Zain Kenya plans to invest more than 25 billion shillings ($308.1 million) in the next 18 months in a bid to gain market leadership in the nation of 20 million mobile phone users. Ranked the second largest operator by users in the country, Zain was acquired by Bharti Airtel as part of an Africa-wide deal. The new planned investment is double what Bharti had initially said it will put in. Last week, Zain halved its calling and text messaging charges.
Under the first phase, the firm will focus on revenue growth, subscriber growth and revenue growth, before turning attention to margins. Bharti, which says it is the world's fifth largest mobile operator, aims to inject massive economies of scale, acquired through its position in India, into the Kenyan operation.crackcrack