MTN - MTN Group Limited - Reviewed interim results17 Aug 2011
MTN
MTN                                                                             
MTN - MTN Group Limited - Reviewed interim results for the six months ended 30  
June 2011                                                                       
MTN Group Limited                                                               
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)                                  
Registration number 1994/009584/06                                              
Share code: MTN                                                                 
ISIN code: ZAE000042164                                                         
("MTN" or "the MTN Group")                                                      
Reviewed Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2011                  
Highlights                                                                      
Group subscribers up 7.5% since 31 December 2010 to 152.3 million               
EBITDA margin up 1.3 percentage points to 44.6%                                 
Free cash flow* up 23.7% to R19,494 million                                     
Adjusted HEPS up 7.2% to 470.1 cents                                            
Interim dividend of 273 cents per share                                         
Payout ratio increased to 65%                                                   
* EBITDA minus capital expenditure                                              
Overview                                                                        
The MTN Group Limited ("MTN" or "the group") continued to deliver a satisfactory
operational performance for the six months with subscriber growth of 7.5%,      
revenue 9.4% higher on a constant currency basis and a 1.3 percentage points    
expansion in the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization   
("EBITDA") margin to 44.6%. The EBITDA margin was buoyed by the profit on the   
sale of towers in Ghana. If excluded, along with the Conakry settlement, the    
margin of 44.0% is still higher than the prior year. The average rand:dollar    
exchange rate strengthened from R7.52 in the first half of 2010 to R6.80 in the 
current period, dampening the reported results. The constant currency reported  
numbers are those restated at the same average exchange rates that were         
applicable for the first half of 2010. Notwithstanding all the challenges,      
revenue increased by 1.0% to R56,542 million. There was strong subscriber growth
in most of the group`s operations including an encouraging performance in Sudan.
Political instability in Yemen and Syria continues to create a challenging      
business environment. Trading conditions in Cote d`Ivoire have improved         
following the disruptions in the first three months of the year. The dispute    
with the government of Guinea Conakry has been resolved.                        
The various group initiatives maintained momentum over the period and assisted  
in improving margins while sourcing and growing new revenue streams. These      
initiatives include:                                                            
Continued investment in transmission (undersea cables and fibre) and radio      
technologies (2G, WIMAX and 3G) as well as mobile data solutions and sourcing of
appropriate handsets. These have enabled the group to increase data revenues    
(excluding SMS) by 24.1% to R3,558 million and total data revenues (including   
SMS) by 14.2% to R6,950 million.                                                
Mobile Money has been implemented in 12 countries. Nigeria is expected to       
introduce this utilising a partnership model. At 30 June 2011, there were 5.1   
million registered mobile money subscribers, with Uganda and Ghana, each        
accounting for 37% of the total.                                                
The shared services IT hub in the South and East African region is now          
operational and the procurement transformation project has gained momentum with 
cost savings targets being identified. Marketing and sponsorship costs have also
been reviewed following the investments in the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM.          
The conclusion of the tower deal by MTN Ghana and the first closing of 400      
towers in May 2011. This marked the start of true infrastructure sharing and    
opportunities to unlock value. Other projects of this nature are under          
consideration.                                                                  
During the period under review, Mr Phuthuma Freedom Nhleko and Mr Douglas Denoon
Balharrie Band resigned from the board effective 31 March 2011 and 11 March 2011
respectively.                                                                   
Group financial review                                                          
Revenue                                                                         
Group revenue increased by 1.0% to R56,542 million mainly due to strong growth  
in MTN`s South African and Iranian operations of 5.9% and 12.1% respectively.   
This was offset by negative growth in Ghana and Syria and no growth in Nigeria. 
On a constant currency basis, growth was 9.4%. Local currency growth in Nigeria,
Ghana and Iran increased by a healthy 13.1%, 11.9% and 28.2% respectively,      
despite increased competition. Airtime and subscription revenue remain the key  
contributors comprising 66.1% of the group`s total revenue despite decreasing   
2.8% year on year. Interconnect revenue grew by 3.8% as lower termination rates 
in South Africa were more than made up for by incoming traffic increases in     
Nigeria. Data growth, excluding SMS, increased by 24.1% to R3,558 million as    
most of the larger operations enhanced their propositions both from a network   
and product perspective. Data growth was still primarily driven by South Africa.
Data revenue (excluding SMS) overtook SMS revenue for the first time and now    
contribute 6.3% and 6.0% respectively of total revenue.                         
