South African cellular operator Vodacom estimates that the South African market will reach 48-million by 2012.
Speaking at the presentation of the group’s interim results on Monday, CEO Alan Knott-Craig said Vodacom is strategically placed for continued market leadership.
At the end of September, Vodacom South Africa had an estimated 59% market share, up from 57% at the end of September 2005.
The market penetration of the cellular industry in South Africa is now an estimated 72,2% of the population, Vodacom noted.
The cellular operator reported a 34,7% rise in total customers to 25,8-million in the six months ended September.
Vodacom said its customers increased by 28,1% in South Africa to 20,2-million. In the rest of Africa, customers increased by 61,5% in Tanzania to 2,6-million; by 64% in Vodacom Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) to two million; by 39,2% in Lesotho to 238 000; and by 106,5% in Mozambique to 694 000.
In South Africa, the 28,1% increase in the customer base was driven by growth in both the prepaid and contract market. The number of prepaid customers increased by 27,7% to 17,4-million, while the number of contract customers increased by 27,9% to 2,7-million, it said. — I-Net Bridge