South Africa’s MTN is exploring the potential acquisition of a majority stake in Telkom to increase its ability to compete against Vodacom, Bloomberg reported, citing people close to the discussions.
According to the report, MTN has held exploratory discussions in recent months about a possible offer for Telkom.
Telkom’s strong position in the fixed-line market will help MTN to take on Vodacom, which is planning to acquire Neotel.
Telkom spokesperson Jacqui O’Sullivan told Bloomberg that the company “is engaging in discussions with a number of industry players to consider how they could operate more efficiently”.
In January, news emerged that South Africa’s government is planning to inject USD 870 million into energy group Eskom, and it may sell its stakes in Telkom and Vodacom to raise the money.
Reuters reported that the government may fund the USD 870 million as soon as June.
Source: Telecom Paper