Operating costs                                                                 
Group operating costs decreased 1.3% mainly as a result of a 14.6% reduction in 
selling, distribution and marketing costs. These costs also include the R445    
million profit on the sale of the towers as well as the R147 million Guinea     
Conakry settlement. On a constant currency basis, costs increased 5.0%, still   
below constant currency revenue growth and including a 9.6% increase in direct  
network operating costs.                                                        
EBITDA                                                                          
EBITDA increased by 3.9% to R25,202 million and by 14.0% on a constant currency 
basis. This was due to EBITDA increases on a local currency basis of 9.4% in    
South Africa, 16.8% in Nigeria and 30.8% in Iran.                               
Net finance costs                                                               
Net finance costs decreased by 73.3% to R587 million (June 2010: R2,198 million)
mainly due to a reduction in forex losses and an increase in functional currency
gains, principally on cash balances held offshore in currencies other than the  
reporting currency, as well as lower net interest costs.                        
Taxation                                                                        
The Group reported an effective tax rate of 36.95% for the period compared to   
36.77% in June 2010. The higher effective tax rate was mainly due to the        
Secondary Tax on Companies ("STC") on the dividend paid in April 2011, foreign  
withholding taxes and capital gains tax on the sale of towers in Ghana.         
Earnings                                                                        
The Group`s attributable earnings per share ("EPS") increased by 15.9% from 30  
June 2010 to 509.6 cents. Adjusted headline EPS increased by 7.2% to 470.1 cents
which is lower than attributable EPS due to the reversal of the profit on the   
disposal of the towers in Ghana and a small increase in the reversal of the put 
options.                                                                        
The Group continues to report adjusted headline EPS in addition to the          
attributable headline EPS. The adjustment is because of the International       
Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") requirement that the Group accounts for  
written put options held by non controlling shareholders in two of the Group`s  
subsidiaries, which provides the non controlling shareholders with the right to 
require the subsidiary or its holding company to acquire this shareholding at   
fair value.                                                                     
Cashflow                                                                        
Cash generated by operations decreased 1.9% while cash inflows from operating   
activities decreased by 16.7%, principally due to a 86.0% increase in dividends 
and lower net interest payments. Expenditure on property, plant and equipment   
(excluding software) of R5,580 million was 28.5% lower. The significant movement
in investing activities was principally due to cash invested in T-bills in      
Nigeria. The result is a negative net movement in cash and cash equivalents of  
R4,310 million but a slightly higher cash and cash equivalents balance of       
R32,341 million.                                                                
Capital expenditure                                                             
Capital expenditure for the period of R5,708 million was 32.8% lower than the   
comparative period following delays in the rollout of certain capital           
expenditure projects and a R603 million currency impact. We expect to step up   
the pace of rollout in the second half of the year to make up for the delays.   
Full year capital expenditure guidance has been revised marginally up to R22,165
million.                                                                        
Net debt                                                                        
The group is currently in a net cash position of R2,666 million (R9,885         
including investments) because of its lower capital expenditure and improved    
EBITDA margins. Investments in liquid instruments such as USD-denominated T-    
bills in Nigeria are disclosed in other current assets and not included in cash 
and cash equivalents, resulting in an understatement of potentially available   
cash of R7,219 million. Good up-streaming of dividends and management fees from 
the various group companies during the period have resulted in a positive cash  
balance at the holding company level notwithstanding the reduction in holding   
company debt and the settlement of the final dividend.                          
Supplementary information is available in the shareholder booklet at            
www.mtn.com.                                                                    
South Africa                                                                    
MTN South Africa delivered a sound performance for the period increasing its    
subscriber base by 5.1% to 19.8 million for the six months to 30 June 2011. This
was mainly due to growth in the prepaid segment which increased its subscriber  
base by 5.0% to 16.2 million subscribers helped by MTN Zone Mahala offerings and
strong promotional campaigns. These efforts also contributed to the increase in 
on-net traffic. The postpaid segment subscriber base grew by 5.7% to 3.6 million
subscribers. Hybrid type packages continued to be the main contributor to       
postpaid growth, contributing 41% to the postpaid subscriber base at the end of 
the period. Following the registration deadline of 30 June 2011, MTN suspended  
340,842 subscribers who had not been registered, of which 115,879 were          
reconnected by 31 July 2011.                                                    
Total revenue grew by 5.9% mainly due to the growth in airtime, subscription and
data revenue. Data increased by 17.9%, excluding SMS. At 30 June 2011, there    
were 4.6 million 3G devices on the network of which 2.6million were smartphones.
