MTN blasts Telkom call for spectrum auction delay

MTN South Africa has blasted rival Telkom’s call for a delay to 2025 to communications regulator Icasa’s next broadband spectrum auction. Telkom on Tuesday said it had asked Icasa to postpone its next spectrum auction until 2025 because it was worried it wouldn’t be able to afford to participate. After a 15-year delay caused in large part by...

Telkom to ditch 3G network after dumping 2G

Telkom, which has already turned off its 2G network, will likely switch off 3G services soon, too. According to information contained in the group’s interim results on Tuesday, 82% of the devices on its network are 4G capable. “It does simplify things because we don’t have 2G and 3G on top of 4G and 5G,” Telkom...

Telkom profits higher on lower depreciation costs

Telkom on Tuesday reported a 46.7% jump in half-year profit, boosted by lower depreciation charges and growth in core profit. Telkom, majority owned by the government, said its headline earnings per share rose to R1.95 in the six months ended 30 September0 from a restated profit of R1.33. Group revenue grew 2.5% to R21.8-billion, driven by growth...

Delay in sale of Telkom’s towers portfolio

Telkom appears to need more time than its originally expected to conclude a deal to sell its tower assets. In mid-June, group CEO Serame Taukobong told TechCentral that Swiftnet, which houses the masts and towers portfolio, would be sold in its entirety within weeks. Although it said a sale was imminent, Telkom would not be drawn on who the proposed...

Former Telkom CEO “definitely walking away” from acquisition proposal

Former Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko has confirmed that he and his partners are walking away from their proposal to acquire a 35% of the partially state-owned telecommunications company, Sunday Times reports. The consortium comprises Maseko’s Afrifund, Axian Telecom and the Government Employees Pension Fund, managed by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). If the proposal had been...

Telkom spurns Maseko consortium

Telkom’s board has rejected a proposal from a consortium that includes its former group CEO, Sipho Maseko, saying it’s “not in the best interest of shareholders”. The consortium comprised Maseko’s Afrifund Investments along with Mauritius-based Axian Telecom and the Government Employees Pension Fund. Telkom received an “unsolicited and non-binding indicative letter” from the consortium about a potential...

Telkom shares leap 10% on possible bid by former CEO

Telkom shares rose more than 10% on Monday after a report at the weekend, citing unnamed sources, said former CEO Sipho Maseko is spearheading a bid to buy 35% of the partially state-owned telecommunications group. The shares closed up 10.5% at R27.96. Bloomberg News reported on Saturday that the Public Investment Corporation – which invests retirement funds on...

South Africa: Perfect storm hits Telkom

Telkom has warned of a sharp decline in earnings for its financial year ended March 2023. This is on the back of a provision for a shock R13-billion impairment of assets being mulled by the board. The profit warning, issued before markets opened in Johannesburg on Wednesday, sent Telkom’s shares plunging lower. They were trading almost...

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