Africa’s internet of things (IoT) and fintech industries have been evolving at lightning speed. According to 2023 fintech data cited by Boston Consulting Group, the market is expected to reach US$65-billion by 2030. This equates to a 13-fold increase since 2021, making Africa one of the world’s fastest-growing regions globally.

Many fintech innovations involve the roll-out of card machines or point-of-sale (POS) devices used for card transactions and for the sale of value-added services such as airtime, data, electricity, vouchers and more. One of the most important issues for companies deploying IoT devices is dependence on multi-network device connectivity, whether it be 2G/3G/LTE or NB-IoT.

This raises the question: how can one best manage cellular connectivity for large IoT device deployments requiring reliable, secure and cost-effective connectivity?

New-generation POS devices are typically Android-based and media rich, which means that mobile data usage becomes a critical cost component. Similar use cases for handheld devices include courier delivery (POD), gate security access and vending kiosks. These applications not only require precise cellular data management, but also requires custom networking and firewalling, IP security, and the blocking of access for general internet use.

Managing cellular device connectivity at scale quickly becomes complex, not only in terms of security and networking, but also regarding administration and cost management. Trusting a proven Sim management platform like SIMcontrol takes the risk and hassle out of managing large numbers of deployed Sims across all major mobile networks – on a single account.

SIMcontrol: decade of experience

With more than a decade of experience with IoT and fintech device roll-outs in several African countries, SIMcontrol provides a clear solution for companies looking to enhance their Sim management capabilities over traditional offerings from telecommunications operators that have not changed much over time.

SIMcontrol is integrated with many different Sim types across most major mobile networks, and works with private APN, contract, prepaid and dual-network roaming data Sims.

Existing Sim bases and corporate private APNs can be seamlessly integrated into the SIMcontrol platform to give companies benefits such as one flexible pool of data across multiple networks and real-time quota control as well as advanced functionality such as Sim location mapping, IMEI locking, Sim provisioning and advanced reporting. SIMcontrol provides bulk supply, Rica and provisioning of Sim cards, and offers experienced tier-1 technical support.

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To help your business choose the right network-agnostic device connectivity option, download our free e-book: “How-To-Guide: Data SIM Management Fundamentals for IoT and Fintech Deployments”, or contact us for independent advice.