, subscription alerts and only allows you to  receive the messages you want.

MTN is putting the power back in your hands.

Q. What type of SMS messages can I stop?

A. You can stop Promotional Messages and Subscription Alerts.

Q. Where and how can I access this service?

A. The service can be accessed anywhere, anytime on your mobile phone by dialing *196#

Q. What are Promotional Messages?

A. These are messages used to promote various products and services, e.g. wedding meetings, bonus offers or SMS from utility providers and other companies advertising their products.

Q. What are Subscription Alerts?

A. These are any SMS messages from Content Providers that require the receiver to subscribe and be charged for the messages they receive. Examples of such messages include News and Sports or Love tips.

When you subscribe to these messages your airtime is deducted each time you receive a message/alert. Charges for subscriptions are indicated when you are subscribing.

Q. Who are Content Providers?

A. These are companies that send information to mobile subscribers through channels like SMS or voice messages. This information might be free or charged. The charged messages are usually referred to as Subscription Alerts.

Q. What happens if I choose to “Stop All” messages?

A. You will not be able to receive any information including transaction alerts from banks, utility payments such as water (NWSC), electricity (UMEME), Pay TV (DStv) or wedding meeting messages.

However, you have the option to allow particular messages as indicated by a Sender ID. For example, if you want to continue receiving messages from UMEME, NWSC or your bank, you dial *196# and select Subscription Alerts, select Alerts by Sender ID, select Allow and enter the Sender ID of the type of message you want to continue receiving.

Q. What is a Sender ID?

A. This is the name of the information/message that you receive. These names could be those of banks, such as DFCU or from utility service providers like UMEME, NWSC and DStv. A Sender ID may also include a number and the topic of the message, e.g. 8008 News, 8198 Sports, 8002 Love among others.