Release: MTN and Aleph Group partner to break new ground for local advertising opportunities

Photo source: Wikipedia

Johannesburg, South Africa - 15 October 2024 - MTN’s Digital Services, the advertising arm of Africa's largest mobile operator, has appointed Aleph Group, as their sales partner for their go-to-market MTN Ads solution. 

This strategic partnership will enable advertisers to leverage MTN’s vast first party data to enable precise audience targeting, while tapping into core telco channels like SMS and platforms like Ayoba, an all-in-one super app developed by the MTN Group.

“It's a unique proposition in the market; one that incorporates our device-agnostic, data-free and rewards solutions. This combination enables businesses to drive immediate engagement regardless of content or user journey, with measurable attribution,” said Jason Probert, General Manager: Digital Services at MTN South Africa. 

With access to MTN’s extensive user base of over 38 million subscribers in South Africa, these advertising solutions provide an excellent opportunity to reach a vast audience across all demographics and device types. 

"We are thrilled to pioneer the MTN Ads solution and continue to contribute to the growth of South Africa's digital advertising ecosystem," said Stephen A. Newton, Managing Director of Sub-Saharan Africa at Aleph Group.

"MTN's vast network and rich data insights, combined with Aleph's expertise in digital advertising, will empower businesses to connect with their target audiences in a more meaningful and effective way, helping to accelerate the transfer from offline to online GDP."

As an official sales partner, Aleph Group will provide a team of experts to collaborate with brands and advertising agencies to develop and execute advertising solutions across MTN's various platforms, including SMS, Rich Business Messaging (RBM), mobile display, and in-app advertising.

"In today's challenging economic climate, businesses are seeking a greater return on advertising spend (ROAS). We believe this partnership will enable businesses to unlock the full potential of digital advertising in South Africa,” added Newton. 

South Africa’s ad spend is projected to reach R40.95 billion by the end of the year, with digital advertising driving much of this growth because of increased urbanisation and mobile network expansion. Furthermore, internet advertising is anticipated to reach R32.77 billion by 2027. 

38% of South African respondents to a recent Aleph survey claimed that they learn about new products via ads that play before online videos they’re watching, highlighting the importance of digital and internet advertising. By 2029, nearly half of total spending will come from digital channels, with mobile advertising accounting for 74% of digital ad spending by 2028. 

This partnership allows MTN and Aleph to capitalise on this shift, empowering brands to reach audiences through impactful, data-driven campaigns. Leveraging telco unique solutions, including zero rating for users and device agnostic solutions, advertisers can now reach all audiences across the digital funnel journey. 

A court filing unmasked the 100 investors in Elon Musk's X: a Saudi prince, major VCs, Diddy, and Jack Dorsey

A judge ordered X Holdings to unseal its list of shareholders, revealing notable investors.

The list includes Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Sequoia, Saudi Prince Alwaleed, and Diddy.

The motion was filed by a journalism nonprofit, arguing public interest in X's investor details.

Elon Musk's X just had to give up the names of all its investors — and there are a couple of notable names on the list.

A federal judge ordered the social media platform to unseal the list of shareholders of X Holdings on Tuesday, after a journalism nonprofit filed a motion to view the records in July.

By Shubhangi Goel.

Full story at Yahoo News.

Google strikes a deal with California lawmakers to fund local news

The agreement ends a long-running dispute that led to Google temporarily blocking news for some users in the state.

Google has reached a deal with California lawmakers to fund local news in the state after previously protesting a proposed law that would have required it to pay media outlets. Under the terms of the deal, Google will commit tens of millions of dollars to a fund supporting local news as well as an AI “accelerator program” in the state.

The agreement ends a months-long dispute between lawmakers and Google over the California Journalism Preservation Act, a bill that would have required Google, Meta and other large platforms to pay California publishers in exchange for linking to their websites. Google strongly opposed the measure, which was similar to laws passed in Canada and Australia.

By Karissa Bell

Full story at Engadget.

Bill Gates says he has to 'have a sense of humor' about vaccine conspiracy theories

Bill Gates addressed some of the pandemic conspiracy theories about him in a new interview.

Microsoft's cofounder said he has to "have a sense of humor" about theories concerning trackable microchips.

Conspiracy theories linking Gates to COVID-19 began to circulate early in the pandemic.

Bill Gates is trying to make light of some of the conspiracy theories about him.

Speaking on "The Life Scientific" on BBC Radio 4, the Microsoft cofounder addressed a viral conspiracy theory that he was behind a plan to implant trackable microchips in people during the pandemic.

By Beatrice Nolan.

Full story at Yahoo News.

JBL has added every conceivable feature to its Tour Pro 3 wireless buds

JBL’s new Tour Pro 3 wireless earbuds should really be called the JBL Tour de Force. The company’s second-gen Tour Pro were already the most feature-studded earbuds we’ve ever seen, complete with a touchscreen on the charging case, and yet the Tour Pro 3 go further. Much further. The price has gone up too — they’ll cost $300 when they become available for purchase on September 22.

At a glance, the third-gen looks the same as before, whether you get them in black or “latte.” Physically, the shape of the earbuds is unchanged. However, the case is a little smaller, while offering a 30% larger screen. It can also act as a retransmitter of both analog and digital audio when you use the included cables to plug it into computers, smartphones, or in-flight seat-back entertainment systems.

By Simon Cohen.

Full story at Yahoo News.

China goes ape over culture-boosting 'Black Myth: Wukong' video game

BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese state media threw its back behind China's most successful single-player video game to date, saying its adaptation of the Ming dynasty epic "Journey to the West" would force Western players to learn more about the country's culture.

"Black Myth: Wukong", based on a mythical monkey king from a Chinese literary classic who can shape-shift into humans, animals and inanimate objects, was being played on Wednesday by 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam, a major online gaming platform, a day after its release.

"Chinese players in the past have gone through this process of cross-cultural understanding, now it is the turn of overseas players to learn... and understand Chinese traditional culture," China Central Television wrote in a blog.

By Joe Cash.

Full story at Yahoo News.