VODACOM comes to Sierra Leone

By Elkass I.L. Sannoh

In fulfillment of Government plans to run the country like a business a multinational company based in South Africa, VODACOM, has established their presence in the country along the Lumley Beach shopping plaza in Freetown.  

A delegation from VODACOM, a subsidiary of Vodafone Group South Africa, has just ended a working visit to Sierra Leone where they expressed keen interest to invest in the telecommunications business to provide integrated business network solutions using the latest technologies.

The delegation held fruitful business discussions with representatives of the Government of Sierra Leone, the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) and top private sector banks, mining companies and auditing firms at the Country Lodge Hotel in Freetown.

Briefing the delegation, Commissioner Manja of the NATCOM said Sierra Leone is open to credible investors in the telecommunication industry with the aim to promote the socio-economic development and foreign direct investment of the country.

He also explained that the country has the most flexible telecoms regulations in the sub-region that facilitates service delivery and assured them of his Commission’s commitment and determination to ensure that VODACOM operates a successful business with value added products for maximum profits.

In his statement, a Director in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Mr.  Mohamed Bah, welcomed the VODACOM delegation into the country and assured them of Government’s determination to run the country like a business.

He stated that the Government has landed the fiber optic cable with plans to share it to service providers, which he said, shows the political will to ensure best practices in the information communications technology.

Mr. Bah also stated that the Government is planning to establish an information communications technology city that will harmonise the E- Government initiative with strong human resource capacity from analog to digital aimed at improving the telecoms industry that can be accessed in both urban and rural areas.

Responding to these sentiments, the Chief Executive Officer of VODACOM, Mr. Vuyani Jarana expressed delight over the many business opportunities available in the country.

He said VODACOM has brought affordable and reliable connectivity to Africa since 1992 and they have built strong relationships in the sectors that are driving the continents growth like oil and gas, mining and construction, manufacturing and services, transport, logistics and industry, banking and finance and airline and hospitality.

He stressed that “VODACOM ensures quality and affordable products are delivered and best practices are our commitment.”

Another Executive Officer of VODACOM Madam Louisa Van Beck and the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lanie Kolade for VODACOM West Africa also stated that they are willing to invest in Sierra Leone’s information communications technology to promote economic growth.

In his comments, the Country Manager for VODACOM Sierra Leone, Mr.  Alfred Kobba, said they are here to provide value addition in the information communications technology sector with quality service delivery that ensures maximum customer satisfaction.