Tag Archives: Airtel Managing Director Charles Kamoto

Business, Malawi

Charles Kamoto leaves Airtel Malawi happily: Lauds strong team behind company’s success

MaraviPost

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The outgoing Airtel Malawi Managing Director Charles Kamoto says is leaving the company happily.

Kamoto therefore lauded the strong team behind the company’s success.

He was speaking at Airtel Malawi’s 25th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in the capital Lilongwe which had been previously adjourned.

The AGM also marked the final meeting Kamoto, who has been with Airtel Malawi since May 2014, initially as Chief Commercial Officer before becoming Managing Director in 2016.

He has been posted to head Airtel Tanzania effective, November 1, 2024.

“I’m leaving Airtel Malawi happily due to company’s robust growth and sadly because I’m leaving a strong team here that supported me fully,” says Kamoto.

Acting Chairperson, Board Director Mark Mikwamba said Kamoto has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and maintaining its position as a market leader in the mobile telecommunications sector.

Mikwamba however addressed and managed concerns raised by minority shareholders, reaffirming the company’s commitment to transparency and growth.

Reflecting on the company’s decision to revise its Financial results for year ended 2023 after reviewing the accounting treatments for its US$ indexed tower lease contracts, Airtel Malawi released revised financial statements for the same period in August 2024, showing a MK15 billion loss after tax.

Despite the loss, the Board of Directors, reassured shareholders of the company’s robust growth prospects and transparency regardless of the revised losses of the K15 billion which has impacted the no dividend payout from the financial year ended 2023.

“Airtel Malawi remains committed to delivering value to its shareholders and customers, continuing its journey of innovation and excellence in the telecommunications industry,” Board Director Mark Mikwamba, who was also the acting Chairperson for the 25th AGM, said.

On the sidelines, Airtel Malawi recently announced a MK21.3 billion profit after tax for the half-year ended 30th June 2024, reflecting a 16.7% growth compared to the financial results for the year ended December 2023, significantly showcasing the company’s resilience and strategic outlook.

Business, Top News

Airtel money pairs with Lilongwe Water Board on prepaid electronic bill payments

Maravi Post Reporter

By Patience Abeck

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s leading Airtel Malawi has partnered with Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) in electronic bill payments to their customers.

The development comes following recent reports from the Reserve Bank on electronic money payments hitting a record MK100 billion per day.

This has promoted Airtel pairing utility service provider LWB on a bill payment service option for the Water Board’s prepaid water meter system.

Airtel Managing Director, Charles Kamoto told The Maravi Post through a press statement that the bill payment service will work by allowing LWB  customers to make payments on the Airtel Money platform *211# and instantly receive a token, for their prepaid meters in order to access potable water in the city of Lilongwe.

“After Lilongwe Water Board introduced the prepaid water bill system to cater to the evolving needs of its customers, we did not hesitate to integrate the two systems in order to give our customers the chance to conveniently purchase water tokens on the Airtel Money platform and experience more financial freedom with their mobile money wallets,” explained Kamoto.

LWB Chief Executive Officer Engineer, Alfonso Chikuni therefore lauded Airtel Money for bringing convenience to their prepaid customers.

“Now our customers will spend less time on acquiring water tokens as they will now be able to purchase them right from their mobile phones,” Chikuni said.

Lilongwe Water Board is one of Airtel Money’s veteran bill payment partners since the year 2014 and is one of Airtel Money’s 6 utility bill partners in addition to Escom, Blantyre Water Board, Northern Region Waterboard, Southern Region Waterboard, and Central Region Waterboard

Business, Top News

Airtel Malawi to  excite Chizumulu Island customers with new network tower

Maravi Post Reporter

By Patience Abeck

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)– In its quests to improve network coverage in hard to reach rural area, the country’s leading smartphone network provider Airtel plans to offer new tower to the neglected Chizumulu Island customers.

