Latest news with #MTNGroup
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Trump used a White House meeting to confront South African president over killing of white farmers
"The president is a truly respected man in many, many circles," Trump said of the South African president at the start of the Oval Office meeting. "And in some circles he's considered a little controversial." Ramaphosa said it was time to "recalibrate" the relationship, and went out of his way to thank Trump for welcoming him to the White House for the talks. "We are essentially here to reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa," he said. Trump has cut all U.S. assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the U.S. as refugees. He has launched a series of accusations at South Africa's Black-led government, including that it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy. Trump issued an executive order in February cutting all funding to South Africa over some of its domestic and foreign policies. The order criticized the South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting "bad actors" in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran. In advance of the meeting, a White House official said Trump's topics of discussion with Ramaphosa were likely to include the need to condemn politicians who "promote genocidal rhetoric" and to classify farm attacks as a priority crime. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, said Trump also was likely to raise South African race-based barriers to trade and the need to "stop scaring off investors." Trump falsely accused the South African government of a rights violation against white Afrikaner farmers by seizing their land through a new expropriation law. No land has been seized and the South African government has pushed back, saying U.S. criticism is driven by misinformation. The Trump administration's references to the Afrikaner people — who are descendants of Dutch and other European settlers — have also elevated previous claims made by Trump's South African-born adviser Elon Musk and some conservative U.S. commentators that the South African government is allowing attacks on white farmers in what amounts to a genocide. That has been disputed by experts in South Africa, who say there is no evidence of whites being targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said Trump remains ready to "reset" relations with South Africa, but noted that the administration's concerns about South African policies cut even deeper then the concerns about white farmers. South Africa has also angered the Trump White House over its move to bring charges at the International Court of Justice accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Ramaphosa has also faced scrutiny in Washington for his past connections to MTN Group, Iran's second-largest telecom provider. It owns nearly half of Irancell, a joint venture linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Ramaphosa served as board chair of MTN from 2002 to 2013. "When one country is consistently unaligned with the United States on issue after issue after issue after issue, now you become -- you have to make conclusions about it," Rubio told Senate Foreign Relation Committee members at a Tuesday hearing. With the deep differences, Ramaphosa appeared to be taking steps to avoid the sort of contentious engagement that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy experienced during his late February Oval Office visit, when the Ukrainian leader found himself being berated by Trump and Vice President JD Vance. That disastrous meeting with White House officials asking Zelenskyy and his delegation to leave the White House grounds. The South African president's delegation includes golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in his delegation, a gesture to the golf obsessed U.S. president. Luxury goods tycoon and Afrikaner Johann Rupert was also included as part of the delegation to help ease Trump's concerns about land being seized from white farmers. Musk also attended Wednesday's talks. Musk has been at the forefront of the criticism of his homeland, casting its affirmative action laws as racist against whites. Musk has said on social media that his Starlink satellite internet service isn't able to get a license to operate in South Africa because he is not Black. South African authorities say Starlink hasn't formally applied. It can, but it would be bound by affirmative action laws in the communications sector that require foreign companies to allow 30% of their South African subsidiaries to be owned by shareholders who are Black or from other racial groups disadvantaged under apartheid. The South African government says its long-standing affirmative action laws are a cornerstone of its efforts to right the injustices of the white minority rule of apartheid, which denied opportunities to Blacks and other racial groups.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
With 55% institutional ownership, MTN Group Limited (JSE:MTN) is a favorite amongst the big guns
Institutions' substantial holdings in MTN Group implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price The top 13 shareholders own 50% of the company Analyst forecasts along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business We check all companies for important risks. See what we found for MTN Group in our free report. Every investor in MTN Group Limited (JSE:MTN) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 55% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of MTN Group. Check out our latest analysis for MTN Group Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. MTN Group already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see MTN Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. MTN Group is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Public Investment Corporation Limited, with ownership of 20%. Capital Research and Management Company is the second largest shareholder owning 7.1% of common stock, and M1 Limited holds about 6.0% of the company stock. After doing some more digging, we found that the top 13 have the combined ownership of 50% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of MTN Group Limited. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own R215m worth of shares. It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying. With a 39% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over MTN Group. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 6.0%, of the company's shares. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research. It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand MTN Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Many find it useful to take an in depth look at how a company has performed in the past. You can access this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Zawya
19-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Airtel Africa, MTN seek infrastructure sharing deal in Rwanda and Congo
