MTN Hits 200 Million Subscriber Base

South African telecoms operator MTN Group today revealed that its subscriber base has hit 200 million, significantly boosted by its 6 .5 percent increase during the first half of the year . During the period, the company disclosed that traffic volumes increased 26. 2 percent and voice revenue grew 7. 9 percent, adding that voice revenue now accounts for 63.7 percent of total revenue generated by the company , Ventures Africa reported. In an official statement , the operator stated that the subscriber ’s growth was supported by “increased network capacity driven by competitive data offerings and the success of hybrid and classic packages. ” According to the company , revenue for the six month increased despite being negatively impacted by tariff cuts in Nigeria and South Africa. The strategy set off in 2012 which saw the business split into the key pillars of South Africa , Nigeria and the large operating companies’ clusters, “enabled more focused management and better execution of strategies across the various business units” , said MTN Group President and CEO Sifiso Dabengwa. “We are grateful to our customers for their loyalty and distribution to the growth of the MTN brand over the years ”. “To this end, we would make significant investments towards education over the next 2 years as part of our corporate social responsibility goals”, Dabengwa added. Looking ahead , the chief said the company ’s vision and mission has positioned MTN well for further growth into the future. Launched in 1994 , the MTN Group is considered as an emerging mobile market operator with presence in 22 countries across Africa , Asia and the Middle East .