Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group
South African mobile phone operator Vodacom Group Limited Friday said it was closing its business-managed services in Nigeria.
The company has also closed shops in Angola, Ghana, Zambia and Ivory Coast.
“In each of the five Vodacom Business Africa markets, the respective partners will acquire all of the operations and assets held by Vodacom,” the company said in a statement.
Vodacom said it has sold its businesses in Nigeria, Zambia and Ivory Coast to Synergy Communications and its Ghana business sold to Vodafone Ghana.
Its Angolan assets have been sold to Internet Technologies Angola.
“The transactions support Vodacom Group’s enterprise strategy in Africa, which has been refocused to grow and strengthen its core business,” the company said.
With the latest repositioning, Vodacom said it will no longer directly service global enterprise customers in these five markets but will instead continue to operate as a pan African telecommunications network provider through local service provider agreements.
“Vodacom has a clear vision for strengthening our position as a leading pan-African business and will work with local service providers to grow in these markets,” Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group said.
“Crucially, Vodacom is not exiting any of the territories related to this transaction and remains focused on continuing to deliver exceptional service to our global and multinational clients in these markets through long-term commercial agreements.
Joosub said to support the sustainable growth of pan African digital economies and building connected societies, Vodacom will, via local service providers, continue to service clients in each market.
“We seek to leverage our collective strengths to meet the changing requirements of clients across each of these markets,” he said.
Vodacom went through a robust and lengthy process with numerous interested applicants to find the right partners to reposition its business on the continent. Synergy Communications and ITA were selected as the successful bidders, amongst other reasons, for their wealth of pan African experience.