Technology, Media and Telecoms

At the outset of 2020 three of these sub-sectors were disrupting and being disrupted, it was business as usual. Telecommunication companies were forging into the future while also providing financial services.

Technology companies being at the epicentre of the fourth industrial revolution had their work cut out for them. Media companies were keeping pacing with ever-evolving customer behaviour and demands. And then the global pandemic hit, the entire sector had to step up overnight to deliver in a big way. Work, school, play, social inter-actions, shopping, all suddenly moved to one venue – the home. The TMT sector had to make this possible overnight.

And deliver they did. Regulators also had to come to the party with additional emergency spectrum. Fibre is now as essential as the staples in your pantry. Voice and SMS is becoming thwarted by the insatiable demand for data. Movies and shows are a click away. You never have to leave your couch.

However, a disparate economy means disparate access to TMT infrastructure and services, there is much work still to be done to ensure all parts of the population can and do have access to technology and telecommunication services at a low cost.

While it remains uncertain what the post pandemic world is going to look like, one thing we can all be assured of is that the TMT sector will be front and centre helping shape this new world.

Absa CIB has an important role to play with its deep sector knowledge across a range of sectors and its relationships in the TMT sector.