South Africa Edition 2

tHe maRKet
At six years old, with over three million customers
connected to its network, Cell C remains one of
the fastest growing networks in South Africa. Over
85 percent of its customer’s calls are carried on
its own network. This ensures that its customers
are guaranteed full network coverage - customers
that make up some ten percent of the total South
African cellular market.
Cell C offers communication solutions across
the cellular user market in South Africa. Prepaid
users make up the bulk of Cell C’s customer
base.
acHievements
Cell C is South Africa’s most empowered
telecommunications company in terms of equity
ownership, preferential procurement, employment
equity and enterprise and skills development
which is an achievement that the company is
terribly proud of.
Cell C is one of South Africa’s most diverse
companies which met and exceeded its network
coverage obligation two years early, bringing half
a million contract customers to the party in just
under four years.
Cell C is also South Africa’s fastest growing
network, having built in excess of 2000 base
stations in just over three years.
Cell C’s achievements however have not been
limited to impressive statistics. The company has
committed its brand directly to the community
in a distinctly creative and passionate
fashion.
Buoyed, entertained and uplifted through
art and music, Cell C, has not neglected the
essence of social upliftment. The core focus
of Cell C’s corporate social investments (CSI)
initiatives is on women, children and education.
The company’s biggest CSI programme, and an
enormously successful brand building tool, is
the annual “Take a Girl Child to Work Day TM ”
initiative.
The objective of the programme is to provide
girl children with basic life skills so that they can
confidently face the future. This is the fifth year
that Cell C has been associated with the initiative.
This year also sees the creation of the Girl
Child Bursary Fund. The Fund will allow South
Africans to make contributions towards ensuring
that girl children from historically disadvantaged
backgrounds are able to realise their career
aspirations. Cell C will match all funds raised to
enable some girl children, each year, to proceed
to tertiary institutions.
HistoRY
Brands are all about milestones. Cell C, South
Africa’s third entrant into the highly competitive
cellphone network industry, is commemorating its
sixth birthday this year - a notable milestone.
Since the launch of this vibrant brand back
in 2001, the company has made a powerful
impression on the telecommunications market
with its unrivalled seven-dotted “C” trademark.
After just 11 months in the
South African market, Cell C
achieved brand awareness on a par
with its competitors. The brand’s
most spectacular achievement,
however, was the growth in brand
equity, with Cell C achieving
the same brand equity as its
competitors by 2005.
Historically, Cell C’s
launch will also always be remembered for the
gargantuan size of its advertising billboard.
Clearly the world’s largest advertising platform,
Cell C’s official entry into market coincided with
a solar eclipse, leaving the country staring at a
gigantic “C” in the sky.
As for the “voice of Cell C”, it has become
synonymous with drawing listeners and viewers
in to Cell C’s product offering. And this has all
been underpinned by the creative pay-off line
“for yourself ”. Without a doubt the Cell C brand
has made its mark.
Cell C was founded by Saudi Oger and went
live in November 2001. The Saudi based concern
is a 60 percent shareholder, while CellSAf, an
empowered consortium, holds a 25 percent
outright and unencumbered share, with Lanum
Securities holding the remaining 15 percent.
tHe pRoDuct
Traditionally Cell C’s products and services
have been well received in the market. The R5
“halftiger” prepaid voucher is the incredibly
successful recharge voucher that has got South
Africans talking for less. A halftiger is township
lingo meaning five rand.
This product has proven to be a real a boon for
Cell C’s customers, since the recharge voucher
caters for those who prefer to spend money on
calls, on a small incremental basis.
Cell C also ensures that friends & family
stay connected - and while they do that, Cell C
rewards them accordingly. Cell C’s friends &
family offering, still the only product of its kind
in the market, offers customers discounts on their
frequently dialled numbers. All customers have
to do is nominate their seven frequently dialled
numbers and register them. Simple as that!
In yet another move to keep the lines of
communication open between friends & family,
Cell C launched Woza Weekend - a benefit
exclusive to Cell C customers which allows
them to make free calls over the weekend on all
Cell C numbers.
As a socially responsible company, Cell C
soon realised that its relationship with customers
must be a two way street, with its customers
also reaping benefits from their loyalty to the
company.
Cell C offers a unique and innovative instant
SMS rewards programme especially designed for
its prepaid base. For every call made over two
minutes in duration, the customer’s account is
automatically loaded with a free SMS. This is just
one way of rewarding loyal users for choosing to
stay connected.
For those needing airtime but not a handset