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MTN Uganda has registered positive performance for the year ending 31 December 2013, increasing its subscriber base by 14.4% to 8.8 million, driven by strong acquisition promotions, segmented offerings and the continued success of MTN Zone according to the MTN Group Results released on 5th, March 2014 in Johannesburg South Africa. MTN continued to show good results in a changing environment.
MTN Group subscribers increased by 9.8% to 207.8 million, notwithstanding on-going subscriber registration programmes in a number of markets. Overall subscriber growth was supported by competitive segmented offerings and improved network quality and capacity in many markets.Revenue for the year increased by 12.0%.
Announcing the results and achievements,the MTN Group President and CEO, Sifiso Dabengwa, attributed this success to increased penetration into rural areas and improved network quality. “MTN Group delivered satisfactory growth in headline earnings, supported by favourable currency movements. The Group faced a number of challenges, including aggressive price competition and increased regulatory pressures in many of our key markets,” he said.
According to the results, total revenue for MTN Uganda increased by 17.9%, supported by a 51.7% increase in data revenue and a 10.9% increase in outgoing voice revenue. SMS revenue declined by 3.5% as customers opted for newer data-driven social media platforms for communication. Data trends were supported by an expanded 3G network, value-added services and enhanced Marketing.
The report indicates that MTN Mobile Money continued to perform well in Uganda and recorded a 47.0% increase in registered subscribers to 5.2 million with more than 25 million transactions per month. Usage was stimulated by a wider mobile payment product range. MTN Uganda’s EBITDA margin declined by 0.5 percentage points to 35.9%, excluding the profit from the sales of towers, mainly because of an increase in network-related and commission costs.
Mr Dabengwa expressed happiness with MTN Group growth in headline earnings, which he said was supported by favourable currency movements despite a number of challenges, including aggressive price competition and increased regulatory pressures in many of MTN’s key markets.
Commenting on the results, MTN Uganda CEO Mazen Mroué said, “I am happy to note that the results continue to show a steady performance for the MTN Group and particularly for MTN Uganda currently with a subscriber base of nearly 9 million customers. MTN Uganda’s focus over last year was to enhance our infrastructure investment towards improved Network Quality, the rollout of innovative Products and Services and improvement of Customer Experience”.
He added that through the consistent positive performance of the company, a focus on investment in Quality of Service, Innovation and Communication, MTN Uganda seeks to provide its customers with the best experience on the market.
Regarding the continued growth of MTN Mobile Money, Mroué said, “MTN Mobile Money remains the fastest growing product in Uganda with 5.2 million registered users each transacting on average six times a month. The popularity and growth of MTN Mobile Money has created more than 100,000 jobs for Ugandans and increased financial inclusion of the unbanked. MTN customers have continued using the Bill payment channels to pay their Electricity and Water bills through MTN Mobile Money. Overall figures indicate that more than 85% of the mobile bill payment collections in Uganda are made through the MTN Mobile Money platform”.
In 2013, MTN Uganda was the first in the market to introduce WiFi Hotspots, 42Mbps and 4G LTE. MTN customers are also able to enjoy 15MB worth of Free Internet every month
MTN’s vision is to lead the delivery of a bold, new Digital World to its customers. As MTN continues to fulfill this promiseit remains committed to continue to improve the lives of Ugandans by consistently fulfilling our promise to provide consistent service and the best customer experience.
“I would like to congratulate the MTN Uganda staff for their contribution and support in achieving these positive results. At MTN we recognize our staff as a key asset in enabling this success. As we move into 2014, our focus will be primarily on Customer Experience as well as ensuring consistent investment in key infrastructure to support the anticipated continued growth,” Mroué concluded.
About MTN Uganda
Launched in 1998, MTN Uganda is the leading communications operator in Uganda, offering Mobile and Fixed telecommunications, Mobile Money Services and Internet Service Provisioning. As of 31 December 2013, MTN Uganda recorded 8.8 million subscribers across Uganda. Visit us at www.mtn.co.ug and for our football fans www.mtnfootball.com. Customers can also follow us on www.youtube.com/mtnug and www.twitter.com/mtnugandacare for assistance.
About the MTN Group
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 31st December 2013, MTN recorded 207.8 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan,South Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. More info on www.mtn.com
