AFRICA
Dearth of affordable broadband shields Naspers from rivals
CEO of the internet holding company, Bob van Dijk, says affordable uncapped broadband connectivity will remain ‘very rare’ for years in sub-Saharan Africa
Naspers’s video entertainment business will be shielded from online streaming competitors across most of Africa for the foreseeable future, says the CEO of the internet holding company, Bob van Dijk. This was mainly because affordable uncapped broadband connectivity remained "very rare" in sub-Saharan Africa, besides SA and parts of Kenya. Naspers had recently analysed the cost of 10 gigabytes of mobile data relative to earnings across the continent. "In several countries, it’s above or close to 100%, which means that the average person would have to spend their entire annual income to have a streaming-friendly mobile connection, which is an absurd situation," said Van Dijk. "We will get there, I have no doubt, but it’s quite a few years out," he added. In the interim, the lack of affordable internet provided an opportunity for the group to offer affordable satellite television packages. Naspers said last week that despite the negative effect of weak currencies, its video entertainm...
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