SMS revenue growth remained relatively robust at 8.5% while airtime and         
subscription revenue grew at 4.8% mainly due to strong growth in prepaid revenue
offset by lower postpaid revenue. Interconnect revenue decreased 9.8% as a      
result of the lower interconnect rate. Peak mobile termination rates decreased  
again from 89c to 73c and off peak rates dropped from 77c to 65c on 1 March     
2011. Blended average revenue per user ("ARPU") decreased by R18.5 to R133.8 per
month mainly due to lower interconnect rates and the prepaid versus postpaid    
mix. Prepaid ARPU decreased by R12.4 to R99.8, while postpaid ARPU declined by  
R37.9 to R290.6 due to an increase in lower ARPU telemetry SIM cards diluting   
the postpaid base.                                                              
MTN South Africa recorded a 1.2 percentage point increase in its EBITDA margin  
to 35.1% after having successfully decreased commission and distribution costs  
as well as advertising, promotion and public relations costs. Maintenance costs 
remained stable.                                                                
Capital expenditure for the period amounted to R1,292 million, with most        
projects substantially on track. MTN South Africa continued to enhance network  
capacity while improving power saving and focusing on environmental initiatives 
for sustainability. MTN South Africa also continued to migrate various voice    
bearing interfaces which allow for enhanced scalability and network simplicity. 
The Southern and Northern Gauteng fibre rollout ring, comprising 220km of fibre,
has been completed and traffic from leased lines successfully migrated. The long
distance fibre initiatives continues to progress, with 500km trenched on the    
Johannesburg to Durban route, 469km on the Johannesburg to Bloemfontein route   
and 296km on the Bloemfontein to Cape Town route. To further support its data   
strategy, MTN South Africa has also embarked on a pilot long term evolution     
(LTE) network which consists of 100 LTE-capable base stations. At the end of    
July 2011, 40.0% of the remaining capital expenditure guidance had been         
committed.                                                                      
Nigeria                                                                         
MTN Nigeria performed satisfactorily in the face of aggressive competition      
during the period under review. The company grew its subscriber base by 4.8% to 
40.5 million. At 30 June 2011 MTN Nigeria had registered 50% of its subscriber  
base. The deadline for existing SIM registration remains 28 September 2011.     
Total revenue in naira grew by 13.1% driven mainly by airtime and subscription  
revenue growth as well as an increase in interconnect revenue. This was driven  
by an increase in traffic from other networks. Traffic patterns of our own      
subscribers remained 83% on-net. Data remains in its infancy in Nigeria, but    
showed strong growth due to an increased focus on data packages and promotions. 
Reported ARPU declined by 6.7% to $9.8 while local currency ARPU decreased by   
5.1% from 31 December 2010.                                                     
MTN Nigeria increased its EBITDA margin by 2.0 percentage points from the       
previous period to 63.3%. This was a result of the operation`s increased scale, 
combined with a continued effort to reduce operating costs. The reduction in    
transmission costs resulting from the commencement of the Main One undersea     
cable, as well as a decrease in marketing expenditure, were the primary         
contributors to the increased margin, while the decrease in general expenses    
also contributed.                                                               
The strong rand and a marginally weaker naira against the dollar, negatively    
affected and resulted in reported revenue growth of 0.4% to R16,538 million and 
a 3.8% increase in EBITDA to R10,475 million.                                   
Capital expenditure was slower than planned mainly because of logistical delays 
in the delivery of equipment as well as political unrest in the Northern parts  
of the country. Capital expenditure for the period was R2,068 million. Rollout  
is expected to gain momentum in the second half of the year. Network quality was
impacted temporarily in the first quarter by the "magic number" promotion which 
increased traffic volumes and was subsequently withdrawn. At the end of July    
2011, 69.0% of the remaining capital expenditure guidance had been committed.   
Iran                                                                            
MTN Irancell continued to deliver solid results maintaining market share at 44%.
The company recorded an 8.2% increase in its subscriber base from 31 December   
2010 to 32.2 million. The lower price of SIM starter packs together with        
continued attractive promotions were the main contributors to growth over the   
period. Improvements in network quality and brand perception also contributed.  
To date the third operator has not yet been launched commercially.              
Total rial revenue grew by 28.2% for the six months to June. This was mainly    
because of high growth in SMS revenue which increased by 56.8% thanks to the    
introduction of "the Farsi SMS service" in July last year, as well as a 25.8%   
increase in airtime and subscription revenue.                                   
MTN Irancell recorded a 0.8 percentage point increase in its EBITDA margin to   
42.0%. Cost containment initiatives in various areas included marketing and     
advertising expenses, distributor commissions and discounts, costs of handsets  
and accessories and maintenance. These cost efficiencies helped offset the      
effect of large hikes in the price of electricity and fuel costs that resulted  
from the withdrawal of government subsidies. Reported ARPU remained relatively  
flat at $7.9.                                                                   
The proportionately consolidated results were dampened by the strong rand,      
resulting in a 12.1% increase in revenue to R5,010 million and a 14.3% increase 
in EBITDA to R2,103 million .                                                   
MTN Irancell continued to invest in its network although capital expenditure for
the first six months was slower than expected due to delays in the delivery of  
equipment as well as the continued challenge of obtaining sites. MTN`s 49% share
of capital expenditure for the period amounted to R413 million. Population and  
geographic coverage increased to 79% and 22% respectively. MTN Irancell also    
augmented its WIMAX rollout, increasing customer confidence. At the end of June 
2011, the company had 99 000 WIMAX customers. At the end of July 2011, 70.0% of 
the remaining capital expenditure guidance had been committed.                  
