SA-based Econet Wireless and Netherlands-based Celtel, both Pan-African cellular network operators, will go toe-to-toe in the next few weeks in a bid to acquire Nigeria’s third-largest cellphone provider, Vmobile. Celtel, which was itself acquired by Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) in a US$3,4bn deal last year, said at the weekend it had a “conditional” deal to buy 65% of Vmobile for $1bn.
