Africa & Middle East
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Financial & Performance
IHS Towers targets $1bn from asset disposals
Tower group’s chief executive announces ten-digit goal for proceeds from business sales, amid ongoing strategic review.
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Financial & Performance
Vodacom parries ‘big knocks’ as it battles for growth
Vodacom CEO Joosub focuses on the big picture and promises digital services-driven future growth as macroeconomic headwinds take the gloss off the Group’s FY23-24 performance, and low earnings hit the dividend.
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: cost of Ethiopian expansion laid bare; another twist in M&A tale
Latest from Vodafone, affiliates and partners: Group earns security clearance for UK merger; Ethiopia optimism reiterated despite financial reality check; and TowerCo Inwit braces for reshaped Italian market following MNO reshuffle. More from South Africa, Spain, Netherlands, elsewhere…
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Financial & Performance
Safaricom dials down Ethiopia spending plan as loss drags Group profits
FY23–24: Safaricom slashes five-year investment target for Ethiopia, commits to tightened spend to weather challenging macro environment, but remains positive on progress and outlook.
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Strategy & Change
American Tower eyes US expansion of Power as a Service in efficiencies pursuit amidst M&A hiatus
ATC looks to ship high ROI ‘Power as a Service’ learnings to US market, having proven benefits in Africa, and to transfer US automation credentials to other geographies. Hunt for global efficiencies may also lead to monetisation of sub-scale assets, with focus on operational excellence meaning “nothing compelling” to buy, for now…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: ups and downs in Group’s network-sharing tie-ups and M&A; RAN mega-tender KO
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: commencement of massive RAN tender; regional network-sharing in Australia; and UK merger with Three competition concerns mount. Elsewhere: Vodafone Business seeks role in edge compute innovation; Vodacom Tanzania facing legal action; and more consolidation prospects in the Netherlands and Spain explored…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: leadership rotation follows Group structure reset
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: senior people moves across the Group and its recently-reworked divisional set-up; Vodafone Portugal CEO puts on a brave face, presents potential M&A failure as ‘no big deal’; Group satcomms investment AST SpaceMobile faces class action after share price crash; and much more…
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People
Vodafone Peoplewatch: senior swaps in Germany as transformation agenda beds in
20+ high-profile moves in and around Vodafone, including: new Business CEO; HR swaps in multiple markets; German consumer services team overhaul; top-level pivots in Africa; plus more across the Group…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: M&A success in Africa; funding milestone in India; Microsoft getting AI-cosy in Paddington
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: long-awaited acquisition in Tanzania that looks to be good business for Vodacom; initial answer to funding questions at Vi via Vodafone partner ABG; developments across the Group’s European operations; and more…
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M&A
Vodacom Tanzania snaps up rival Smile as Saudi investors cut losses
It’s all Smile(s) as Vodacom completes acquisition of small Tanzanian operator with attractive spectrum holding and 4G network presence. Vodacom Tanzania acquired local rival Smile for TZS 68.8bn (£22m/€25m) just two years after Saudi investors spent $235m+ on a rescue deal. The deal delivers access to Smile’s 800MHz and ...
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Public Affairs
Enforced M-PESA spinout delayed by Safaricom $575bn tax exposure
Tax complication delaying spinout of transformational and potentially highly valued African mobile-money pioneer; Central Bank Governor keen to make faster progress on resolution, amidst desire to navigate its local dominance. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: Phones 4u legal battle reignite, satcomms remain grounded, enforced M-PESA spin-out hits tax challenge
Latest from Vodafone and its partners, including revived legal wranglings in the UK over Phones 4u collusions claims, Vodafone-backed SpaceMobile still struggling to launch, Safaricom $0.5bn+ tax exposure complicating state-enforced divestment of M-PESA jewel. Plus much more…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: Germany goes into cost-cutting mode, while shareholder Xavier Niel grumbles about Group strategy
Lots of action in Germany this week as Vodafone announced 2,000 job cuts and new efficiency programme and fibre altnets argued the practical and competitive hurdles holding back gigabit broadband deployments. Read the full briefing…
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M&A
Spain buys 3% of Telefónica, more share purchases likely
Madrid initiates process of regaining primary shareholder status in Telefónica, as national interests surrounding telco ownership continue to rise back up the agenda in Europe, prompted by phase of operator vulnerability to outside takeovers and broader climate of geopolitical risk.
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People
Vodafone Peoplewatch: Vinod Kumar’s new Dubai digs, fresh faces in shared services…
20+ high-profile moves in and around Vodafone, including: new private equity digs for Vinod Kumar; Group Technology exits; VodafoneZiggo top-team (and ‘value-creating’ exec at part-owner Liberty); plus more across the Group…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: CEO claims reset success on Italian offload; now for the internal re-jig
Latest from ecosystem: confirmation of Italian exit triggers major overhaul of Group structure and ExCo. Elsewhere: German fibre disputes; M&A in Czechia; more from Africa, Europe, and much beyond…
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Financial & Performance
Helios swaps land-grab for lease-grab in strategy refresh
Middle East and Africa tower group makes a change-up of headline KPIs after shifting away from M&A-based expansion of tower footprint.
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Financial & Performance
IHS Towers hires advisers to assess ‘strategic alternatives’
Tower group’s annual results this week sees chief executive highlight initiation of a strategic review of its business, amid share price slump.
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M&A
Telefónica ‘mulls’ Avatel buy to defend wholesale biz
Purchase of Spain’s #5 broadband provider, valued at €1bn, holds potential to accelerate rural fibre, strengthen pre-existing MVNO ties, position Group to better compete. Saudi Arabia’s stc also prowling, despite Telefónica stakebuild friction…
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Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: Oz modernisation mix step, Indian rejuvenation?
Latest from Vodafone, including TPG transformation stunted by failed asset offloads; Vi’s funding update raises more questions than answers; and a €1bn Berlin fibre build. More from across the Group’s footprint, from Cape Town to Canberra, Berlin to London…