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MTN Nigeria on track to list on local stock exchange in 2017

28 July 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator MTN Group said on Thursday its Nigeria unit is on track to list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2017 as part of an agreement with the Federal Government.

MTN had said in June its local unit would list on the NSE after agreeing to pay a reduced fine of $1.7 billion in a settlement with the Nigerian government of a long-running dispute over unregistered SIM cards.

MTN Nigeria aims for the listing to take place during 2017, subject to market conditions.

MTN is the largest mobile phone operator in Nigeria with 57 million subscribers, and the country accounts for about a third of its revenue.

MTN Nigeria appointed Stanbic IBTC Capital, Standard Bank of South Africa and Standard Advisory London, and Citigroup Global Markets, as joint transaction advisors and global coordinators, with Stanbic acting as lead issuer.

 

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by David Holmes)

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MTN Nigeria wins 2.6GHz spectrum auction

29 June 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Africa’s biggest mobile telecoms operator MTN’s Nigerian subsidiary has won a 10-year radio spectrum licence for mobile broadband services, it said on Wednesday.

The award comes after MTN said earlier this month that it would more than double its spending in Nigeria in the current fiscal year after agreeing to pay a heavily reduced fine of $1.7 billion for missing a deadline to deactivate more than 5 million unregistered SIM cards used on its Nigerian network.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had earlier announced that MTN had emerged as the sole approved bidder for the new licence, MTN said in a statement.

“With the 2.6 GHz band, we expect to roll out and provide the full range of LTE (Long Term Evolution mobile broadband) services to Nigerians, empowering Nigeria with the latest mobile broadband technology,” said MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Ferdi Moolman.

“This licence acquisition further demonstrates MTN’s abiding faith in the future of Nigeria and the resilience of the Nigerian economy.”

MTN is the largest mobile phone operator in Nigeria with 57 million subscribers, and the country accounts for about a third of its revenues.

MTN’s plan will see the roll out 3G network population coverage from 67.23 percent to about 90 percent. The aggressive rollout of fibre to six Nigerian cities by the end of 2016 will enable the connections.

 

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

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South African black lobby disappointed by MTN’s new white CEO

23 June 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Latest Updates from Reuters, Politics

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Black Management Forum (BMF) said it was disappointed by the appointment of white South African Rob Shuter as MTN Group’s new CEO and viewed it as a serious blow to giving blacks a larger role in business.

The forum, which lobbies for black rights, criticised the mobile phone operator’s decision saying it was retrogressive to plans for the inclusion of blacks in corporate boardrooms in Africa’s most industrialised country.

Shuter was named on Monday as the replacement for Sifiso Dabengwa, a black executive who resigned last November after Nigeria imposed a fine on MTN for failing to deactivate more than five million unregistered SIM cards.

“There is a general unwillingness for transformation at top management level which has resulted in the decline in the number of black South African CEOs,” BMF President Mncane Mthunzi said in a statement. “These companies are owned by the public and yet they don’t reflect the demographics of our society.”

MTN spokesman Chris Maroleng had no immediate comment but said the company would respond later via an emailed statement.

Founded with the government’s help after the end of apartheid in 1994, MTN has been touted as one of South Africa’s biggest corporate success stories with operations in more than 20 countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Since coming to power at the end of white minority rule, the African National Congress party has pushed for change in the complexion of the civil service, the military and state-owned firms, as well national sports teams and private businesses.

The push has helped many South Africans who were excluded from the mainstream economy under apartheid and created a solid black middle class.

MTN executive Phuthuma Nhleko, also black, was appointed interim executive chairman following Dabengwa’s resignation, with an eye to renegotiating the Nigerian fine which was initially set at $5.2 billion.

In the end, MTN agreed this month to pay a 330 billion naira fine ($1.2 billion) and to list its local business on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. MTN is the largest mobile phone operator in Nigeria with 62 million subscribers and the country accounts for about a third of its revenue.

Nhleko will revert to his role as non-executive chairman when Shuter starts as CEO, which is expected to be by July next year at the latest. Shuter, who has a background in risk management, will be joining MTN from rival mobile operator Vodafone, where he is currently head of Vodafone Europe.

