Transition from voice to data-centric business models seen huge opportunity for M&As in telcos

The transition from voice-centric to data-centric business models for African telecommunications and broadband companies is seen a huge opportunity for mergers and acquisition as well as investments in the sector, according to global news and leadership events provider TMT Finance.

Joseph d’Arrast, EMEA Editor at TMT Finance, said increased demand for data services is driving change in the industry and is helping to evolve investing strategies.

“The increasing demand for data services and attractive revenue growth opportunities are fuelling a wave of transactions in African broadband. To answer this demand, fibre companies are attempting to scale up, both by organic expansion and by acquisition, while a number of private public partnerships are helping to build network backbones through the continent,” he said.

With the forecast huge opportunities for M&A and investment in the sector, TMT Finance is organizing ‘TMT Finance Africa 2018’ event scheduled to hold September 19 in London, which will feature a dedicated panel on broadband leadership and would discuss strategies for regional growth.

Panel speakers at the event include: Thinus Mulder, CEO, Dark Fibre Africa; Nic Rudnick, CEO, Liquid Telecom; Thomas Hintze, CEO, Wananchi Group; Suveer Ramdhani, Chief Development Officer, SEACOM; and Anikó Szigetvári, Global Head – TMT Group, IFC.

Other classes of infrastructure assets including mobile towers and datacentre rollout are also pressing matters for Africa’s TMT sector, according to d’Arrast.

“Operators have been assessing a range of IPOs and potential consolidation, as their portfolios expand and telecom operators continue to offload infrastructure. Datacentres are also attracting significant interest with a number of greenfield projects in the pipeline,” he said.

Over 70 key speakers have been announced for the event, with CxOs and senior executives also confirmed from companies including Orange, IHS Towers, Econet Wireless, Millicom Africa, The Carlyle Group, Standard Bank, PAIX, East Africa Data Centre, Ethos Private Equity, Rack Centre, Jumia, Uber, Intelsat, Huawei, Credit Suisse and World Remit, among others.