📱MTN Group Sells Guinea Operations

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Today’s Menu ☕️

📱MTN Group Sells Guinea Operations to State of Guinea, Marking Final Market Exit
📚 Egypt's EdVentures Boosts EdTech Innovation with Investments in Two Startups
🎙️ Spotify Partner Program launched to Empower Creators and Enhance User Experience
📺 YouTube tests New “Play Something” button to enhance viewer engagement, inspired by Netflix

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📱TELECOMS

MTN Group Sells Guinea Operations to State of Guinea, Marking Final Market Exit

MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecom operator, has finalised the sale of its Guinea operations to the State of Guinea, concluding its presence in the West African nation. The transaction was completed on December 30, 2024, aligning with MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy, which emphasises portfolio optimisation and simplification.

Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President and CEO, remarked, “This milestone marks a new phase for MTN Guinea-Conakry under local ownership, and MTN thanks the staff, customers, regulators, and broader stakeholders in Guinea for the support during the time MTN has been operational in the country.” He further noted that the decision is in line with MTN’s strategy to “simplify the portfolio and allocate capital to markets where we can make a difference as MTN and deliver long-term growth and returns.”

MTN’s exit from Guinea is part of a broader trend of divestments in underperforming or non-core markets. Earlier in 2024, the company completed the sale of its operations in Guinea-Bissau to Telecel, a move also aimed at streamlining its portfolio.….…continue reading

📚 EDTECH

Egypt's EdVentures Boosts EdTech Innovation with Investments in Two Startups

Egypt-based edtech-focused VC EdVentures, the investment arm of Nahdet Misr, has announced significant six-digit investments in two high-potential startups, Schoolz and Ibn Sina Training Academy, through its innovative EdTech Ventures Studio (EDVS) program. This funding marks a significant step forward in EdVentures’ mission to foster a thriving EdTech ecosystem, expanding its portfolio to 24 dynamic startups.

Launched in partnership with the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), the EDVS program is designed to catalyze the growth of the EdTech sector across Egypt and the Middle East. The program provides a robust framework of mentorship, funding, and access to a vast network of industry experts, helping startups progress from ideation to scalable enterprises.

The two startups receiving this latest round of funding were among ten finalists selected for the inaugural EDVS boot camp, which focuses on identifying and supporting innovative solutions to education and training challenges in the region...……continue reading

🎙️ AUDIO STREAMING

Spotify Partner Program launched to Empower Creators and Enhance User Experience

Spotify, the global audio giant with over 640 million users and more than 250 million subscribers, is setting new standards for creator monetization and audience engagement. In a move to strengthen its position as a creator-first platform, Spotify has officially rolled out the Spotify Partner Program, a groundbreaking monetization system for creators in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia.

Unveiled during Spotify’s Now Playing event, the Spotify Partner Program introduces a dual-revenue model designed to empower creators and enhance user experience. Eligible creators who host their shows on Spotify can now access two primary revenue streams:

1. Audience-Driven Payouts: Spotify Premium users can enjoy ad-free video engagement, offering creators a steady revenue flow while delivering an uninterrupted experience for listeners.

2. Ad Monetization: For creators targeting Spotify Free users and other podcast platforms, the program offers robust ad monetization options, ensuring creators can tap into diverse audiences without compromising their earnings.

This dual approach gives creators greater flexibility and control, allowing them to weather industry changes while maintaining consistent revenue. For Premium users, the absence of dynamic ads enhances the viewing experience, although baked-in sponsorships from creators remain intact.……..read more

📺 VIDEO SHARING

YouTube tests New “Play Something” button to enhance viewer engagement, inspired by Netflix

YouTube is currently testing a new “Play Something” floating action button, inspired by a now-defunct Netflix feature of the same name. This feature functions similarly by playing a random video likely based on your previous viewing habits.

When you press the button, it starts a video in the Shorts player. However, the content is not limited to Shorts; it also includes regular videos displayed in a vertical format with black bars at the top and bottom. As with any Shorts video, there are buttons on the right side for liking, disliking, commenting, and sharing. Notably, you can only play one video using the button, as the interface closes once a Shorts video begins.

This new feature appears to be an effort by YouTube to keep viewers engaged, particularly within the Shorts platform. YouTube has previously experimented with similar features, including a “Play Something” banner. Netflix had initially launched a similar feature, later renamed “Surprise Me,” but retired it two years later due to low usage. By introducing this feature, YouTube aims to enhance user engagement and provide a more dynamic viewing experience, especially for those who enjoy the Shorts format........……continue reading

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