Data usage growth lifts Vodacom

Johannesburg - South Africa's biggest wireless phone operator Vodacom posted higher third-quarter profit as a rise in customers and mobile internet usage helped offset weaker business at its international units.

Vodacom, owned by UK-based Vodafone Plc, said on Tuesday group revenue for the nine months to end-December increased 6% to R15.425bn and mobile customers were up 9.5% to 40.5 million.

Customer growth in its main South African market rose 2.5% year-on-year to 27.1 million.

The company, which operates mobile networks in four other countries in Africa, said the strength of the rand currency had hit its international markets like Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Group data revenue climbed 33.2% to R1.188bn, with data revenue growth in South Africa up 35.2% as more people used their mobiles to connect to the internet. Broadband customers in South Africa rose 48.8%.

- Reuters