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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
PAN-African telecommunications infrastructure carrier Liquid Telecom, which is part of the Econet Wireless Group intends to list on the European Stock Exchange next year. This was being explored as an option to the repeated multi-billion dollar offers that the telecoms company has received and repeatedly turned down.

According to an online publication, the group’s founder and chairman Strive Masiyiwa was quoted as having said: “We’ve received several unsolicited offers for Liquid, but we want it to remain an independent access provider for Internet in Africa. We’re going to raise more capital in the market and strengthen its market leadership in this vital space.”

It is hoped that this separate listing of Liquid Telecom would make it the second company under the Econet Wireless Group to be publicly traded after Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. The other subsidiaries under the Econet Wireless Group, namely Econet Wireless (which operates the group’s mobile networks in 10 countries, including Zimbabwe) and Cassava Connect are privately held.

Liquid Telecom is one of the largest telecoms operators on the continent, with a fibre optic network presence in 15 countries across East, Central and Southern Africa including Zimbabwe. The infrastructure carrier is keen on expanding its terrestrial fibre presence in regions like West Africa where the company has only managed to establish a presence through satellite and payment systems.

The terrestrial fibre presence has been fortified by moves such as partnerships with other major operators like MTN and agreements with operators like Airtel, which form a part of Liquid’s long list of wholesale clients. Liquid has maintained a strong demand for its services which will result in the need for 20,000 kilometres of fibre over the next three years.

Presently, Liquid Telecom has a fibre optic network spanning over 18,000 kilometres covering the continent’s fast-growing economies where no fixed network has existed before and connecting to under-sea cable. The telecommunications infrastructure firm provides services to wholesale carriers, mobile network operators, financial institutions and business of different sizes and homes. It is believed that with the right amount of capital and an extended presence across the entire continent, Liquid could be angling for a lead position in Africa’s content and services value chain.

In Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya, the company operates retail businesses.