13 July 2023
Orange and e& are considering bids for the 45% stake on offer in Ethiopia-owned operator Ethio Telecom, according to Bloomberg.
Early talks are apparently underway with both operator groups, and Orange is stated to be examining the potential conditions of the sale.
Ethiopia’s government put up the shares in its state-owned operator earlier this year, possibly in a move to stay competitive against the Vodafone, Vodacom and Safaricom consortium.
More competition is expected in the Ethiopian market as the government issued a notice for invites doe interest in a second private mobile licence. Ethiopia is seen as one of the remaining greenfield opportunities in the world – it also has the second highest population in Africa at around 100 million people.
