MTN Group reports 50% rise in subscribers

MTN Group has reported a 50% rise in subscribers in the six countries in which it operates, to 14.3 million, helping generate a 21% increase in consolidated revenues to ZAR29 billion for the full year ended 31 March 2005. In its home market, MTN’s subscriber base rose to 8.001 million from 6.27 million a year ago and 4.72 million in 2003, although the operator failed to make much impact on its rival Vodacom which reported 12.8 million at the same date. In Nigeria, MTN’s subscriber base leapt 123% to 4.392 million, although a higher proportion of lower-value customers resulted in ARPU dipping to USD40 from USD51 previously. Elsewhere, MTN’s Swaziland operation ended the period with 145,000 and its Cameroon subscriber base rose from 581,000 to 863,000. Ugandan subscribers leapt 45% to 719,000 and its Rwandan operation added around 40,000 users to end the year with 188,000. In the coming financial year MTN says it plans ‘to consolidate its position on the continent and to diversify its investment portfolio’, including the possibility of further international expansion.