Africa's telecommunication giants Airtel Africa Plc and South Africa's MTN Group are looking for opportunities to share network infrastructure in Rwanda, Congo-Brazzaville and Zambia in a bid to lower capital and operational costs, enhance the quality of service to customers and extend digital and financial inclusion across Africa. Airtel disclosed in its latest audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2025, that the planned infrastructure sharing agreements target sharing of all access network equipment, including the antenna, mast and backhaul equipment collectively referred to as Radio Access Network (RAN). The latest disclosure comes after the two telcos concluded similar agreements in Uganda and Nigeria in March this year targeting improved network cost efficiencies, expanded coverage and the provision of enhanced mobile services to millions of customers, particularly those in remote and rural areas who do not yet fully enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life.'Following the conclusion of agreements in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa are exploring various opportunities in other markets, including Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Zambia,' says Airtel. Telecom infrastructure sharing is a growing trend in the telecommunications industry, where different service providers share resources like cell towers and network equipment and most of these infrastructure sharing agreements are the result of commercial negotiations rather than regulatory intervention. The practices help to reduce costs and has the potential to enable the delivery of world-class, reliable mobile services to more and more customers across Africa. RAN sharing is the most comprehensive form of access network sharing involving the sharing of all access network equipment, including the antenna, mast and backhaul equipment. Airtel Africa which has operations in 14 African countries says reaching underserved communities is its key priority and the company would continue to expand rural coverage through new site rollouts and investment in spectrum and technologies to support increased capacity to facilitate corporate purpose of transforming lives.'As part of ensuring our services are future ready, in addition to purchasing spectrum, we grew our fibre infrastructure and 5G capabilities and remain committed to our investment into data centres to further support digital inclusion across our markets,' the telco says. Airtel group continues to invest in its network and distribution infrastructure to enhance both mobile connectivity and financial inclusion across its countries of operation.'In particular, we continue to invest in expanding our 4G and 5G network to increase data capacity, deploy new sites – especially in rural areas – thereby enhancing coverage and connectivity,' it says.'Our refreshed strategy puts the customer at the core of our strategy. We believe that by ensuring great customer experience, we will deliver on our corporate purpose of transforming lives across Africa.'Airtel says it remains focused on enhancing its 4G network availability, along with expanding newly launched 5G technology in key markets like Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.'Mobile money continues to be a key growth engine for the Group. We remain focused on building Africa's most accessible and inclusive digital financial services platform—one that delivers both impact and sustainable value for Airtel Africa,' it says. Last year Airtel Africa Plc concluded a deal to extend its telecommunication tower lease agreements with the American Tower Corporation (ATC) across its four subsidiaries in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Niger by 12 years. The extension of the tower lease agreements is expected to help Airtel Africa reduce the risks of network failures and increase the maximum amount of data (information) that can be transmitted over a network to effectively rollout the 5G network. The deal is also expected to help the company reduce its operating expenses by focusing on renewable energy solutions across a significant number of sites. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Mail & Guardian
14-05-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Failure to disclose affiliations in foreign policy activities demand scrutiny of US Congress
On 29 April 2025, a South African newspaper published After the article was published, Image: Corrected BusinessDay Article ( This was a necessary correction for a couple of reasons. First, MTN Group regularly uses Covington & Burling for legal services. For example, MTN Group is using the firm for legal representation in Second, Schneidman has a personal connection with the MTN Group. He was As a consequence, Schneidman created an ethical situation for Business Day by not disclosing his Covington & Burling connection with MTN Group and the MTN chair. In opinion editorials, it is The problem is that South African newspapers may not be aware that there are A rapid review shows that at least three current or former senior officials at Covington & Burling have published articles on US foreign policy using academic and/or think tank affiliations without a byline disclosure of their affiliation with Covington & Burling. They include Image: CSIS Profile, Covington Profile Of course, Covington & Burling is not the only professional services company The failure to disclose conflicts of interest is At WestExec Advisors, there is a large stable of former US ambassadors who served under the Obama and Biden administrations. Unfortunately, those ambassadors often fail to disclose their affiliation with WestExec Advisors. A rapid review shows that at least six former US ambassadors currently are not disclosing their affiliation with WestExec Advisors in their university and/or think tank profiles. They include ambassadors (retired) To compound matters, ambassador (retired) James Jeffrey served as the chair of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center until very recently. Like The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Wilson Center Profile for James Jeffrey These findings beg the question of whether US universities and think tanks are doing enough to ensure disclosures of corporate conflicts of interest. The Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) serves as a case in point. A rapid review shows that CSIS is currently failing to disclose the corporate affiliations of at least five current non-resident fellows in the Americas Program. They include These findings should raise flags for Members of Congress. The failure of US universities and think tanks to disclose the corporate affiliations of their non-resident fellows not only undermines public trust. It also raises important questions about whether these organisations should continue to qualify for tax exempt status, especially when some of the corporations are linked to partisan political action committees. The US Congress might therefore want to consider conducting a public inquiry into the conflicts of interest of those who are entrusted to produce national security and foreign policy knowledge within US universities and think tanks. As part of that inquiry, members might want to consider new legislation that would require universities and think tanks to make form-based disclosures and quarterly reports similar to lobbying firms. In the meantime, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations could take immediate action to address this problem. One way would be to send a formal bipartisan request for information to the Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Michael Faulkender, seeking a determination of whether the tax exempt status of any US universities and think tanks is at risk over prior failures to disclose these sorts of conflicts of interest. Michael Walsh is a visiting scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. A full list of his professional affiliations can be found in his
Zawya
13-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa's MTN Group reports 33% rise in Q1 core profit
South Africa's MTN Group, on Monday, reported a 33% jump in first-quarter core profit due to strong service revenue growth, lower device cost of sales in its domestic market and a more stable macroeconomic environment. Group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) jumped 33% on a constant-currency basis in the first quarter ended 31 March, and reflects a 5.3 percentage point increase in margin to 44.1%, MTN said, without giving the value of EBITDA. Group service revenue increased 10.4% overall in the quarter, or by 19.8% in constant currency. That was buoyed by 40.4% growth in MTN Nigeria and 39.5% in MTN Ghana. MTN South Africa continued to navigate competitive challenges, most notably in the prepaid segment, with service revenue up by 2.6%. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
