Samsung, LG eye African market

Samsung and LG are expanding operations in Africa, with each aiming to dominate the mobile phone handsets and electronics markets, reports Computerworld.

Samsung has rolled out operations across East Africa and Zambia through partnerships with local companies, claiming the company has a positive outlook of the business environment in the region.

LG has also deployed a similar expansion programme and partnerships in the region where its phones and laptops will be supplied.

The mobile price war initiated by Zain Kenya is causing ripples in telecommunications in sub-Saharan Africa, states All Africa.com.

Zain hopes, by lowering telecommunications rates, it will be able to dislodge Safaricom's 78% market share lead of 16 million subscribers.

"We are not saying we will succeed 100% in capturing market leadership but we will make it extremely difficult for our competitor to operate,” says Manoj Kohli, CEO and joint managing director of Bharti Airtel.

To expand North Africa's research capabilities, a project financed by the US plans to connect the region's universities and science institutes to a digital library that could eventually stretch from Morocco to Libya, says Morocco Board.com.

The US Civilian Research and Development Foundation, a non-profit company created by the US government to promote international science programmes, is leading the effort and is initially working with Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia to increase their access to the latest international research.

In a speech last year at Cairo University, US president Barrack Obama said science and technology partnerships were one of the ways the US could strengthen ties with Islamic nations.