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Johannesburg - Vodacom Group [JSE:VOD], South Africa's largest mobile phone operator, reported a 5.6% increase in quarterly revenue on Wednesday, helped by robust performance of its local unit.
The South African unit of Britain's Vodafone said revenue for the three months to end-December totalled R16.03bn. That compared with R15.4bn in the same period a year earlier.
Vodacom, which operates mainly in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, said it added 2.2 million mobile users in the quarter to reach 41.6 million customers.
Mobile phone operators in fast-growing Africa are increasingly facing stiff competition and tougher regulations, such as customer registration.
So far, those challenges have been largely offset by increased voice and data usage.
Vodacom shares rose 3.11% to R73.50 in Wednesday afternoon trade, outperforming a 2.01% firmer JSE Top 40 index. The shares have increased by 31% year-to-date.
Rival MTN Group [JSE:MTN], Africa's largest wireless phone operator, said in October it had boosted its subscribers by 4% in its third quarter, overcoming intense competition and price cuts from rivals.
India's Bharti Airtel, another Vodacom rival, said on Wednesday improved prospects in Africa and the launch of 3G services in India had brightened its outlook.
