Mobile telephony operators in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experienced a significant drop in their turnover in the first quarter of 2023. According to a report by the Observatory of the mobile telephony market in the DRC, this drop amounts to at 13.27% compared to the previous quarter.
The main reason for this decrease is related to the change in the reporting basis for mobile money turnover. This new method only takes into account the commissions paid by mobile financial companies (MFCs) to mobile network operators (MNOs/MNOs) for the use of USSD codes and messaging services, thus excluding financial transactions.
Additionally, the average revenue per subscriber (ARPU) also decreased from $3.68 to $2.88. This decline could be attributed to a modulation of subscribers’ consumption budgets after the end-of-year festivities.
Within operators, Airtel stands out in terms of revenues generated by data services. Their competitive and attractive packages have resulted in high consumption of these services, thus providing a competitive advantage.
Furthermore, it is interesting to note that two operators, Airtel and Vodacom, alone hold more than 89% of the share of SMS revenues.
With regard to mobile money services, only commissions paid by MFS to MNOs/MNOs are counted in turnover. These revenues are considered as added values.
This drop in revenue for mobile operators in the DRC in the first quarter of 2023 highlights the challenges facing this sector. It is necessary for companies in the field to rethink their strategy to stimulate growth and adapt to new market realities.
Sources:
– [Link to article 1](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/08/23/lagence-francaise-de-developpement-accorde-une-aide-de-24-millions-deuros-a-la-rd -congo-for-sustainable-development-projects/)
– [Link to article 2](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/08/23/affaires-sonahydroc-sa-lex-directeur-general-interdit-de-quitter-le-pays-pour-mauvaise-gestion /)
– [Link article 3](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/08/23/la-promotion-de-lhomosexualite-en-rdc-cree-la-polemique-les-manifestants-denoncent-une-provocation -during-drc-mining-week/)
– [Link article 4](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/08/23/la-republique-democratique-du-congo-lespoir-economique-de-lhumanite-grace-a-ses-richesses-naturelles -controversies/)
– [Link article 5](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/08/23/le-gouverneur-de-la-province-du-kasai-central-lance-le-test-national-de-selection -and-educational-and-vocational-guidance-for-more-than-42,000-candidates/)
– [Link article 6](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/08/23/la-rdc-cree-un-partenariat-avec-linde-pour-attraction-les-investissements-etrangers/)
– [Link article 7](https://fatshimetry.org/blog/2023/08/23/lgbt-en-rdc-la-decoration-de-levenement-de-drc-mining-week-entraine-une-manifestation-contre-lhomosexualite-4/)
– [Link article 8](https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/08/23/voici-ques-quelques-propositions-de-titre-pour-larticle-reforme-electorale-en-rdc-les-senateurs-fcc -leave-the-plenary-in-sign-of -protest-enrollment-of-voters-in-drc-progress-m-16/)
– [Link to article 9](https://fatshimetry