South Africa-based operator Econet Global was tipped to go head-to-head with rivals including Orange, MTN Group and Vodacom Group in a bid to acquire an operating licence in Ethiopia, Bloomberg reported.

The company reportedly said it was actively developing interests in the African country through a number of its subsidiaries, without providing details on its positioning in the bidding process.

In mid-2019, Ethiopian authorities confirmed plans to break up the country’s telecoms monopoly by selling a stake in state-owned Ethio Telecom and issuing licences to two new entrants in Q1 2020.

The timeline, however, will be delayed due to a forthcoming general election in the country in August and a government decision to allow more time for contenders to prepare bids, Bloomberg stated.

MTN, Vodacom and Orange have expressed an interest in making a move in Ethiopia, while Safaricom reportedly entered discussions with potential partners to help fund an entry into the market.

Econet Global’s subsidiaries include Econet Mobile Networks Group, Liquid Telecom, Cassava Smartech, Distributed Power Africa, Vaya Africa and Technites Africa.