Smartcall buys Smartcom

Smartcall, the service provider of South African mobile operator Vodacom, has received approval from the country’s Competition Commission to acquire Vodacom’s cellular contract provider Smartcom for an undisclosed sum. The deal follows Vodacom’s recent acquisition of a 51% stake in Smartcall as part of a new strategy to take full control of its distribution channels. The acquisition will enable Vodacom’s pre-paid customers to swap over to a post-paid subscription while retaining their original phone numbers.