By Reuters
South Africa’s Competition Tribunal blocked Vodacom’s proposed merger with fibre group Maziv on Tuesday, a blow to the ambitions of the country’s biggest mobile operator to expand its fibre footprint nationwide.
The proposed merger would have given Vodacom exposure to one of the country’s largest fibre infrastructure players, while providing Maziv with the necessary capital to continue rolling out fibre, especially into lower income areas.
The Competition Tribunal, which makes the final ruling on deals, said in a statement that its reasons for the decision will be issued in due course.
In a statement, Vodacom, majority-owned by Britain’s Vodafone said it would wait to hear the Tribunal’s reasons before considering all its options, which it added could include an appeal in the Competition Appeal Court.
“I am deeply surprised and disappointed by the Tribunal’s decision,” said Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group. “South Africa desperately needs additional significant investment, especially
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