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"MTN Group Ltd, Africa’s largest mobile-phone company, has confirmed its intentions to get a share of the Zimbabwe mobile phone market."
MTN Group Ltd, Africa’s largest mobile-phone company, has confirmed its intentions to get a share of the Zimbabwe mobile phone market.
The group said it is “actively” seeking to enter Zimbabwe but said it may start a new operation or buy an existing business.
MTN’s vice president for South and East Africa said in an interview in Johannesburg yesterday.
MTN has had “engagements” with the government and mobile-phone companies operating in the country, Tim Lowry he said.
“We’re not sitting back,” Lowry said. “There are two options. One is to acquire something and to recapitalize the business. Or the other is to start as a greenfield” operation.
“There are lots of moving parts in Zimbabwe,” Lowry said. “We need to make sure the conditions associated with that are good for MTN shareholders because we are not in government donation mode.”
Zimbabwe has three mobile-phone operators, the largest of which is Econet Wireless Holdings Ltd, which recently 3G, followed by NetOne Cellular Ltd. and Telecel Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe government is considering the sale of its majority stake in NetOne, ITNewsAfrica.com said May 5, citing the company’s Chief Executive Officer Reward Kangai.
Econet CEO Strive Masiyiwa declined to be interviewed for this article. NetOne’s Kangai could not immediately comment when contacted on his mobile phone and didn’t answer four subsequent calls to his phone, which wasn’t taking messages.--bloomberg
The group said it is “actively” seeking to enter Zimbabwe but said it may start a new operation or buy an existing business.
MTN’s vice president for South and East Africa said in an interview in Johannesburg yesterday.
MTN has had “engagements” with the government and mobile-phone companies operating in the country, Tim Lowry he said.
“We’re not sitting back,” Lowry said. “There are two options. One is to acquire something and to recapitalize the business. Or the other is to start as a greenfield” operation.
“There are lots of moving parts in Zimbabwe,” Lowry said. “We need to make sure the conditions associated with that are good for MTN shareholders because we are not in government donation mode.”
Zimbabwe has three mobile-phone operators, the largest of which is Econet Wireless Holdings Ltd, which recently 3G, followed by NetOne Cellular Ltd. and Telecel Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe government is considering the sale of its majority stake in NetOne, ITNewsAfrica.com said May 5, citing the company’s Chief Executive Officer Reward Kangai.
Econet CEO Strive Masiyiwa declined to be interviewed for this article. NetOne’s Kangai could not immediately comment when contacted on his mobile phone and didn’t answer four subsequent calls to his phone, which wasn’t taking messages.--bloomberg
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