Johannesburg - MTN Group has selected new chief executive officers for its operations in Republic of Congo and Benin as Orange SA seeks to expand its operations in west Africa to compete with the continent’s largest wireless operator.
Stephen Blewett will lead MTN’s operations in Benin, while Djibril Ouattara will head the Johannesburg-based company’s unit in Republic of Congo, spokesman Chris Maroleng said by phone.
The company is appointing new senior managers in west Africa as Orange holds discussions with Bharti Airtel to acquire four units in the region.
MTN, which has 231 million subscribers across 22 countries, is facing a tough regulatory market in Nigeria, its largest operation, as well as unfavorable exchange rates, which has hurt profits.
BLOOMBERG