JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s Vodacom Group is interested in the Ethiopian telecoms market, it said on Wednesday, a day after the East African country opened its state-run telecoms monopoly.
“Vodacom has said on many occasions that Ethiopia is an attractive market so it follows that there would be interest.
Naturally this is dependent on what might become available and if it fits within our investment parameters,” Vodacom’s spokesman said in response to emailed questions.
The MTN Group also said on Wednesday it was excited by the potential opening up of the Ethiopian market “as it would be a natural fit for MTN’s existing pan African footprint”.
“Ethiopia presents many exciting telecommunication opportunities and we look forward to further discussions with that nation’s authorities on potential partnerships and opportunities,” the mobile network provider told Reuters in an emailed response to questions.
Ethiopia said on Tuesday it would open its state-run telecoms monopoly and state-owned Ethiopian Airlines to private domestic and foreign investment, a major policy shift that will loosen the state’s grip on the economy.