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/ 18 October 2008
Without Vodacom, Telkom is in for a rough ride, writes Lloyd Gedye.
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/ 4 September 2008
High on the Highway Africa agenda will be debates on how to deepen the democratisation role of the media.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest cellphone operator, MTN, posted a 26% rise in first-half adjusted headline earnings per share.
One big difference between the Vodacom retail offering and that of Sasol is that there is no option to buy shares outright for cash.
The Public Investment Corporation has supplied the money for two of the biggest disinvestments from South Africa since the apartheid era.
Shares in South African cellphone group MTN fell as much as 6,3% after it said it had ended exclusive talks with India’s Reliance Communications.
The feud between India’s billionaire Ambani brothers has flared up after arbitration proceedings were started against Reliance Communications.
MTN Group and India’s Reliance Communications have extended exclusive talks on a potential combination to create a top-10 global telecom group.
Talks between India’s Reliance Communications and MTN, which are due to end on Tuesday, may be extended, it was reported on Tuesday.
South African mobile phone operator MTN Group and India’s Reliance Communications may continue their tie-up talks beyond Tuesday’s deadline.
History has shown that fixed-line telcos with no mobile partner find the going tough in a converging telecoms sector.
Reliance Communications has only days to reach an agreement for a tie-up with MTN, but a face-off between the Ambani brothers could scupper a deal.
News on mobile: Guy Berger writes about a bid to crack cellphones for future journalism.
A fresh row between India’s warring billionaire Ambani brothers could delay, but not kill, a tie-up of Reliance Communications and South Africa’s MTN.
The Ambani brothers are battling again — this time over a deal being negotiated by the younger sibling Anil to create a telecoms behemoth.
MTN said on Saturday it was still pursuing tie-up talks with Reliance Communications after a dispute erupted over who has the first right to buy the Indian cellular operator.
India’s Reliance Communications and MTN have agreed "broad contours" of a deal to create a global telecoms powerhouse but are still working out share swap details.
India’s Reliance Communications and MTN are negotiating the ratio for a share swap, the Economic Times said on Monday, aimed at creating a global top-10 telecoms firm.
India’s Reliance Communications and South Africa’s MTN have begun due diligence as they inch closer to creating a global top-10 telecoms firm, a source close to the development said.
Anil Ambani, the billionaire chairperson of India’s Reliance Communications, may link up with private equity groups in a bid to gain a powerful foothold in sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator MTN, the Financial Times said on Wednesday.
Stocks were slightly lower at noon on Tuesday with banks dominating the loser board on inflation worries, but miners capped losses on a weaker rand and firm metal prices, traders said. At 11.56am, the all-share index was down 0,23%, weighed by a 1,70% drop in banks.
Telecommunications heavyweight Telkom remained the talk of the town during the morning session on Monday as news of a potential buyout and negotiations with the UK’s Vodafone set pulses racing. However, the market as a whole was mixed as resources generally gained some ground, but banks felt the heat from a struggling
sector in the United Kingdom.
South African stocks remained lower at noon on Friday as the mining sector continued to take a pounding on weaker commodity prices. At 12.02pm, the all-share index was down 1,03%. Resources fell 2,15%, while the gold and platinum mining indices lost 1,37% and 0,65% respectively.
India’s Reliance Communications is prepared to pay a significant premium for control of South African mobile phone group MTN, the FT Alphaville website said on Thursday. MTN and Reliance said on Monday they were in exclusive talks after India’s biggest mobile phone operator Bharti Airtel broke off talks.
India’s top cellular company, Bharti Airtel, on Saturday called off merger talks with MTN, branding the ownership structure proposed by the flagship South African mobile firm ”completely unacceptable”. The merger would have created the world’s sixth-largest mobile company with a network of 130-million subscribers.
South African stocks continued to run in record territory at midday on Monday, buoyed by miners on firmer metal prices while an upbeat mood in overseas markets added to the bullish tone. The market touched 33 116,051 during the session, an all-time high.
South African stocks were mixed in early afternoon trade on Wednesday due to volatility, but the feature of the morning session was a strong gain by synthetic fuel producer Sasol. At 12.25pm, the JSE’s broader all-share index was up 0,09%, with the industrial index up 0,88%, but resources were down 0,38%.
After two dismal seasons on and off the field, the appearance of Amazulu among the last four clubs remaining in the Nedbank Cup represents a fragile chance to reclaim a tarnished legacy. Last season the lads from the coastal kingdom finished second last on the log, but escaped relegation from the Premiership by winning play-offs against rivals from the lower first division.
South African mobile services operator MTN said on Friday that it had not received any "specific proposal" from any company regarding a takeover of the company. MTN was responding to a report that India’s Bharti Airtel is considering a bid for the company.
South African stocks hung on to earlier gains at noon on Monday, supported by firmer overseas markets, but the stronger rand and faltering gold prices restricted gains, traders said. By midday on Monday, the JSE’s broader all-share index was 0,77% in the black. Resources were up 1,21%, the platinum-mining index advanced 0,34% but the gold-mining index fell 0,70%.
Telkom said it has rejected an approach from Oger Telecoms and will not consider the sale of the group or any of its units or joint ventures without a strategic rationale. Telkom said in a statement on Monday it had turned down the approach from United Arab Emirates-based Oger as it was not in the interest of shareholders.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator MTN boosted 2007 adjusted headline earnings per share to 682 cents from 585 cents thanks to a 53% jump in subscribers to 61,4-million. MTN said net profit and basic headline EPS fell compared with the previous year due to higher finance charges and higher taxes after a tax holiday in Nigeria ended.