NetOne posts US$10m profit

11 Jul, 2019 - 15:07 0 Views
NetOne posts US$10m profit

eBusiness Weekly

Tawanda Musarurwa
HARARE – State-owned mobile telecommunications firm NetOne recorded a US$10,2 million profit in 2018, coming from US$77 million loss position.

Revenue for the period grew 13 percent to US$119,1 million from US$105,5 million on the back of improved income from the data revenue stream.

“Data contribution to revenue firmed from 26 percent to 37 percent indicative of shifting customer needs and preferences supported by our increasing social media engagement,” said chairman James Mutizwa.

Addi9tionally, NetOne’s subscriber base also improved during the period under review.

Subscribers were up 25 percent to 3,3 million from 2,6 million previously.

EDITDA grew from US$15,1 million to $38,2 million, translating to a 153 percent growth in cash generated by operations.

Management attributed the improved performance to the implementation of cost containment initiatives during the period under review. Indicative of this was a 21 percent decline in overheads margin, to close the period at 48 percent compared to 69 percent previously.

Said chief executive officer Lazarus Muchenje:

“The year commenced with a focus on narrowing the liquidity gap, I am pleased to report that the company has made strides in doing so with a major milestone being the reduction of negative working capital by 74 percent from US$228,6 million to US$59 million over the year to December 31, 2018.

“A quality balance sheet remains a key focus area for NetOne, as the restructuring of our balance sheet remains critical for us to build the necessary capacity for a sustained momentum and flexibility that a cash-rich company benefits from.

“Because the health of our balance sheet matters, NetOne’s primary focus is to narrow the liquidity gap and restore value of the entity, which has been earmarked for partial privatisation.”

Share This:

Sponsored Links

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds