"Twenty five per cent of the population just got their first mobile signal this year. Whenever you introduce the network to new areas, we experience congestion immediately. There is huge demand for the service."
South Africa’s MTN is the latest big arrival. It bought the parent company of Sudan mobile operator Areeba in July last year. Late last month it re-branded Areeba as MTN-Sudan and since then it has been busy putting up its posters and stamping its name on the market. The outsiders also compete with Sudani, the mobile subsidiary of the former state telecoms monopoly Sudatel.
Analysts and entrepreneurs believe there may be more new names appearing on new advertising hoardings in the months and years to come.
"Since the arrival of MTC and Areeba, the market has become very competitive," said Andrawes Snobar, Senior Research Analyst of the Jordan-based Arab Advisors Group. "It is becoming very tempting for regional and global investors."
Three out of Africa’s six biggest countries by population — Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa — already have competitive and relatively mature mobile markets. Ethiopia’s huge and unexploited telecoms market is barred to all outside operators by a state monopoly. That only leaves the Democratic Republic of the Congo to rival Sudan’s potential.
Source: Sudan Tribune
|