This is part of the company’s year long project of installing  over 80 new towers across Malawi.

In the a press statement released on Tuesday and made available to The Maravi Post,  Airtel Managing Director Charles Kamoto disclosed that the new network tower will be the first ever on the island.

He said the  program is part of the network leader’s ongoing exercise to roll out over 80 new 2G/3G network sites in the country’s rural areas.

Kamoto said that the aim of these new sites is to afford more people the opportunity to connect with others and create opportunities on our network.

“As part of its ongoing investment towards the expansion of network coverage in rural areas, leading telecommunications network, Airtel Malawi has announced plans to roll out a new network site on Chizumulu island.

“We have so far rolled out over 50 brand new network sites across the country since April last year, as we would like to reach out to customers in the rural areas,” explained Airtel Managing Director, Charles Kamoto.

Meanwhile, the first consignment of equipment has already been ferried to the island with the anticipated date of commission scheduled for around April this year.

 

Business, Law and order

Airtel says committed on law; explains SIM Cards deactivation exercise

Lloyd M’bwana

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s leading smartphone service provider Airtel Malawi says remain committed towards SIM Cards registration to its customers per Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) directive.

The assurance comes following various articles on the SIM card registration exercise the regulator has issued to the service providers.

MACRA put September 30, as a dateline for mobile phone users to register their SIM Cards failing which numbers were to barred from services.

Since then, all  mobile phone service provider rolled out the registration exercise which a umber of subscribers never comply till the last date.

In a press statement released on Thursday, October 4, and made available to The Maravi Post, Airtel says is complying with MACRA’s directive on SIM Card registration despite minor challenge encountering in the exercise.

The statement, which Airtel Managing Director Charles Kamoto signed said the company has been collecting fresh registrations for many months through more than 6,000 registration points across the country.

“We have registered a majority of our customers’ over the last few months, but have however, barred over a million customers who have yet to register.

“While the process of barring started earlier, due to some technical issues the final barring was completed early yesterday and Airtel Malawi handed over the deactivation report to MACRA,” says Kamotio.

He adds, “Airtel has a stringent quality control validation process for customer registration, which is essential to satisfy compliance and the team accelerated the process to ensure completion of the initiative.

“As a law abiding entity, Airtel has had discussions with MACRA on the issue and remain committed to working with MACRA and the Government on this important initiative.

Airtel wishes to reiterate that it has always been and will remain a law abiding citizen acting in accordance with MACRA directives.”

Re-activation and registration of SIM Cards rages on across the country.

Business

Airtel Airtel pleads for calmness amid erratic network due to system upgrading

Maravi Post Reporter
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)- One of Malawi’s leading telecomunication company, Airtel Malawi this week pleaded with its customers to remain calm in the face of erratic network caused by system upgrading it is conducting.
Airtel is upgrading its network infrastructure that started in May this year.
The company therefore admis it is facing challenges in the ongoing network upgrade exercise, which has compromised service delivery to subscribers.
On their part, Airtel subscribers claim the company’s services have been erratic since August.
The services include dropped calls, no network availability, and slow Internet, among others.
Airtel Managing Director, Charles Kamoto, acknowledged that the development is frustrating for customers using the company’s network, however said Airtel engineers are working nonstop to finalise the upgrade.
Kamoto said the network upgrade is the largest project the company has ever undertaken since its establishment in Malawi.
He added that the exercise includes replacement of old equipment with the new ones, and advanced technology on all Airtel towers.
“Bear with us a little longer, as we continue to work around the clock to improve your experiences. I would like to thank you all for your unwavering support, patience, and understanding rendered to us throughout this period.
“We truly do not take it for granted and I can assure you that we are almost through and very soon your experience on the Airtel network will be great again,” Kamoto said.
Kamoto said due to the upgrade exercise the company had to stop its expansion to the rest of the country in order to rectify some unforeseen system issues that erupted in the initial phase, including Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu.