MTN user base hits 182 million
- Published on 25 October 2012
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The total customer base of mobile operator MTN Group grew 3.8% to 182.7-million across its African and Middle East operations during the three months to September.
This is according to the firm’s chief executive officer Sifiso Dabengwa.
"The group’s performance was underpinned by solid operational management and the rollout of appealing value propositions despite aggressive pricing competition, regulations and economic challenges across the different markets in which the group operates," Dabengwa said.
MTN operates in 21 countries across Middle East and Africa. According to the company, the South African operation grew its subscriber base by 4.1% in the quarter to about 24.5-million.
A strong performance in its prepaid segment resulted in this strong growth, said company officials.
Meanwhile, its postpaid segment in SA grew its subscriber base by 3.6% to 4.3-million for the quarter, Mr Dabengwa said.
"Data delivered a satisfactory performance despite strong competition that has seen tariffs come down across the market," he added.
In Nigeria, the company increased its subscriber numbers by 5.7% to 45.6-million. Competitive offerings, such as price promotions, resulted in significant price declines and greater uptake in MTN’s services, said the company.
However, the number of 2G data users in Nigeria has been affected by network congestion, said MTN.
"Network quality and capacity remains a priority and is being addressed through a comprehensive network roll-out programme. This will be a key focus over the next six to 12 months," Mr Dabengwa said.
Irancell, MTN’s company in Iran, recorded 2.8% growth in subscriber numbers to 39.3-million.
