(formely M-Cell Limited) - Business Report 2003 - MTN Group

MTN Group profile
MTN GROUP LIMITED (FORMERLY M-CELL LIMITED) IS AN AFRICA-FOCUSED HOLDING COMPANY
THAT INVESTS IN THE COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR. THE GROUP OPERATES THREE BUSINESS
DIVISIONS: MTN SOUTH AFRICA, MTN INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS.
MTN GROUP IS LISTED ON THE JSE SECURITIES EXCHANGE SOUTH AFRICA (JSE) UNDER THE
INDUSTRIAL – NON-CYCLICAL SERVICES – TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES SECTOR.
MTN SOUTH AFRICA
MTN South Africa operates through MTN
Network Operator and MTN Service Provider.
Launched in 1994, MTN Network Operator is
South Africa’s second largest cellular network
operator, having 4 723 000 capable subscribers
at the end of the period under review.
The company’s GSM network has approximately
4 100 sites covering 19 200 km of road,
900 000 km 2 of land, and provides access to 96%
of South Africa’s population. MTN South Africa
has a 41% interest in service provider i-Talk, a
36% interest in Leaf, an application provider, and
a 30% interest in e-Bucks, a customer retention
company.
MTN INTERNATIONAL
MTN International offers cellular network access
and associated services through its subsidiaries
and joint ventures in Nigeria, Cameroon,
Uganda, Rwanda and Swaziland. MTN
International’s objective is to stimulate
communications development in Africa using
the GSM network as a platform. It has a combined
total of 2 004 000 subscribers across its networks
at year-end and is the leading mobile operator
in all the markets in which MTN International
operates.
STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS
Strategic Investments’ objective is to consolidate
development of the Group’s investments in
related non-mobile businesses. It operates
through three key businesses:
● Orbicom, Africa’s largest commercial satellite
signal distributor, offering a range of satellite
broadcast and data network management
services in over 10 countries in Africa.
● MTN Network Solutions is one of four
tier-one internet service providers in the
country. It facilitates the Internet and
corporate connectivity to the MTN cellular
network.
● Airborn, a division of MTN Network Operator,
is focused on providing instant access to content
on-the-move through enabling technologies
such as instant two-way wireless messaging.
A glossary of terms and acronyms utilised in this report is provided on page 53.
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MTN BUSINESS REPORT 2003