Ghana                                                                           
MTN Ghana`s performance was sound for the period. Subscribers increased by 9.6% 
to 9.6 million from December 2010 and market share remained stable at 53%. The  
company`s good performance was mainly the result of attractive value            
propositions, "golden SIM" promotions, increased penetration into rural areas as
well as enhanced data offerings. The regulator extended the deadline for SIM    
registration by three months to 30 September 2011. As at 30 June 2011, MTN Ghana
had registered 90% of its subscriber base.                                      
Total cedi revenue increased by 11.9% for the six months. This was mainly driven
by 9.5% growth in airtime and subscription revenue as well as a 48.0% growth in 
interconnect revenue, resulting from lower off-net tariffs by competitors. SMS  
revenue decreased by 53.3% as a result of a required change in promotions. While
reported ARPU decreased by 3.9% to $7.0, local currency ARPU increased          
marginally due to improved minutes of use.                                      
MTN Ghana`s EBITDA margin, before the profit from the sale of the towers,       
decreased to 38.7% from 42.0% in the prior period. This was mainly due to a     
65.2% increase in interconnect costs as changes to traffic patterns resulted in 
increased off-net traffic as on-net traffic reduced marginally to 81,0%. Direct 
network operating costs increased 51.9% because of higher electricity and diesel
costs. Following the conclusion of a tower sharing arrangement, the first 400   
towers were sold to the new entity in May 2011. Including the profit from this  
sale the EBITDA margin was 54.9%.                                               
Due to the strong rand and exacerbated by the cedi`s weakness against the       
dollar, revenue decreased by 3.9% to R2,703 million and EBITDA increased by     
25.6% to R1,485 million (including the impact of the tower transaction).        
MTN Ghana`s rollout in the first half of the year was slower than planned       
because of the change in tower strategy. Total capital expenditure for the      
period was R137 million. Despite increased traffic on the network, MTN Ghana    
maintained high quality and sufficient capacity. At the end of July 2011, 61.0% 
of the remaining capital expenditure guidance had been committed.               
Syria                                                                           
MTN Syria`s subscriber base increased by 4.6% from 31 December 2010 to 5.1      
million. The market was dampened by the ongoing political unrest affecting the  
economy, customer behaviour and business efficiency. MTN Syria will continue to 
adopt a conservative market approach until clarity is obtained on the timing of 
the conversion of the build, operate and transfer arrangement into a free hold  
licence.                                                                        
Syrian pound revenue increased only marginally, helped by 44.8% increase in data
revenue (excluding SMS). Airtime and subscription revenue as well as            
interconnect revenue showed negative growth as a result of lower subscriber     
growth and obligatory network service interruptions. Reported ARPU declined by  
13.9% to $14.1 and local currency ARPU decreased by 12.5%.                      
MTN Syria increased its EBITDA margin by 4.0 percentage points to 25.6%. This   
was mainly due to lower commissions resulting from lower revenue but also due to
a reduction in direct network operating costs and marketing costs.              
Due to the strong rand, revenue decreased by 10.7% to R2,985 million and EBITDA 
increased by 5.9% to R764 million.                                              
MTN Syria`s capital expenditure for the period was R86 million, a result of the 
delay in converting the licence. The network has also been put under pressure   
due to security risks associated with maintenance.                              
Subscriber guidance                                                             
Subscriber net additions guidance has been updated since that announced in May  
2011 and is detailed below.                                                     
                      Net additions 000`s    Net additions                      
May 2011               000`s                              
                                             August 2011                        
                                                                                
South Africa                           2,000               2,000                
Nigeria                                4,400               4,400                
Ghana                                    900                                    
                                                          1,300                 
Iran                                   4,200               4,200                
Syria                                    500                 500                
Rest                                   6,435               7,700                
Total                                 18,435              20,100                
Supplementary information is available in the shareholder booklet on            
www.mtn.com.                                                                    
Prospects                                                                       
MTN is confident of the opportunities that exist within its footprint and of its
ability to profitably maintain and grow its market share. The group will        
continue to evolve its business model to better support ICT convergence and cost
optimisation through various initiatives.                                       
Operations in countries affected by local political tensions continued to       
operate satisfactorily with the group taking precautionary measures wherever    
necessary.                                                                      
The board has taken account of the group`s strong financial position and        
considers that an increase in the dividend payment policy is appropriate. As a  
result, shareholders are advised that the dividend payment policy has been      
increased to 65% of annual adjusted headline EPS.  The interim dividend is based
on 30% of the prior year`s adjusted headline EPS.                               
