Vodacom has put in an offer to buy a controlling stake in Tanzania’s largest Internet provider Zantel, Bloomberg reports.<\/p>\n
Zantel (Zanzibar Telecom) is 65% owned by UAE telco Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) and carries a reported value of $300 million.<\/p>\n
The unit has also drawn bids from Bharti Airtel and Millicom International Cellular, Bloomberg said.<\/p>\n
According to the report, the sale would provide the buyer with access to Zantel’s spectrum in the country, helping them to cope with a growing demand for data.<\/p>\n
Vodacom is currently Tanzania’s largest mobile network operator with 11.3 million subscribers. Zantel has 1.8 million subscribers.<\/p>\n
Vodacom has\u00a0long expressed an interest in acquiring additional assets in Africa, with the group eyeing markets in\u00a0Angola and Ethiopia.<\/p>\n
In September, Vodacom chief of international business Romeo Kumalo told BusinessTech\u00a0that the group saw “lots of interesting new markets” on the continent, but maintained that “the valuations aren\u2019t right\u201d.<\/p>\n
Vodacom has an agreement with parent company Vodafone to stick within sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n
Vodacom\u2019s current territories include Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, and Lesotho, as well as South Africa.<\/p>\n
The operator declined to comment.<\/p>\n
MTN, Vodacom eye Angola<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n