Etisalat seeks $10bn debt
Etisalat will meet lenders next week in London to discuss terms on more than $10 billion of debt to fund its bid for a stake in Zain, reports Bloomberg.
The deal would be the largest acquisition financing by a company in the Middle East and Africa since at least 1999. Etisalat says it offered about $12 billion for a 46% stake in Zain.
The deal would extend Etisalat's reach in the Middle East, where Zain operates in countries from Kuwait and Iraq to Bahrain.
Kenya battles counterfeit drugs
Consumers in Kenya will soon be able to check the authenticity of the drugs they purchase via SMS on a platform dubbed mPedigree, states The Standard.
The technology being piloted in Kenya means patients and consumers can possibly instantly verify the safety and efficacy of their medicines using a mobile phone.
The World Health Organisation estimates more than 10% of medicines on the global market are fake and that 25% of those in developing countries are counterfeit or sub-standard.
Nigeria slashes cellphone tariffs
Bharti Airtel's Nigerian unit has cut its mobile phone tariffs to 12 naira ($0.08) per minute, says The San Francisco Chronicle.
The reduction is in line with the company's policy to reduce costs for customers, according to Rajan Swaroop, CEO of the unit.
The Lagos-based company competes with MTN Nigeria Communication, a unit of SA's MTN Group, and Globacom in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.
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