Friday, September 29, 2023
  • Login
The Southern African Times
  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Technology
    • Lifestyle
      • Health
      • Culture
      • Food and Drink
      • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • SAT Jobs
    • Events
  • Shop
  • About Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Technology
    • Lifestyle
      • Health
      • Culture
      • Food and Drink
      • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • SAT Jobs
    • Events
  • Shop
  • About Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The Southern African Times
No Result
View All Result
Home Eastern Africa

Ethiopia to reopen bidding for second telecoms licence, officials say

by SAT Reporter
August 3, 2021
in Eastern Africa, Ethiopia, Just In
0
Ethiopia to reopen bidding for second telecoms licence, officials say
0
VIEWS

ADDIS ABABA, (The Southern African Times) – Ethiopia will reopen bidding for its second telecoms operator licence this month, two senior government officials said on Monday, including the right to operate mobile financial services.

The Horn-of-Africa nation sold only one of two full-service licences on offer in May, citing a lower-than-expected price for the second one, which it now wants to offer again.

“We have made some changes that can uplift its value, for instance mobile financial service,” Balcha Reba, director general of the Ethiopian Communication Authority, told Reuters.

The International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, will serve as transaction adviser in the deal, said Brook Taye, a senior adviser at the ministry of finance.

The government expects prospective bidders to include firms which had expressed interest in the previous attempt to sell the licence but whose bids were deemed to be insufficient, Brook said.

“We expect to have a strong interest,” he said.

A consortium led by Kenya’s top operator, Safaricom (SCOM.NR), secured the first licence. South Africa’s MTN (MTNJ.J) had also bid in the first round but it was not awarded a licence.

Safaricom’s winning bid of $850 million could serve as a guide for the price of the remaining licence.

“At least there is a benchmark and to uplift this benchmark we are working on amending the policy,” Brook said, citing the automatic inclusion of the right to operate mobile financial services, which was not present in Safaricom’s licence.

Mobile financial services have become a significant part of African telecom operators’ businesses since Safaricom pioneered them with M-Pesa in 2007, giving people an alternative to banks.

State monopoly Ethio Telecom, which launched a new mobile financial service called Telebirr in May, snagged 4 million users within weeks, showing the potential of the market. 

A separate sale of a 40% stake in Ethio is going on, part of a drive to liberalise the sector and also open up the broader economy.

The economic reforms were initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose troops are engaged in fighting with local forces in the northern region of Tigray, when he came to power in 2018.

Previous Post

Implats Zimbabwe unit plans 185 MW solar power plants

Next Post

S. Africa gets additional energy supply after completion of major power station

SAT Reporter

Related Posts

Ethiopian Coffee’s Percolating Success: Brewing a Rich Partnership with China
Ethiopia

Ethiopian Coffee’s Percolating Success: Brewing a Rich Partnership with China

by SAT Reporter
September 19, 2023
Ethiopia Completes Final Filling of Grand Renaissance Dam Amid Regional Tensions
Eastern Africa

Ethiopia Completes Final Filling of Grand Renaissance Dam Amid Regional Tensions

by SAT Reporter
September 11, 2023
Uber Launches Electric Motorbike Service in Kenya
Business

Uber Launches Electric Motorbike Service in Kenya

by SAT Reporter
September 3, 2023
Chongqing Export Commodity Exhibition Strengthens Kenya-China Trade Ties
Eastern Africa

Chongqing Export Commodity Exhibition Strengthens Kenya-China Trade Ties

by SAT Reporter
September 1, 2023
Exploring Kenya’s Vibrant Tourism Through the Rhythm of Music Festivals
Eastern Africa

Exploring Kenya’s Vibrant Tourism Through the Rhythm of Music Festivals

by SAT Reporter
August 29, 2023
Next Post
S. Africa gets additional energy supply after completion of major power station

S. Africa gets additional energy supply after completion of major power station

Browse by Category

  • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • African Debt
  • African Start ups
  • Algeria
  • All News
  • Analysis
  • Angola
  • Asia
  • Botswana
  • BOTSWANA
  • BRICS
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Business
  • Business
  • Cameroon
  • Central Africa
  • China
  • Climate Change
  • Climate Changev
  • Congo Republic
  • COVID 19
  • CRYPTOCURRENCY
  • Culture
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Eastern Africa
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Egypt
  • Energy
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Ethiopia
  • Europe
  • Fashion
  • Feature
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Food and Drink
  • Foods
  • GABON
  • Ghana
  • Global
  • Guinea
  • Health
  • Immigration
  • in Southern Africa
  • International news
  • Just In
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Libya
  • Life Style
  • Lifestyle
  • Malawi
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Markets
  • Middle East
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger
  • niger
  • Nigeria
  • North Africa
  • North-Eastern Africa
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Property
  • Racism
  • Rwanda
  • SAT Jobs
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Sports
  • Startup Africa
  • STOCK EXCHANGE
  • Sudan
  • Sustainablity
  • Tanzania
  • Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • The Power Of She
  • Togo
  • Travel
  • Travel
  • Tunisia
  • Uganda
  • Uncategorized
  • West Africa
  • World
  • World
  • ZAMBIA
  • Zambia
  • ZIMBABWE
  • Zimbabwe

Browse by Tags

africa African business news Africa News african footballer African investments african markets African news African start-up Agriculture banking Business China Classic Climate change Content currency economy Explore Bali Finance football Investment Kenya Life Style Markets Market Stories Nigeria oil and gas Opinion Pandemic Politics Premium Russia South Africa Southern African News sports Stay Home technology Travel United Kingdom United Stated Vaccine Work From Home Wuhan Zambia Zimbabwe

WHO WE ARE

The Southern African Times is a regional bloc digital newspaper that covers Southern African and world news. The paper also gives a nuanced analysis on news and covers a wide range of reporting which include sports, entertainment, foreign affairs, arts and culture.
  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Technology
    • Lifestyle
      • Health
      • Culture
      • Food and Drink
      • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • SAT Jobs
    • Events
  • Shop
  • About Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Contact Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist