Business: SA Telecom Giant MTN Exits Middle East set to Concentrate on Africa

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:35 pm

Africa’s largest cell operator, and South African telecom giant MTN, announced Thursday it would pull out of the Middle East the medium term to concentrate on its pan-African approach resolving to simplify its portfolio and exit its Middle Eastern assets in an orderly fashion.

The group will scrap its interim dividend beneath a blueprint to navigate the coronavirus pandemic – which posed an unparalleled socio and macroeconomic assignment rendering trading stipulations difficult. CEO, Rob Shuter, stated robust results at some stage in the COVID-19 period in his statement, singling out splendid performances in Nigeria, Ghana and homebase South Africa. New method focused on the African continent.

The business enterprise which was centered in 1994, lists operations in Sudan, Syria, Yemen and – as nicely as Iran and Afghanistan in its Middle East file. The first step toward its new entrepreneurial path is to promote its 75% stake in MTN Syria. A key mission about which the corporation is already in advanced talks.

Out of the Middle East

Among motives for divesting from the region, he referred to losing cash on falling regional currencies, the Middle East’s risky geopolitics, and issues with Western sanctions, though he did not point out Iran specifically.U.S. sanctions have made it tougher to repatriate money from its Iran joint venture. MTN’s entry into the vicinity has been marred by means of allegations, which it has denied, that it used bribes to win a 15-year operating licence in Iran and also that it aided militant groups in Afghanistan.

The company’s Middle East property contributed less than 4% to team salary before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization in the first 1/2 ended June 30.

(AFP)