Johannesburg - Vodafone will expand in sub-Saharan Africa through a 4G partnership with closely-held Afrimax Group that includes a voice and data services offering in Uganda.
The deal gives Vodafone access to as many as 12 new African territories, the Newbury, England-based mobile-phone company said in a statement today.
Vodafone has stakes in Johannesburg-based Vodacom and Safaricom of Kenya and operations in Ghana and Egypt.
African phone companies are expanding their Internet offering to help offset declining voice sales as consumers leapfrog fixed-line technology in favour of smartphone devices.
Afrimax is a 4G carrier in sub-Saharan Africa and has received $65 million (R721 million) of equity funding from investors including KGC Capital chairman Richard Kiphart.
“The partnership with Vodafone solidifies our ongoing plans to be a leading provider of high-speed network services in sub-Saharan Africa,” Afrimax chief executive Peter Langkilde said in the statement. - Bloomberg News