Liquid Telecommunications Holdings Proposes to Acquire 42.5% Shares from Liquid Telecommunications Botswana Currently Held by BPC

The Competition and Consumer Authority has received a merger notification 

for the proposed acquisition by Liquid Telecommunications Holdings Limited (“LTH”) of 42.5% issued shares from Liquid Telecommunications Botswana (Pty) Ltd (“LTB”) currently held by Botswana Power Corporation (BPC).

The acquirer, LTH is a company incorporated in accordance with the Laws of Mauritius. LTH is directly or indirectly controlled by the following: Econet Global Limited; GW Fibre Limited; Nicholas Trevor Rudnick; DTOS Trustees Limited; Lisinfo 213 Property (RF) Proprietary Limited; Econet New ARX Limited; Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited; and CDC Group PLC.

LTH has several subsidiaries across Africa including Botswana where it holds 57.5% stake in Liquid Telecommunications Botswana (Pty) Ltd. Though LTH is not physically present in Botswana, the company through its shareholding in LTB, the target entity, is a provider of wholesale telecommunications and technology, focusing on connecting Botswana locally and internationally. LTH is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries primarily in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa that serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media and content companies and retail customers with high speed, reliable connectivity, hosting and co-location and digital services. 

The Directors of LTH are: Eric Venpin (Mauritius); Gaetan Lan Hun Kuen (Mauritius); Nicholas Trevor Rudnick German); Strive Masiyiwa (Zimbabwe); Hardwork Njodzi Pemhiwa (Zimbabwe); Vassi Naidoo (South Africa); Anil Dua (Ireland); Donald Henry Gips (United States of America); David Ronald Wilson (South Africa); Omobola Olubusola Johnson (Nigeria); Donald Kaberuka (Rwanda); Cristina Duarte (Cape Verde); Richard Charles Wilson (Ireland); and Kate Eleanor Maria Hennessy (Ireland).   

The target enterprise, LTB, is a company incorporated in accordance with the Laws of Republic of Botswana. It is directly or indirectly controlled by LTH and Botswana Power Corporations (“BPC”). BPC is a state owned company for electrical power generation, transmission and distribution in Botswana established by BPC Act (CAP 74:01). 

LTB does not directly or indirectly control any firm in Botswana. LTB is a wholesale telecommunications and technology provider, focusing on connecting Botswana locally and internationally. Products offered include: wholesale international bandwidth to the incumbent fixed line operator (being, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited), mobile network operators and internet service providers; national and international services for enterprises in Botswana, as well as incoming services for multinational companies; VSAT services for outlying areas for enterprise customers such as banks and certain retail outlets as well as for the tourism/hospitality industry; home internet; broad band wireless; DX services which include the Azure Stack, Office 365, and other cloud computing services; and managed services. 

The Directors of LTB are: David Maurice Remi Eurin (France); Wellington Mukwekwe Makamure (Zimbabwe); Odirile Tamajobe (Botswana); and Sam Kaana-Nkusi (Canada).

According to section 50(3), of the Competition Act of 2018, “any person, including a third party not a party to the proposed merger, may voluntarily submit to the inspector or the Authority any document, affidavit, statement or other relevant information in respect of a proposed merger.”

The Competition and Consumer Authority therefore seeks any stakeholder views for or against the proposed merger, which may be sent within 10 days from date of this publication to the following address:

Director, Mergers and Monopolies  

Competition and Consumer Authority  

Private Bag 00101 

Plot 28, Matsitama Road, Main Mall 

Gaborone 

Tel: +267 3934278   Fax: +267 3121013

Email: CA@competitionauthority.co.bw