For and on behalf of the Board                                                  
MC Ramaphosa                RS Dabengwa                                         
(Chairman)                  (Group president and CEO)                           
Fairland                                                                        
17 August 2011                                                                  
Declaration of interim ordinary dividend                                        
Dividends                                                                       
Shareholders are advised that an interim dividend of 273 cents per ordinary     
share in respect of the period to 30 June 2011 has been declared and is payable 
to shareholders recorded in the register of the MTN Group at the close of       
business on Friday, 16 September 2011.                                          
In compliance with the requirements of Strate, the electronic settlement and    
custody system used by the JSE, the MTN Group has determined the following      
salient dates for the payment of the dividend:                                  
Last day to trade cum dividend               Friday, 9 September 2011           
Shares commence trading ex dividend          Monday, 12 September 2011          
Record date                                  Friday, 16 September 2011          
Payment of dividend                          Monday, 19 September 2011          
Share certificates may not be dematerialised or rematerialised between Monday,  
12 September 2011 and Friday, 16 September 2011.                                
On Monday, 19 September 2011, the dividend will be electronically transferred to
the bank accounts of certificated shareholders who make use of this facility. In
respect of those who do not use this facility, cheques dated Monday, 19         
September 2011 will be posted on or about that date. Shareholders who hold      
dematerialized shares will have their accounts held by the Central Securities   
Depository Participant or broker credited on Monday, 19 September 2011.         
Condensed consolidated reviewed interim results in accordance with International
Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS")                                          
The MTN Group`s condensed consolidated reviewed interim results for the six     
months ended 30 June 2011 have been independently reviewed by the Group`s       
external auditors. The preparation of the Group`s condensed consolidated        
reviewed interim results was supervised  by the Group Chief Financial Officer,  
Nazir Patel, BCom, BCompt (Hons), CA(SA).                                       
These results were made available on 17 August 2011.                            
Condensed consolidated income statement                                         
                                         Six months Six months  Financial       
                                         ended      ended       year ended      
                                         30 June    30 June     31              
December        
                                         2011       2010        2010            
                                         Reviewed   Reviewed    Audited         
                                         Rm         Rm          Rm              
Revenue                                   56 542     55 989      114 684        
Direct network operating costs            (8 755)    (8 320)     (16 818)       
Costs of handsets and other accessories   (3 657)    (2 992)     (6 819)        
Interconnect and roaming                  (6 206)    (6 191)     (12 593)       
Employee benefits                         (2 975)    (2 793)     (5 961)        
Selling, distribution and marketing       (6 615)    (7 748)     (14 741)       
expenses                                                                        
Other operating expenses                  (3 132)    (3 696)     (10 215)       
Depreciation of property, plant and       (6 293)    (6 273)     (13 248)       
equipment                                                                       
Amortisation of intangible assets         (1 142)    (1 070)     (2 120)        
Impairment of goodwill                    -          -           (32)           
Net finance costs                         (587)      (2 198)     (4 094)        
Share of results of associates after      (14)       59          52             
tax                                                                             
Profit before tax                         17 166     14 767      28 095         
Income tax expense                        (6 343)    (5 430)     (11 268)       
Profit after tax                          10 823     9 337       16 827         
Attributable to:                          10 823     9 337       16 827         
Equity holders of the Company             9 450      8 094       14 300         
Non-controlling interests                 1 373      1 243       2 527          
Basic earnings per share (cents)          509,6      439,7       776,2          
Diluted earnings per share (cents)        497,3      433,5       764,5          
Condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income                        
Six       Six months  Financial        
                                         months                                 
                                         ended     ended       year ended       
                                         30 June   30 June     31               
December         
                                         2011      2010        2010             
                                         Reviewed  Reviewed    Audited          
                                         Rm        Rm          Rm               
Profit after tax                          10 823    9 337       16 827          
Other comprehensive income:                                                     
Exchange differences on translating       1 277     (468)       (9 811)         
foreign operations                                                              
Cash flow hedges                          -         77          77              
Total comprehensive income for the        12 100    8 946       7 093           
period                                                                          
Attributable to:                                                                
Equity holders of the Company             10 607    7 791       5 059           
Non-controlling interests                 1 493     1 155       2 034           
                                         12 100    8 946       7 093            
Condensed consolidated statement of financial position                          
30 June     30 June    31 December            
                                  2011        2010       2010                   
                                  Reviewed    Reviewed   Audited                
                                  Rm          Rm         Rm                     
Non-current assets                 99 505      112 356    99 727                
Property, plant and equipment      63 224      68 711     63 361                
Goodwill, intangible assets and    31 918      36 415     31 568                
investments in associates                                                       
Other non-current assets           4 363       7 230      4 798                 
Current assets                     57 938      47 204     54 234                
Cash and cash equivalents          32 760      30 149     35 947                
