Orange Reports 33.5 Mil. Mobile Subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa in December 2011

• France Telecom/Orange reached the milestone of 30 million mobile subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa during the third quarter of 2011 and reached 31.588 million by the end of September 2011.
• France Telecom/Orange has expanded its footprint to 16 markets in sub-Saharan Africa following the acquisition of Congo Chine Télécom (CCT) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) last year.

France Telecom's Orange entered its sixteenth market in the region last year when in October 2011 it announced that it had acquired 100% of Congo Chine Télécom, the fourth-largest operator in DRCongo (see Democratic Republic of Congo: 21 October 2011: France Telecom Signs Agreements for 100% Acquisition of Congo Chine Télécom in DRCongo). The operator reported 1.672 million subscribers by 31 December 2011.

Meanwhile, Senegalese operator Sonatel and its subsidiaries—Sonatel Mobiles, Orange Mali, Orange Conakry and Orange Bissau—reported a total of 14.153 million mobile subscribers by 31 December 2011, a 30% increase compared to 10.906 million in 2010 (see Sub-Saharan Africa: 5 April 2012: Sonatel Group Reports 30% Increase to Reach 14.153 Million Mobile Subscribers in December 2011).

Our Take

• France Telecom/Orange remains the fourth-largest mobile operator in the region after MTN, Vodacom and Airtel Africa. Between them, the six largest operators reported a total of 283.719 million subscribers by 31 December 2011, compared to 241.534 million in December 2010.

• MTN reported 109.16 million in sub-Saharan Africa by 31 December 2011 out of a total group subscriber base of 164.5 million, a 13.3% increase compared 96.339 million in December 2010 (see Sub-Saharan Africa: 7 March 2012: MTN Reports 16.2% Y/Y Increase to 164.5 Mil. GSM Subscribers).

• Vodacom reported a group total of 52.9 million subscribers as of 31 December 2011, a 27.3% increase compared to 41.6 million in December 2010 (see Sub-Saharan Africa: 9 February 2012: Vodacom Reports 27% Increase to 52.9 Mil. African Mobile Subscribers in December 2011).

• Airtel Africa reported 50.949 million subscribers by 31 December 2011, a 21% increase compared to 42.124 million in December 2010 (see Sub-Saharan Africa: 8 February 2012: Bharti Airtel's Revenues Grow 17% Y/Y in 2011).

• Glo Mobile, the mobile arm of Nigerian operator Globacom, reached 19.886 million subscribers by 31 December 2011, compared to 19.627 million in December 2010, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (see Nigeria: 20 February 2012: Nigeria Reaches 95.2 Mil. Mobile Subscribers in December 2011).

• TiGo, the brand name of Millicom International Cellular, reported a 15.6% growth in the subscriber base of its seven subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa to reach 17.304 million by 31 December 2011 (see Sub-Saharan Africa: 16 February 2012: TiGo Reports 16% Growth to Reach 17.3 Mil. African Mobile Subscribers in Dec 2011).