According to the Zimbabwe Independent,
Africa’s richest woman and daughter of Angola’s President Isabel dos Santos is
seeking to buy a stake in state-owned Telecel and has already send her
representatives to discuss the investment opportunity with Zimbabwe’s
government officials.
Isabel, who is estimated to
be worth over $3.3 billion according to Forbes and has number of telecoms
businesses in Portugal and Angola, was in Zimbabwe earlier to meet senior
government official.
“Madam Isabel Dos Santos’
representatives including her chief protocol officer were in the country to
discuss opportunities in the telecoms sector at the ministry’s offices,” Zimbabwe Independent quoted
an undisclosed source saying.
Details of the deal are not
out yet but Isabel, through her company Unitel S.A, is believed to be keen to
acquire stake in Telecoms giant Telecel, whose local operation is hotly
contested by a motley group of shareholders.
“There are quite a number of
investors interested in the telecoms sector,” ICT deputy minister Win Mlambo
said. “It is normal for there to be such interest because it is a lucrative
business.”
Last month, the Zimbabwe
government orders Telecel
to stop operating in the country on ground it had not paid $137
million for a seven year license and was no “complying with the country’s
laws”.
Isabel also owns a 7 percent
stake in oil and gas firm GalpEnergia along with Portuguese billionaire Americo
Amorim, and has a controlling stake in Portuguese cable TV and telecom firm Nos
SGPS.
