New mobile operator Aweh Mobile launches in South Africa
The new provider's family-focused offering allows customers to manage multiple SIMs from one dashboard, including sharing voice, SMS and data between users. Customers can also monitor usage, receive balance alerts and set up automatic top-ups.
The service includes parental controls, giving parents the ability to manage aspects of their children's mobile usage.
Aweh Mobile managing director Nokuthula Mkhwane said the company was created with South African families in mind, with a focus on simplifying the management of multiple mobile services.
“Affordability is important, but affordability should never mean compromising on the quality, convenience or value of the service a family receives,” Mkhwane said.
Targeting the family market
The launch comes as South Africa's MVNO market continues to develop, with virtual operators using existing telecommunications infrastructure to target specific customer segments rather than building their own mobile networks.
Aweh's proposition is centred on managing several users under one account rather than treating each SIM as a separate service.
The company said its platform is designed to give households greater visibility of their mobile usage and spending, while its parental controls are aimed at households with children using mobile devices for communication, education and entertainment.
Aweh has also positioned the service around prepaid, flexible mobile usage, although the company did not disclose details of its network host or provide specific pricing information in the announcement.
Customers can access the service through Aweh Mobile's website and its iOS and Android apps.
“For us, launching Aweh is about more than entering a crowded telecommunications market,” Mkhwane said. “We want people to see affordability differently: as an opportunity to get greater value, better control and a mobile experience that works for the whole family.”