Restricted cash                    653         585        285                   
Other current assets*              24 525      16 470     18 002                
Assets of a disposal group         738         -          825                   
classified as held for sale                                                     
ASSETS                             158 181     159 560    154 786               
Total equity                       78 140      76 975     74 074                
Non-current liabilities            34 710      32 590     33 995                
Interest-bearing liabilities       26 016      23 536     24 857                
Deferred tax and other             8 694       9 054      9 138                 
liabilities                                                                     
Current liabilities                45 331      49 995     46 717                
Interest-bearing liabilities       4 776       12 434     10 471                
Non interest-bearing liabilities   40 555      37 561     36 246                
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES             158 181     159 560    154 786               
*Included in other current assets are bonds of R190 million,                    
treasury bills of R6,004 million and foreign currency deposits of               
R1,025 million which have been included in the calculation of net               
debt.                                                                           
Condensed consolidated statement of changes in equity                           
                                    30 June   30 June     31                    
                                                          December              
2011      2010        2010                  
                                    Reviewed  Reviewed    Audited               
                                    Rm        Rm          Rm                    
Opening balance                      74 074    72 866      72 866               
Total comprehensive income for the   12 100    8 946       7 093                
period                                                                          
Dividends paid*                      (8 158)   (4 689)     (9 083)              
Shares issued during the year        2         2           11                   
Transactions with non-controlling    -         -           60                   
interests                                                                       
Zakhele transaction                  -         -           2 847                
Other reserves                       122       (150)       280                  
Closing balance                      78 140    76 975      74 074               
*Dividends per share (cents)         349,0     192,0       343,0                
Condensed consolidated statement of cash flows                                  
                                     Six        Six months Financial            
months                                     
                                     ended      ended      year ended           
                                     30 June    30 June    31                   
                                                           December             
2011       2010       2010                 
                                     Reviewed   Reviewed   Audited              
                                     Rm         Rm         Rm                   
Cash inflows from operating           12 720     15 269     34 728              
activities                                                                      
Cash outflows from investing          (12 280)   (7 206)    (15 701)            
activities                                                                      
Cash outflows from financing          (4 750)    (1 801)    (2 055)             
activities                                                                      
Net movement in cash and cash         (4 310)    6 262      16 972              
equivalents                                                                     
Cash and cash equivalents at          35 907     22 646     22 646              
beginning of year                                                               
Effect of exchange rate changes       744        174        (3 711)             
Cash and cash equivalents at end of   32 341     29 082     35 907              
period                                                                          
Segmental analysis                                                             
                                      Six        Six months  Financial          
                                      months                                    
                                      ended      ended       year ended         
30 June    30 June     31                 
                                                             December           
                                      2011       2010        2010               
                                      Reviewed   Reviewed    Audited            
Rm         Rm          Rm                 
 REVENUE                                                                        
 South and East Africa                21 058     20 563      42 502             
 West and Central Africa              24 526     24 721      49 887             
Middle East and North Africa         10 817     10 660      22 008             
 Head office companies                141        45          287                
                                      56 542     55 989      114 684            
 EBITDA                                                                         
South and East Africa                7 185      7 070       14 556             
 West and Central Africa              13 998     13 375      27 683             
 Middle East and North Africa         3 684      3 323       7 393              
 Head office companies                335        481         (2 095)            
25 202     24 249      47 537             
 PAT                                                                            
 South and East Africa                3 811      3 773       7 511              
 West and Central Africa              6 394      5 773       12 003             
Middle East and North Africa         1 590      1 605       3 740              
 Head office companies                (972)      (1 814)     (6 427)            
                                      10 823     9 337       16 827             
 Notes to the condensed consolidated interim financial information              
1.    Independent review by the auditors                                       
       The condensed consolidated interim financial information has             
       been reviewed by our joint auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc.          
       and SizweNtsaluba vsp, who have performed their review in                
accordance with the International Standards on Review                    
       Engagements 2410. A copy of their unqualified review report is           
       available for inspection at the registered office of the                 
       Company.                                                                 
2.    General information                                                      
       MTN Group Limited (the "Group") carries on the business of               
       investing in the telecommunications industry through its                 
       subsidiary companies, joint ventures and associate companies.            
