Firms Leverage Telco Data To Expand Africa’s Digital Growth

Determined to accelerate digital transformation and deepen Africa’s advertising ecosystem, Out There Media (OTM) and Pulse have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at expanding data-driven digital advertising solutions across the continent.

The alliance, which will initially focus on Nigeria and Ghana, is expected to combine OTM’s proprietary mobile advertising technology, Mobucks™, with Pulse’s extensive market presence and execution capabilities to drive digital growth across Africa.

Under the arrangement, Pulse will serve as Out There Media’s official local commercial representative, jointly establishing a strong digital advertising presence across selected global markets, beginning with West Africa.

The partnership seeks to leverage first-party telco data and advanced advertising technology to enable brands to engage consumers more effectively and at scale.

Speaking on the development, Managing Director of mediaReach OMD Nigeria, Stephen Onaivi, said the collaboration would significantly broaden advertising opportunities for brands operating in the Nigerian market.

“As one of the agencies responsible for putting clients’ brands in front of Nigerian consumers every day, this partnership will genuinely expand what’s possible. Leveraging Out There Media’s first-party telco data and Mobucks™ platform will provide more innovative opportunities to target audiences at scale and deliver the measurable, data-driven outcomes clients increasingly expect,” he said.

Chief Digital Officer of MTN Ghana, Ibrahim Misto, noted that the partnership reinforces MTN’s commitment to digital innovation and data monetisation across Africa.

According to him, combining MTN’s scale and customer insights with OTM’s technology expertise and Pulse’s strong market presence would create a powerful ecosystem capable of transforming brand-consumer engagement across Ghana and beyond.

The partnership also features a commercial roadmap targeting high-growth sectors including retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), e-commerce, fintech and gaming.

Commenting on the collaboration, Chief Executive Officer of Pulse Africa, Katharina Link, said the alliance significantly expands the range of solutions available to brands across the continent.

“By combining OTM’s proprietary technology, global partnerships and award-winning expertise with Pulse’s local market knowledge, creativity and execution capabilities, we are adding an entirely new layer of technology-enabled advertising solutions to our portfolio while opening up exciting opportunities for future innovation together,” she said.

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Out There Media, Kerstin Trikalitis, described the partnership as a major step toward transforming how brands engage consumers across Africa.

She said the combination of Pulse’s local commercial strength with OTM’s proprietary technology, data monetisation expertise and longstanding relationships with leading global brands would enable advertisers to reach African consumers with unprecedented scale, precision and impact.

The partnership is anchored on OTM’s Mobucks™ platform, a telco-centric mobile advertising solution that works with leading telecommunications operators worldwide, including MTN Group, Vodafone, O2 Telefónica, BT, Orange, Deutsche Telekom and StarHub.

Through these partnerships, OTM provides advertisers with access to nearly 300 million subscribers across several African markets, including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and Cameroon.

Beyond its technology capabilities, OTM also brings established relationships with major multinational brands such as Unilever, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Pepsi, L’Oréal and Nestlé, alongside partnerships with global agency networks including WPP, Omnicom Media, Publicis Groupe and Dentsu.

Pulse, on its part, contributes a team of more than 100 media professionals spanning sales, advertising operations, account management and creative strategy.

The collaboration will enable brands and agencies to deploy premium mobile advertising formats such as Rich Communication Services (RCS), targeted messaging, display, video, audio and push notifications, all powered by privacy-compliant first-party telco data.

Beyond commercial ambitions, both firms said the partnership reflects their shared commitment to driving social impact by supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and youth employment initiatives across Africa.