In some rare good news for MTN Group, Nigeria’s attorney-general has withdrawn a $2-billion (R28.5-billion) tax demand against its subsidiary in the West African nation.
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MTN has opted over the years to enter parts of the world seen as too risky by many other carriers. That’s left it vulnerable to legal entanglements, unpredictable politics and regulatory crackdowns.
MTN Group is in advanced talks to sell stakes in tower assets in Ghana and Uganda worth as much as R8-billion as Africa’s largest wireless carrier looks to accelerate a broader disposal plan.
MTN Group shares fell in Johannesburg on Wednesday after it said subscribers in its key Nigerian unit grew by only 0.1% in the quarter ended 30 September and capital expenditure rose.
Nigerian regulators have warned they may have to take action to boost competition in the telecommunications industry, a move that could affect international operators including market leader MTN Group.
Nigeria vies with South Africa as the continent’s largest economy and is its most populous, but it’s a “sleeping giant” in the world of fintech.
Nigeria’s ruling party has urged the government to nationalise South African companies operating in the West African nation in retaliation for xenophobic attacks on its nationals.
MTN South Africa CEO Godfrey Motsa has penned a powerful e-mail to the company’s employees, decrying the xenophobic attacks on foreigners over the past week as well as violence against women.
MTN Group and Shoprite are among South African firms facing a backlash to xenophobic violence in their home country.
MTN Group’s first-half earnings rose as Africa’s largest wireless carrier pushed ahead with an asset disposal plan and saw strong profit growth in its biggest market of Nigeria.