Vodafone in talks with South African operator

UK mobile operator is looking to expand its ownership of Vodacom

Vodafone already owns 50 per cent of Vodacom shares

South African company Telkom SA Ltd is in talks with Vodafone regarding its shares in wireless provider Vodacom Group Ltd.

Last year Vodafone paid £1.35bn for an additional 15 per cent stake in Vodacom, raising its total ownership to 50 per cent. The British network operator is now looking for new purchases from Telkom, which owns the other half of the company.

Telkom also announced it is involved in separate talks with South African mobile operator MTN Group, but declined to reveal further details.

Vodafone's revenue in South Africa rose 38.1 per cent to £1.5bn at the close of the fiscal year ending March 2007. European figures declined slightly over the same time period.