Orange Group has expressed an interest in buying a number of Vodafone Group’s Vodacom operations in Africa, Bloomberg reports. Citing a person familiar with the matter, the news agency reports that the projected deal could be a knock-on from AT&T Inc’s rumoured approach for UK-based Vodafone. Vodacom Group, which is 65% owned by the British firm, currently comprises operations in South Africa, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique and Lesotho.
TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that, of those markets, Orange only has a presence in the DRC, making the prospect of a takeover an appealing one. Africa remains a key strategic region for Orange, and last week the French group reported 4.1% annual revenue growth in the Middle East and Africa, with sales spearheaded by Mali, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal.
07 Nov 2013
