Telkom backtracks over 8ta withdrawal plans

In the wake of press reports suggesting that Telkom South Africa intends to phase out the ‘8ta’ name used by its mobile unit, the telco has issued a statement to the contrary, indicating that the brand will not be discontinued but will instead be ‘repositioned into specific market segments’. The statement, as quoted by TechCentral, reads: ‘Telkom has announced to its employees that elements of the market, which had been served and marketed to under the 8ta brand, will soon be served under the Telkom Mobile brand. This will support the group-wide convergence strategy and drive greater alignment. This rebranding exercise will support a more effective business with stronger commercial prospects … The 8ta brand has been highly successful in specific segments and will not be discontinued. It has been particularly successful in the youth market. New propositions will be developed and launched under the 8ta brand, details of which will communicated in due course’. Telkom became the country’s fourth mobile operator when it launched in October 2010, going on to claim a 2.2% market share as at 30 September 2012, equivalent to 1.495 million subscribers.