Mascom Unaware of MTN Take Over Plans

Botswana’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, Mascom Wireless, has denied having any knowledge of alleged plans by South African telecoms group MTN to fully acquire the company. 


An industry insider told Botswana newspaper Gazette Business that takeover discussions between the two parties were at an advanced stage, with a full takeover and rebranding likely to take place in the next two years. 


MTN already indirectly holds a 53% stake in Mascom.


 Responding to the claims, Mascom’s communications and public relations manager, Tebogo Lebotse said in a written statement that ‘Mascom can, however, confirm it is not aware of any plans or developments of a takeover and therefore cannot comment on the consequent impact on the operational structure of Mascom.’

Botswana Extends SIM registration Deadline

The Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) has pushed back the deadline for the nation’s mobile subscribers to register their SIM cards, the Sunday Standard reports.

Pre-paid customers of Botswana’s three wireless operators – Mascom Wireless, Orange Botswana and BTC Mobile (beMOBILE) – were originally given until 31 December 2009 to register their SIMs or face the disconnection of their service, but the deadline has since been extended to 31 January 2010.

According to BTA spokesperson Aaron Nyelesi, 85% of mobile users have registered their details, 45% of which have not yet been processed by the system. ‘We are presently converting information that we captured from paper to electronic database. After the process is complete we will then cut off the customers who have not registered,’ he added.

The BTA hopes that the registration of numbers will help the country better plan and expand the telecoms industry, as well as help curb crime. From 1 January 2010 new pay-as-you-go SIMs will be activated only after electronic registration has taken place.

Botswana SIM Registration At Just 13%

Only 13% of Botswana's pre-paid mobile phone users have registered their SIM cards, despite the deadline of 31 December 2009 fast approaching, writes local newspaper the Sunday Standard, citing the Botswana Telecommunications Agency's (BTA's) public relations officer Twoba Koontse.

According to Koontse, only 267,113 pre-paid cell phone subscribers have registered since the BTA made the process mandatory from 15 September 2008. 'I am obviously not happy as the numbers of those who have registered now are by far below what we expected to have registered by now,' he commented.

The BTA has asked the country's three wireless operators, Mascom Wireless, Orange Botswana and beMOBILE, to launch campaigns to inform customers about the importance of registering their phones, and has warned users that it maintains its stance to disconnect all unregistered pre-paid mobile lines after 31 December.