($1 = 283.0000 naira)

 

(Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg; editing by James Macharia and David Clarke)

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MTN Group sees pressure on profit margins in South Africa, Nigeria

25 May 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – MTN Group expects earnings to be under pressure for the rest of the year in its two main markets Nigeria and South African market, the company said on Wednesday, citing a weak exchange rate in Africa’s biggest economy.

Africa’s biggest mobile network operator by subscribers said in statement that weak economic growth in its key markets and tough competition could also negatively impact performance.

MTN said it was still negotiating a $3.9 billion fine by Nigerian authorities as the west African country.

Nigeria is pushing telecoms firms to verify the identity of subscribers amid worries that unregistered SIM cards were being used for criminal activity in a country still battling with Islamic militant group Boko Haram.

 

(Reporting by Zandi Shabalala; Editing by James Macharia)

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South Africa’s MTN pays former CEO $1.6 million after resigning over Nigeria fine

25 April 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s MTN paid its former chief executive officer Sifiso Dabengwa 23.7 million rand ($1.6 million) after he resigned over a record fine imposed on the company by Nigerian authorities.

Dabengwa quit in November after Nigerian authorities imposed a $5.2 million fine on MTN’s Nigerian unit in October.

He was awarded a total payout of 40.6 million rand, MTN said in its annual report on Monday.

Non-executive chairman Phuthuma Nhleko was then named executive chairman of Africa’s biggest mobile phone group for a period of six months, to help resolve the fine.

MTN has since managed to negotiate the penalty down to $3.9 billion but is still hoping to reduce it further.

MTN’s share price has been down almost 20 percent since October when the fine was imposed. The stock had fallen 1.21 percent at 145.59 rand by 1407 GMT.

Last year, Nigeria imposed a deadline on mobile operators to cut off unregistered SIM cards, which MTN missed, amid fears the lines were being used by criminal gangs, including militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

($1 = 14.4865 rand)

 

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla and Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by James Macharia

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South Africa’s MTN offers $1.5 bil to settle Nigeria fine

11 March 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

ABUJA (Reuters) – South African telecoms firm MTN Group has offered $1.5 billion to settle a much larger fine from Nigerian regulators for missing a deadline to disconnect unregistered SIM card users, a document seen by Reuters shows.

Africa’s biggest mobile phone group has been in talks with Nigerian authorities to have the $3.9 billion penalty reduced and last month made a “good faith” payment of $250 million towards a settlement.

In a letter to the Nigerian government from MTN’s lawyer, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the company proposed a 300 billion naira ($1.5 billion) settlement to be paid through a combination of government bond purchases, cash instalments and network access to the Nigerian government.

Holder said in the letter, dated Feb. 24, the offer “ultimately is in the best interest of the FGN (Federal Government of Nigeria) and MTN Nigeria.”

Johannesburg-based MTN said on Friday talks with the Nigerian government were ongoing.

“MTN has previously advised shareholders not to make decisions based on press reports and MTN again urges its shareholders to refrain from doing so,” it said.

Nigeria’s telecoms ministry had no immediate comment.

In its annual results last week, MTN said it had put aside $600 million to cover a deal over the fine, which was originally set at $5.2 billion on the basis of charging $1,000 for every unregistered SIM card.

Nigeria imposed a deadline on mobile operators to cut off unregistered SIM cards, which MTN missed, amid fears the lines were being used by criminal gangs, including militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The fine, equating to more than twice MTN’s annual average capital expenditure over the past five years, came months after Muhammadu Buhari was swept to power after an election campaign which pledged tougher regulation and a fight against corruption.

Shares in MTN, which makes about 37 percent of its sales in Nigeria, were little changed at 147.53 rand at 0839 GMT, after rising more than 2 percent shortly after the market opened.

($1 = 199.0000 naira)

 

(By Camillus Eboh. Additional reporting by Zandi Shabalala in Johannesburg; Writing by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Mark Potter)

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South Africa’s MTN says may list in Nigeria once fine resolved

3 March 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s MTN Group may list its Nigerian unit on the stock exchange in Lagos once it has resolved a disputed $3.9 billion fine with authorities in the Western African nation, its executive chairman said on Thursday.

MTN also said it has set aside 9.3 billion rand ($600 million) to cover a potential settlement of a fine imposed by Nigerian authorities last year for failing to cut of unregistered SIM card users.

Shares in the mobile company rose more than 9 percent to 149 rand by 0845 GMT.

