At Home

More song choices are to become available on South Africa’s Metrorail mobile app and Web site, thanks to local start-up KasiMP3 partnering with makers of the train service’s online tool. Metrorail’s mobile application and Web site, developed by start-up GoMetro, provides commuters with information on real-time train schedules, train fares, timetable deviations, schedule and platform changes. – ITWeb Africa

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has downplayed the magnitude of a recent Web site breach that resulted in the publication of personal information belonging to about 16 000 whistleblowers. Names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and identity numbers of thousands of individuals who submitted information via the SAPS Web site were mined and published on bulletproof sites last week. – ITWeb

The Department of Transport (DOT) said it is shocked by the Catholic Church’s anti e-toll statement, which berates the ministry for a lack of transparency regarding the high costs involved and for marginalising SA’s poor. In a statement released, the department said it is “taken aback” by the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops’ Conference stance. – ITWeb

The ANC in the Western Cape has launched an app on social platform Mxit, in an effort to attract voters in the province. ANC Western Cape chairman Marius Fransman said the party aims to focus on the youth, and therefore, chose a platform used mainly by the youth to be able to engage with them directly. – ITWeb

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Serame Taukobong, MTN" />Smart Village, a MultiChoice-owned company, will soon be promoting an open access network to ISPs in 56 residential estates throughout SA. “We have a strong national footprint in last-mile infrastructure, with over 11 000 homes and businesses already connected and enjoying our fully integrated multimedia, telecommunications (voice and data) and IP-based solutions,” explains Smart Village MD Chris van der Walt" rel=tag>van der Walt. – ITWeb

Mobile operator MTN launched its custom YouTube channel to help it effectively deliver localised content. MTN’s custom YouTube channel displays the operator’s latest blog postings, links to both Facebook and Twitter, and categories for uploaded videos like tech, sport and lifestyle. Serame Taukobong, CMO at MTN SA, says there is a constant battle for brands to find a way to effectively communicate in the digital sphere. – ITWeb

Into Africa

East Africa has ample opportunities for future broadband growth, despite the challenges that may threaten such growth, according to MTN Business MD Tom Omariba. “East Africa was the last region in the world to be connected to real broadband, five years ago, but it will not be the last,” Omariba said. – ITWeb Africa

Telecom Egypt (TE) expects 3%-4% growth in revenue in 2013, at least doubling that in the first quarter as it struggles to deal with the decline of its fixed-line business and an economy in crisis. Revenue in the first quarter rose 1.4% to 2.72 billion Egyptian pounds. – ITWeb Africa

Bob Collymore, Safaricom

Kenya’s largest mobile operator Safaricom has posted a record 47% jump in pre-tax profit to Ksh25.5 billion for the year ending March 2013, says the company’s CEO. Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore has said on Twitter that his firm’s revenue for the year climbed 16% to reach Ksh124 billion. – ITWeb Africa

Zimbabwean-headquartered pan-African technology company, Twenty Third Century Systems (TTCS), has expanded operations to Nigeria and Ghana, reinforcing its growing African footprint. The firm says it has opened offices in Lagos and Accra respectively. TTCS, which claims to have 300 consultants, says it has over 16 years’ experience implementing business software SAP across Africa and the Middle East in sectors such as mining. – ITWeb Africa

According to Safaricom’s GM for financial services, Betty Mwangi-Thuo, the mobile operator plans to open up M-Pesa to thirdparty application developers and enable money transfers to countries outside of Kenya in the future. “We are being careful, but the open API (application programming interface) is in our roadmap,” Mwangi-Thuo said. – ITWeb Africa

A prepaid solar device dubbed the ‘HomePower- Station’ and developed by the energy division of African telecoms group Econet is planned to be launched in East Africa. Econet Solar’s “HomePowerStation” provides lighting and the ability to charge cellphones using in the same way in which airtime is purchased for mobile phones. – ITWeb Africa

Abroad

Hewlett-Packard raised its 2013 earnings outlook after quarterly results beat low expectations, as CEO Meg Whitman’s turnaround plan helped offset shrinking personal computer sales with enterprise computing services. HP shares gained 14% after the