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Johannesburg - MTN Group [JSE:MTN], Africa’s largest mobile
operator, is in talks to acquire Vodacom’s wireless unit in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Bloomberg said on Tuesday, citing two unidentified sources.
Vodacom Group [JSE:VOD], a unit of Britian’s Vodafone, said
last year it had appointed investment bank Rothschild to “explore options” for
the business in the DRC, where it has been involved in a fee dispute with its
local partner.
Vodacom owns a 51% stake in the DRC unit, with the remainder
held by Congolese Wireless Network. The two companies have been in arbitration
after disagreeing over fees from the joint venture.
Congolese Wireless Network chairperson Alieu Conteh told
Reuters last year that Vodacom Congo was worth more than $1.5bn, a valuation
that Vodacom described as “ludicrous” without offering an alternative figure.
No one was immediately available for comment a Vodacom or MTN.
