The end of a long, hard year

AS 2010 draws to a close, I'm sure many of us will reflect on what a long, hard and often frustrating year is has been. While I cannot put my finger on it, 2010 just wasn't what it promised to be, perhaps because we - somehow subconsciously - expected more from what was always going to be a milestone year.

Perhaps it was the very event that made this year a milestone for SA, the Fifa Soccer World Cup, that also made it such an anticlimax. During the build-up to the event, South Africans were counting the days and the entire country exploded into party-mode when the whistle blew for kick off in the middle of the year. However, in a flash it was all over and the realities of a mundane existence set in again.

Perhaps it was the realisation that the once-in-a-lifetime event did not change our lives for the better, perhaps it was the awakening that the event will now be relegated to a distant memory, but life - as we know it - continues.

From an economic perspective, 2010 has been hard. The tail-end of the recession certainly swung violently here and there, taking out some companies that were hanging on for dear life.

Talking about hanging on, Telkom has certainly had a reality check in Africa. The once powerful telecoms monopoly was sent packing with its tail between its legs, having lost a bundle through its Nigerian business, Multi-Links. The company has conceded that its Africa expansion plans will have to wait, hence it is almost certain that an significant dominance on the continent can be ruled out for Telkom.

This leaves the telecoms giant in a precarious position, with fixed-line revenue dwindling at home and nothing to show up north. Perhaps its recently-launched mobile arm, 8.ta, will offset some of the losses, but I doubt it will be enough. I suspect this will be a year to forget for Telkom.

For a more in-depth - and probably more positive - look at the year that was and what the ICT sector got up to, check out our feature on page 24.

As for the iWeek team, we wish all our readers a great festive season and good rest over the coming weeks. We will be back next year.

Happy reading!

Martin Czernowalow