According to Bloomberg, the two are considering bidding to acquire the 45% stake on offer in state-owned operator
Orange and e& are reportedly considering bids for the 45% stake on offer in Ethiopia-owned operator Ethio Telecom, Bloomberg reported.
Apparently both groups have embarked on talks with the seller and assessing the potential terms they will be offered on.
Ethiopia’s government put the shares up for sale earlier this year to enable the incumbent to compete more effectively against rival the rival consortium Safaricom, which comprises Vodafone, Vodacom and Safaricom. It began commercial services last year having won a mobile licence in 2021.
A second national operator licence will be up for grabs, in what many see an increasingly rare “greenfield opportunity”: Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa at around 100 million people.
Orange is looking to the Middle East and Africa as one of its engines of growth.