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Kampala, Uganda: MTN reinforced its position in Uganda as the leading telecommunications company in the country as they announced the acquisition of their 4 millionth customer. The milestone comes at a critical time in the industry where the existing competitive environment has been intensified by the arrival of yet another telecoms company. Significant at this time too, is the change in the top management structure at MTN with the impending departure of one of Uganda’s most prominent and well – known CEO’s.
Noel Meier, MTN’s Chief Executive Officer, will retire from the company at the end of June this year after having served with MTN for some 14 years in various capacities across the Group. His longest stint has been in Uganda where he headed the company’s start up projects in 1998 for both Uganda and Rwanda before heading to Swaziland to be the CEO there. His return to Uganda in 2003 saw him steer the company through a challenging period of increased competition and after 6 years, leaves with MTN firmly entrenched as the “leader of the pack” with over 4 million customers and a wide range of value enhancing products and services including the widely popular MTN Zone and the recently launched MTN Mobile Money.
“The last 6 years in Uganda have been like a rollercoaster ride. Along the way, we’ve had to ensure that we endeavor to meet the needs of a very demanding but loyal customer base. Some of the major initiatives during this period included an ongoing and extensive coverage roll out, ensuring adequate capacity, expanding our distribution footprint and also improving the call answer rate within our call centres. All of these initiatives are still a “work in progress” and will continue long after I have left. I’m also very proud of our involvement, from the very beginning, in respect of the provision of the EASSy cable and although we are yet to reap the benefits, this project will ensure Uganda has access to sufficient and affordable bandwidth. In doing so, it will most certainly satisfy the demands of a segment that is currently enjoying phenomenal growth.” said Meier.
“At this particular place in time, it’s especially rewarding, that after more than 10 years of operation, MTN remains the network of choice in Uganda and I am confident the incoming CEO and his team will continue with the success story and ensure that the confidence and affection the people of Uganda have for the MTN brand, will continue in the years ahead.” he added.
Themba Khumalo, a Swazi national and current CEO of MTN Rwanda, will become the third Chief Executive of MTN Uganda in July this year.
About the MTN GROUP
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 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 at 30 September 2009, MTN recorded 108,4 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, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. The MTN Group is a global sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and has exclusive mobile content rights for Africa and the Middle East. Please visit www.mtn.com andwww.mtnfootball.com
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