Stephane Richard, the CEO of French telecommunications giant Orange, wants to step up its presence in Africa and is mulling an entry into South Africa.
This is according to Reuters, quoting a report in France’s Les Echos newspaper.
Orange has made small investments in South Africa previously, including in e-commerce and Wi-Fi access as well as in business services through its Orange Business Services division. However, it has never signalled a desire to enter the market as a full-service telecoms operator.
According to Reuters and Les Echos, Richard said Orange would benefit from a wider footprint in Africa and would give itself “a few months” to make a possible move. He then specifically quoted Nigeria and South Africa as possible markets for expansion.
Orange has a presence in 18 markets in the Middle East & Africa. In Africa, it is mainly present in francophone markets.
In January, Bloomberg News reported that Orange had picked BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley to advise on a proposed initial public offering of its Middle East and Africa business. — (c) 2020 NewsCentral Media