3.    Basis of preparation                                                     
       The condensed consolidated interim financial information                 
       (interim financial information) was prepared in accordance with          
       International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), the                
presentation and disclosure requirements of IAS 34 Interim               
       Financial Reporting, the AC500 Standards as issued by the                
       Accounting Practices Board or its successor, the Listings                
       Requirements of the JSE Limited and the requirements of the              
South African Companies Act, No 71 of 2008, on a basis                   
       consistent with the prior year.                                          
 4.    Accounting policies                                                      
       The accounting policies adopted are consistent with those of the         
annual financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2010,         
       as described in the annual financial statements. During the              
       period under review, the Group adopted all the IFRS and                  
       interpretations that were effective and deemed applicable to the         
Group. None of these had a material impact on the results of the         
       Group.                                                                   
 5.    Acquisition of 49% interest in TowerCo Ghana                             
       During the period, MTN Dubai acquired a 49% holding in TowerCo           
for a cash consideration of USD60,5 million (R409 million). The          
       equity interest is accounted for under IAS 28 Investment in              
       Associates.                                                              
6.   Headline earnings per ordinary share                                       
The calculations of basic and adjusted headline earnings per                
    ordinary share are based on basic headline earnings of R8 788               
    million (2010: R7 954 million) and adjusted headline earnings               
    of R8 718 million (2010: R8 072 million) respectively, and a                
weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue of 1 871                
    686 073 (2010: 1 840 551 451).                                              
    Reconciliation between net profit attributable to the equity                
    holders of the Company and headline earnings                                
Six       Six       Financial              
                                     months    months                           
                                     ended     ended     year ended             
                                     30 June   30 June   31                     
December               
                                     2011      2010      2010                   
                                     Reviewed  Reviewed  Audited                
                                     Rm        Rm        Rm                     
Net**     Net**     Net**                  
    Net profit attributable to       9 450     8 094     14 300                 
    Company`s equity holders                                                    
    Adjusted for:                                                               
Profit on disposal of non-       (637)     (48)      (132)                  
    current assets                                                              
    Reversal of impairment of        (25)      (92)      (157)                  
    property, plant and equipment                                               
and other non-current assets                                                
    Basic headline earnings          8 788     7 954     14 011                 
    Adjustment:                                                                 
    Reversal of put options in                                                  
respect of subsidiaries:                                                    
    - Fair value adjustment          (275)     (114)     (172)                  
    - Finance costs                  240       242       471                    
    - Forex                          97        98        (277)                  
- Non-controlling shareholders   (132)     (108)     (272)                  
    share of profits                                                            
    Adjusted headline earnings       8 718     8 072     13 761                 
    Reconciliation between net profit attributable to the equity                
holders of the company and headline earnings                                
                                     Six       Six       Financial              
                                     months    months                           
                                     ended     ended     year ended             
30 June   30 June   31                     
                                                         December               
                                     2011      2010      2010                   
                                     Reviewed  Reviewed  Audited                
R         R         R                      
                                     Net**     Net**     Net**                  
    Reconciliation of headline                                                  
    earnings per ordinary share                                                 
(cents)                                                                     
    Attributable earnings per share  509,6     439,7     776,2                  
    (cents)                                                                     
    Adjusted for:                                                               
Profit on disposal of non-       (34,4)    (2,6)     (7,1)                  
    current assets                                                              
    Reversal of impairment of        (1,3)     (5,0)     (8,5)                  
    property, plant and equipment                                               
and other non-current assets                                                
    Basic headline earnings per      473,9     432,1     760,6                  
    share (cents)                                                               
    Reversal of put options in       (3,8)     6,5       (13,6)                 
respect of subsidiaries                                                     
    Adjusted headline earnings per   470,1     438,6     747,0                  
    share (cents)                                                               
    Diluted headline earnings per    462,1     425,9     748,9                  
share (cents)                                                               
    Number of ordinary shares in                                                
    issue:                                                                      
    - Weighted average (`000)        1 871     1 840     1 844 321              
686       551                              
    - At period end (`000)           1 884     1 840     1 884 529              
                                     610       616                              
    ** Amounts are stated after taking into account non-                        
controlling interests.                                                      
    Adjusted Headline Earnings adjustments                                      
    Put options in respect of subsidiaries                                      
    IFRS requires the Group to account for written put options held by non-     
controlling shareholders of certain of the Group subsidiaries, which        
    provides the non-controlling shareholders with the right to require the     
    subsidiaries to acquire their shareholding at fair value. Prior to the      
    implementation of IFRS, the shareholdings were treated as non-              
controlling shareholders interest in the subsidiaries as all risks and      
    rewards associated with these shares, including dividends, accrued to       
    the non-controlling shareholders.                                           
    IAS 32 requires that in the circumstances described in the previous         
paragraph:                                                                  
    (a) the present value of the future redemption amount be reclassified       
    from equity to financial liabilities and that the financial liability       
    so reclassified subsequently be measured in accordance with IAS 39;         
(b) in accordance with IAS 39, all subsequent changes in the fair value     
    of the liability together with the related interest charges arising         
    from present valuing the future liability be recognised in profit and       
    loss;                                                                       
(c) the non-controlling shareholder holding the put option no longer be     
    regarded as a non-controlling shareholder but rather as a creditor from     
    the date of receiving the put option.                                       
    Although the Group has complied with the requirements of IAS 32 and IAS     
39 as outlined above, the board of directors has reservations about the     
    appropriateness of this treatment in view of the fact that:                 
    (a) the recording of liabilities for the present value of the future        
    strike price of the written put options result in the recording of          
liabilities that is inconsistent with the framework, as there is no         
    present obligation for the future strike price;                             
    (b) the shares considered to be subject to the contracts are issued and     
    fully paid up, have the same rights as any other issued and fully paid      
up shares and should be treated as such;                                    
    (c) the written put options meet the definition of a derivative and         
    should therefore be accounted for as derivatives in which case the          
    liabilities and the related fair value adjustments recorded through the     
income statement would not be required.                                     
