MTN reports 1Q KPIs

MTN Group recorded 123.58 million subscribers at 31 March 2010, up 7% on the previous quarter. At the end of the period the South and East Africa (SEA) region contributed 22% (December 2009: 23%) of the Group’s total subscriber base while West and Central Africa (WECA) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) contributed 46% (December 2009: 46%) and 32% (December 2009: 31%), respectively. The SEA region increased its subscriber base by 4% for the quarter, with South Africa contributing 60% of the region’s total, increasing 2.2% to 16.42 million. Uganda meanwhile increased its subscriber base by 8% to 5.615 million despite aggressive competition. The WECA region increased its subscriber base by 7% for the quarter, thanks primarily to growth in Nigeria which contributes 59% of the total. Nigeria recorded an 8% increase in its subscriber base to 33.301 million as network quality and the continued success of the distribution framework allowed for a competitive advantage. Ghana increased its subscriber base by 5% to end the quarter with 8.431 million customers, while Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire saw increases of 2% and 4% to 4.44 million and 4.59 million respectively. The MENA region recorded an 8% increase in subscribers for the quarter, mainly due to Iran which reported a 9% subscriber increase to 25.386 million.