Orange to acquire Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone Airtel operations

Bharti Airtel International recently agreed to sell the company’s operations in Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso to Orange.

For Orange, the acquisition serves its international development strategy since it is focused on locations that have a large potential for growth and emerging economies. By adding these two countries, it adds approximately 5.5 million mobile customers to its company.

Orange will now be present in 20 African countries following the completion of the acquisition.

Orange will acquire 100 percent of the share capital of both companies, and the acquisitions will be partnered with the company’s operations in Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire. Both the Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone Airtel companies have an approximate revenue of $298.8 million when combined.

This agreement is an extension upon an earlier agreement made last July between the two companies that would have brought Airtel operations in Chad and Congo Brazzaville under Orange ownership in addition to Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso; however, an Orange representative says the agreement has since lapsed for Chad and the Congo Brazzaville acquisitions.

Orange specializes in telecommunication operations on an international scale.