Vodacom and Maziv weigh options after merger blocked
Vodacom may appeal against the Competition Tribunal’s decision on Tuesday to block its merger with Remgro’s fibre business that could spell the end of consolidation in the sector and profoundly influence the structural dynamics of SA’s telecommunications landscape.
The proposed merger would have seen Vodacom take a 30% stake in Maziv, which houses Remgro’s fibre units Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa — together worth an estimated R13bn — with the option of increasing that to 40%. Besides stymying the mobile operator’s plans to substantially increase its fibre footprint nationwide, the tribunal also puts the brakes on Maziv gaining access to billions of rand to continue rolling out fibre infrastructure, especially into lower-income areas...
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