Vodacom Group considering share sale to boost black participation

Online news portal TechCentral reports that South Africa-based Vodacom Group is mulling the sale of a ZAR15 billion (USD1.12 billion) stake to bolster black empowerment in the local economy, according to two people familiar with the matter. If realised, the transaction – which envisions the mobile operator buying back a 12.47% stake from the government pension fund managed by Public Investment Corp (PIC) – would be one of the largest ever seen in the country. Vodacom adds that as a subsequent part of the plan, it would consider listing the shareholding via a separate vehicle open only to black investors. One unnamed source claimed that talks with PIC are ongoing and a deal could come in the next few months. TeleGeography notes that PIC, which manages government worker pensions and is Africa’s biggest money manager with ZAR1.9 trillion in assets, acquired the Vodacom stake from the government in 2015.