A Vodafone Group consortium and MTN Group submitted bids for permits to operate in Ethiopia that were much less than what was sought by the government of Africa’s second-most populous nation, people with knowledge of the matter said. Vodafone’s consortium, which includes Safaricom of Kenya and the UK carrier’s South African unit Vodacom Group, submitted a bid of $850 million, according to the people who declined to be identified because the results are not yet public. MTN, which is in a partnership with The Silk Road Fund of China, offered $600 million, according to the people. The government is now weighing a decision to accept one or both of the bids, or cancel the process and restart, according to the people. Investors coveted Ethiopia, with 110 million people and one of the last remaining large telecommunication markets in the world.

Source: News 24 May 21, 2021 15:22 UTC