Developing Telecoms recently spoke with Hassan Jaber (pictured), the newly appointed CEO of Axian Telecom and a former MTN executive, as he navigates the ambitious trajectory of the challenger operator group. Jaber shared insights into Axian Telecom’s strategy to compete with larger players, focusing on its appeal to Africa’s youth – the continent’s largest demographic – and how its recent rebrand sets the stage for future growth.
How are you settling into the role, and how does Axian Telecom differ from MTN?
Hassan Jaber: Transitioning from a well-established multinational like MTN to Axian Telecom feels like moving from a multinational giant to an agile, fast-paced start-up. There’s an energy here that fosters agility and rapid decision-making, with a strong appetite for calculated risk-taking and innovation. This environment allows us to explore new strategies and solutions that align with our ambition to drive transformative growth.
Axian’s vision resonates deeply with my personal beliefs about Africa’s potential. We aim to play a pivotal role in empowering the continent’s youth and enabling transformative change, positioning ourselves as key enablers in Africa’s digital ecosystem.
How does Axian Telecom’s recent consumer rebrand to Yas align with your strategy?
Hassan Jaber: The rebrand to Yas was the culmination of over two years of strategic planning to unify our operations under a single, Pan-African identity. A cohesive identity fosters a shared culture, aligned objectives, and a unified approach to initiatives across all markets.
The Yas brand embodies our focus on youth, digital transformation, and future ambitions. It reflects our commitment to empowering Africa’s young, dynamic population by providing the tools they need to realise their potential. This rebrand isn’t just cosmetic; it represents a transformative vision for Axian Telecom’s role in driving growth and innovation across the continent.
What immediate impact has the rebrand had, and what can stakeholders expect moving forward?
Hassan Jaber: It’s still early days, as we launched the Yas brand just a few weeks ago, but the initial response has been overwhelmingly positive. Feedback from digital platforms, call centres, and distribution channels has been encouraging. The vibrant identity resonates with our audience, reinforcing our message of innovation, youth, and digital empowerment.
The rebrand positions us to actively contribute to Africa’s role in the global digital ecosystem. From enabling a local TikTok trend to flourish globally to supporting groundbreaking innovations in software or apps, our infrastructure and digital tools empower individuals and communities to succeed on a global scale.
Why is your target audience focused on Africa’s youth?
Hassan Jaber: Africa’s youth represent one of the largest and fastest-growing demographics globally. This group is the primary driver of data consumption and digital engagement, making them key to Africa’s digital future. Our slogan, “It’s our time”, reflects the belief that this is Africa’s moment to assert its rightful place in the digital world.
While we prioritise the youth, we’re not neglecting other demographics or market segments like older generations or B2B customers. Our new brand strategy targets all these groups, aiming to deliver transformative digital experiences across the board.
What steps are you taking to achieve growth?
Hassan Jaber: The Yas rebrand is part of a broader growth strategy that has been in development for years. A key focus is significant investment in upgrading our networks to enhance 4G and 5G capabilities and expanding fibre-to-the-home services to ensure high-quality connectivity for households.
We are also prioritising rural coverage to bridge the digital divide, ensuring that no one is left behind. In line with our slogan, this effort underscores our commitment to providing connectivity that transforms lives in all regions where we operate.
Which of your markets are you prioritising for growth?
Hassan Jaber: All our markets—Madagascar, Tanzania, Comoros, and Senegal—are performing strongly, with double-digit growth across most operations. Senegal is an exception, as we only acquired full control of the business last year. Since then, we’ve implemented an aggressive action plan focused on competitive pricing, distribution transformation, and enhanced customer experiences.
The results in Senegal are promising. By addressing pricing first, we halted revenue declines in September and are now on a trajectory of steady growth. Distribution and customer relations improvements are also underway, with significant progress expected in the coming quarters.
With this approach, we are confident that Senegal will soon mirror the growth in our other markets. Axian Telecom is well-positioned for continued expansion as we deliver on our vision for a digitally empowered Africa.
Africa may not yet be fully poised to push emerging technologies like 5G and AI. However, as a challenger operator, are you looking at these technologies to gain an edge over competitors?
Hassan Jaber: We are indeed investing in 5G. In terms of site volume, we’ve deployed 5G in Madagascar and Tanzania, with rollouts underway in Togo and Senegal, and plans to begin in Comoros soon. However, as in much of the world, 5G is still in its infancy in terms of use case development. Personally, I’m optimistic. Look at how 4G evolved: once the infrastructure was built, the use cases followed. It’s a “chicken-and-egg” scenario. I firmly believe that if we bring the infrastructure and bandwidth, developers will create the use cases—just as they did for 4G.