($1 = 15.645 rand)

 

(Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by James Macharia)

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South Africa’s MTN shares slump 13% on profit warning

19 February 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Shares in MTN Group slumped more than 13 percent on Friday, a day after the South African mobile company flagged it would report at least a 20 percent drop in annual profit.

Shortly after the market closed on Thursday, MTN said the expected fall in profit was due to underperformance in Nigeria, where it faces a $3.9 billion fine for failing to cut off more than 5 million SIM card users by the set date.

Africa’s biggest mobile phone company said the profit warning did not include the penalty because it was still in talks with regulators about the final size of the penalty.

“There remains some uncertainty as to the final quantum (amount) of the Nigerian fine, should an out of court settlement be reached,” the company said.

MTN was handed a $5.2 billion penalty in October, prompting weeks of lobbying that led to a 25 percent reduction to $3.9 billion but the company was still not prepared to pay the lower fine, which equates to more than twice MTN’s annual average capital spending over the past five years.

 

(Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Alexander Smith and Adrian Croft)

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Etisalat sues MTN over use of frequency in Nigeria

8 February 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

LAGOS (Reuters) – Etisalat Nigeria has filed a court case against rival MTN over the use of a new frequency band which MTN acquired when it bought internet provider Visafone, it said on Monday.

South Africa’s MTN bought the privately held Nigerian firm Visafone last month to improve its broadband services in its biggest market, giving it access to the use of 800 MHz frequency band on CDMA technology.

MTN operates 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands which the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) renewed last November, similar to frequencies operated by Etisalat and India’s Airtel that use GSM technology.

“The action is considered necessary to challenge the use of the spectrum by MTN at this time,” the local arm of Abu Dhabi-listed telecoms firm Etisalat said in a statement.

“The use of the 800 MHz spectrum to deploy broadband services ahead of its competitors … will further entrench MTN’s dominance in the Nigerian telecommunications sector”.

Etisalat said it was in contact with the NCC to understand the logic of its decision to approve the MTN deal despite declaring the South African firm a dominant player in Nigeria’s wholesale and retail voice markets in 2013.

MTN and the NCC did not respond to requests for comment.

The legal challenge is the latest headache for MTN in Nigeria, which contributed more than a third of the company’s total revenue in 2014.

Nigeria’s telecoms regulator fined the South African company $5.2 billion last year for failing to disconnect unregistered lines on time, before reducing the penalty by a quarter in December. MTN is contesting the fine, which is greater than its past two years of net profit.

Mobile phone subscription in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest telecom market, has grown in leaps and bounds since the advent of GSM technology in 2001 but average revenue per user (ARPU) has been on a downward trend due to increased competition.

MTN has 62 million lines in Nigeria while Visafone has 2 million. Etisalat ranks fourth in the industry with 23.5 million subscribers, according to NCC’s data.

 

(Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Ulf Laessing and Adrian Croft)

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Nigerian minister tells MTN to drop lawsuit over fine

26 January 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

By Julia Payne

ABUJA (Reuters) – South African cellphone operator MTN should drop its legal action over a $3.9 billion fine imposed in Nigeria to help facilitate talks on a possible settlement, the Nigerian telecommunications minister said on Tuesday.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) slapped a $5.2 billion fine on MTN in October for failing to disconnect users with unregistered SIM cards but after weeks of negotiations reduced it by 25 percent.

MTN, which makes about 37 percent of its revenue from Nigeria, then filed a suit in the West African country questioning NCC’s legal grounds for imposing the penalty.

“I’m not aware of any out-of-the-court settlement,” telecoms minister Adebayo Shittu told reporters.

Shittu said President Muhammadu Buhari will have the final decision on the matter, adding that MTN might be advised to withdraw the court case filed against the fine.

“If they withdraw it creates a better environment, an environment where there is no stress or pressure on either side,” he said.

A judge in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, last week gave the company until March 18 to try to reach a settlement with the Nigerian authorities over the fine. The prospect of a lower fine boosted MTN shares.

The fine equates to more than twice MTN’s annual average capital spending over the past five years.

Nigeria has been trying to halt the widespread use of unregistered SIM cards amid worries these are being used for criminal activity, including by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

 

(Writing by Ulf Laessing and Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Keith Weir)

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