JOHN DLUDLU: It is time for stakeholders to free Telkom
The MTN deal is an opportunity to create a pan-African champion and doesn’t have to lead to a jobs bloodbath
09 August 2022 - 16:39
On paper, the MTN-Telkom merger makes sense, albeit grudgingly given the prospect of an old SA brand disappearing. But it faces stiff resistance from politicians, regulators, shareholders and unions, which, if they cared about Telkom’s future, would just set it free instead of presiding over its slow death.
On July 15 Telkom and MTN announced that they were in preliminary talks that, if successful, would see MTN acquire all the issued shares of Telkom, which is 40% owned by the government. The government-guaranteed Public Investment Corporation owns a further stake...
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