Gamification: A Strategic Asset for Customer Relation
In a market where churn levels continue to rise and differentiation is increasingly challenging, gamification has emerged as a powerful retention engine. What began as a digital marketing tactic has evolved into a structured approach to build long-term loyalty and engagement.
Gamified experiences, such as missions, rewards programs, streaks, badges, or community competitions, help transform telco interactions into memorable, value-driven touchpoints. For younger audiences especially, gamification has become an expectation rather than an added benefit.
For operators, this trend goes far beyond entertainment. It provides measurable improvements in:
- Customer lifetime value.
- Cross-selling opportunities.
- Subscriber stickiness.
- Data-driven personalization.
In our 2025 article, we explored how telcos can leverage gamification frameworks to boost engagement and drive retention through scalable digital ecosystems.
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Open Gateway: Unlocking Monetizable Network Capabilities
The GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative has quickly become one of the most transformative forces in the telecom sector. By standardizing telco APIs through the CAMARA framework, operators can now expose network capabilities, such as SIM swap checks, number verification, quality-on-demand or fraud prevention, to external developers and enterprises.
In 2025, the model shifted from experimentation to implementation. More operators began launching commercial APIs and exploring partnerships with fintechs, app developers, and digital service providers.
As we enter 2026, Open Gateway represents three major opportunities for telcos:
- New revenue streams through API monetization.
- Faster service creation thanks to interoperable standards.
- Improved customer experience with more secure and dynamic use cases.
Our article this year breaks down how Open Gateway and CAMARA are redefining the way telcos operate, innovate, and collaborate with the digital ecosystem.
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Super Apps: The Evolution of Digital Services in Emerging Markets
Super Apps continue to reshape digital economies around the world, especially in Africa, where mobile-first adoption is driving unprecedented growth. These platforms consolidate services like messaging, payments, entertainment, mobility, and e-commerce into a single ecosystem.
For telcos, Super Apps represent a strategic opportunity to:
- Strengthen their role as digital service aggregators.
- Increase customer engagement through bundled offerings.
- Leverage mobile wallets and payment capabilities.
- Partner with third-party developers at scale.
In many emerging markets, telcos are the most trusted digital entry point. As a result, operators are uniquely positioned to drive the adoption of Super Apps and capture value from the surrounding ecosystem.
Our article examined the mobile-centric dynamics that are shaping Africa’s next digital chapter and the key role telcos play in this transition.
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Gaming Hubs: A High-Growth Opportunity for Operators
The global gaming industry continues to outpace all other entertainment sectors, generating billions in revenue and attracting a diverse demographic of players. For telcos, the opportunity lies not only in connectivity but in content aggregation and monetization.
A Gaming Hub enables operators to offer curated games, subscriptions, tournaments, rewards, parental controls, branded environments, and more. It becomes a strategic platform to attract new users, particularly younger audiences, and differentiate in highly competitive markets.
Key advantages include:
- New revenue streams through subscriptions, in-app purchases, and carrier billing,
- Stronger partnerships with game publishers and content providers,
- Increased data consumption and customer stickiness.
Our 2025 feature explored why now is the ideal moment for operators to invest in gaming and unlock the next wave of digital service monetization.
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Mobile Money, DCB & Local Payment Methods: Powering Digital Growth
Payments remain at the heart of digital transformation for telcos. Whether through Mobile Money, Direct Carrier Billing (DCB), or other localized payment systems, operators are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between users and digital services.
In 2025, our teams explored three critical angles:
Maximizing DCB Revenues Through Technology
Automation, compliance tools, and optimized user flows are enabling telcos to increase conversion rates and reduce friction.
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Consolidating Alternative Payment Methods
With digital consumption rising, operators benefit from offering streamlined, integrated payment experiences.
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Insights Into the Mobile Money Market
Mobile Money adoption continues to surge, especially in Africa, where it plays a central role in financial inclusion and digital service monetization.
Read the full article
As we move into 2026, payment innovation will remain one of the strongest growth levers for telcos seeking to expand their services, increase ARPU, and reinforce user trust.
More than trends: Looking ahead to 2026
These trends shaping the telco ecosystem, gamification, Open Gateway, Super Apps, gaming hubs, and alternative payments, are not isolated developments. They are interconnected forces driving the evolution of operators from network providers to digital experience orchestrators.
As Digital Virgo continues to innovate across payments, content, and digital solutions, we remain committed to helping operators navigate this transformation and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
2026 promises to be a year of acceleration, collaboration, and new value creation for the global telecom industry, and we look forward to being part of that journey.