                                     30 June   30 June   31 December            
                                     2011      2010      2010                   
                                     Reviewed  Reviewed  Audited                
Rm        Rm        Rm                     
7.   Capital expenditure incurred     5 708     8 496     19 446                
8.   Contingent liabilities and                                                 
    commitments                                                                 
Contingent liabilities -         936       930       941                    
    upgrade incentives                                                          
    Operating leases - non-          326       579       349                    
    cancellable                                                                 
Finance leases                   281       328       303                    
    Other                            777       664       491                    
9.   Commitments for property, plant  16 457    15 103    22 131                
    and equipment (including                                                    
software)                                                                   
10.  Cash and cash equivalents                                                  
    Bank balances, deposits and      32 760    30 149    35 947                 
    cash                                                                        
Call borrowings                  (419)     (1 067)   (40)                   
                                     32 341    29 082    35 907                 
11.  Interest-bearing liabilities                                               
    Call borrowings                  419       1 067     40                     
Short-term borrowings            4 357     11 367    10 431                 
    Current liabilities              4 776     12 434    10 471                 
    Long-term borrowings             26 016    23 536    24 857                 
                                     30 792    35 970    35 328                 
12.  Events after reporting period                                              
    The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has exercised its rights in     
    respect of the put option it held in MTN Nigeria and has put these          
    shares to MTN Mauritius. The acquisition cost amounted to USD390            
million and payment was made on 15 August 2011. MTN Mauritius has           
    indirectly made available 0,4% of these shares to the local                 
    shareholders of MTN Nigeria for purchase at the same price as acquired      
    from the IFC.                                                               
In 2010, MTN Ghana (Scancom Limited) concluded a deal with American         
    TowerCompany (ATC) to dispose of 1 876 sites to TowerCo Ghana in three      
    phases. The first phase was concluded on 6 May 2011, whereby 400 sites      
    were transferred in terms of the agreement. The second phase of the         
transaction took place on 11 August 2011 whereby a further 770 sites        
    were transferred. The final phase is expected to be completed before 31     
    December 2011 when the remaining sites will be transferred.                 
Administration                                                                  
Directorate: MC Ramaphosa (Chairman), RS Dabengwa* (Group President and CEO), NI
Patel*, KP Kalyan, AT Mikati, MJN Njeke, JHN Strydom, AF van Biljon, J van      
Rooyen, MLD Marole, NP Mageza, A Harper?*Executive                              
Group secretary: SB Mtshali, 216 - 14th Avenue, Fairland, 2195 
 Private Bag    
9955, Cresta, 2118                                                              
Registered office: 216 - 14th Avenue, Fairland, 2195                            
American Depository Receipt (ADR) programme: Cusip No. 62474M108 ADR to ordinary
share 1:1                                                                       
Depository: The Bank of New York, 101 Barclay Street, New York NY 10286, USA    
Office of the South African registrars: Computershare Investor Services         
(Proprietary) Limited (Registration number: 2004/003647/07) 
 70 Marshall       
Street, Marshalltown, Johannesburg, 2001 
 PO Box 61051, Marshalltown, 2107     
Joint auditors: PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc., 2 Eglin Road, Sunninghill, 2157 
  
Private Bag X36, Sunninghill, 2157 and SizweNtsaluba VSP , 20 Morris Street     
East, Woodmead, 2191 
 PO Box 2939, Saxonwold, 2132                             
E-mail: investor_relations@mtn.com                                              
Fairland                                                                        
17 August 2011                                                                  
Sponsor: Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited                         
Date: 17/08/2011 08:30:01 Produced by the JSE SENS Department.                  
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