Understanding Telecel Zimbabwe: The past, present and future (Infographic)

The Russian led Vimpelcom Group took over Orascom Telecom not too long ago, thereby resulting in an indirect majority shareholding in Telecel Zimbabwe.  We believe the Vimpelcom deal was the best thing that could ever happen to the company. The global telecoms sector is undergoing a period of consolidation in which larger operators are able to pass on economies of scale and cost advantages to consumers. Africa has witnessed its fair share of consolidation resulting in the emergence of pan-African operators we have profiled here in a Techzim series known as Africa’s Telecoms Titans.

Telecel Zimbabwe is a local operator that should ideally be benefiting from the sheer scale of its parent company; Vimpelcom is after all the world’s sixth largest mobile operator.

Amidst legacy and present day complications that entangle the network, the Herald recently published a story following up on an insider tip that a decisive meeting will be held at the end of this month to determine the company’s future. In an environment in which reliable information is scarce, we have prepared the infographic below to attempt to give a clear picture of the company and possibly predict which direction it will move in.

Will Telecel International pull out of both Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa entirely? Or will it tap into Vimpelcom’s US$2 billion war chest in a last ditch effort to revive the pioneer within?

Where it’s expatriate CEO is concerned, research we have conducted points out that Amiable Mpore was part of the original Telecel team in 1987 (Africa’s first mobile network) and is without a doubt one of Africa’s top telecoms executives. Work permit complications and politics aside, he can make a meaningful contribution to Zimbabwe’s ICT sector.

Please click here, or the infographic itself to view a larger version.