Currently, 5G’s primary use case is mobile broadband, which allows for offloading traffic from 4G to 5G. This is particularly beneficial in areas of high density and congestion, where 5G can handle far more traffic than 4G. That said, smartphone penetration in some of our 5G markets is still only around 50%. We are placing our 5G strategically to ensure it serves areas where it will see meaningful traffic.
The second use case is private networks, particularly for industries like mining and shipping. However, the lead time for these deployments is significant due to lengthy deal negotiations.
Regarding AI, it’s still early days in Africa, but we strongly believe in its eventual impact. To prepare, we’re focusing on fibre infrastructure and data centres. Axian is already investing heavily in subsea cables, fibre networks, and FTTH connections to ensure we’re ready when AI adoption accelerates.
Mobile broadband and private 5G networks have struggled to gain traction in developed markets. Why do you think these will succeed in Africa?
Hassan Jaber: It’s about addressing gaps in infrastructure. Two decades ago, mobile technology was seen as a luxury in developed countries. In Africa, where fixed networks are scarce, mobile technology quickly became a necessity. The rapid adoption of mobile in Africa outpaced that of developed countries because we were providing something that didn’t exist.
The same logic applies to private networks. Large enterprises in sectors like mining need reliable connectivity, but the supporting infrastructure isn’t there. Unlike in developed markets, where fibre networks often precede large projects such as ports, African industries will rely on mobile technology for private networks to fill that void.
What challenges do you face in meeting growth targets, and how do you plan to address them?
Hassan Jaber: Operating in emerging markets means constantly adapting to macroeconomic shifts and occasional instability. Proper planning and adaptability are critical. At Axian, we’ve built an operating model that allows us to pivot quickly in response to changes.
While there are always risks in emerging markets, I don’t foresee significant disruptions in the near term. However, we maintain contingency and risk management plans to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. This adaptability gives us confidence in our ability to weather challenges and sustain growth.
How is Axian Telecom positioning itself to stand out in Africa’s competitive telecom market?
Hassan Jaber: Our track record speaks for itself. In Madagascar, we hold more than 63% of the market share and are the clear leader. We’ve also become the leading operator in Togo and Comoros. In Tanzania, we are a strong second, and in Senegal, where we initially faced challenges, we’re turning things around and expect to solidify our position as a strong number two next year.
We embrace our role as a challenger operator. We’re challenging the status quo with strong performance and strategic moves that position us as leaders in our markets.
Are there plans to expand into other African markets?
Hassan Jaber: We’re always assessing new opportunities. While I can’t reveal too much, we’re in discussions regarding Wananchi Group, a fibre optic operator. If finalised by January, this acquisition would extend our footprint into Kenya and Uganda, complementing our mobile operations in Tanzania. Whenever we identify an opportunity that adds value to the market and our business, we pursue it.
How does your growth strategy align with Axian’s commitment to improving connectivity in underserved areas?
Hassan Jaber: Expanding rural connectivity is a core part of our mission. We firmly believe that no one should be left behind. By providing connectivity, we enable economic development within communities, creating a win-win situation where both the community and Axian benefit.
In rural areas of Madagascar, Tanzania, and Togo, we’ve implemented cost-effective solutions that balance connectivity with financial sustainability. This commitment stems from our shareholders, particularly our Chairman, Hassanein Hiridjee, who prioritises inclusive connectivity.
Do you face regulatory hurdles when expanding or operating?
Hassan Jaber: Regulation always presents both opportunities and challenges. Our strategy is open communication with regulators. This includes sharing our challenges and collaborating to address issues. For example, when transaction taxes on FinTech services were introduced, we worked with regulators to make adjustments that benefited all stakeholders.
A current challenge involves competition from Starlink. While we welcome competition, we believe it should be on a level playing field. Traditional operators like us invest heavily in licensing and infrastructure, and it’s only fair that other providers do the same.
Is Starlink a significant threat to operators like Axian?
Hassan Jaber: Is it keeping us up at night? No. However, as I mentioned, we want everyone to be treated fairly and equally. Our priority is to protect the interests of our shareholders and consumers. So far, things are okay—they’re present in the market, but they’re not among the top 10 challengers yet. How the technology evolves remains to be seen, so let’s wait and see.”
