Amid shareholder outcry, regulator says transfer of Cell C licence isn't 'unique'

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) says a request by Blue Label Telecoms for the transfer of control of Cell C's licences, including its spectrum, is a mandatory step and standard procedure. This comes amid concerns from a shareholder that assets are being stripped from the company, and that they were not consulted.

CellSAf, which is black-owned and holds about 7.5% of SA's fourth-biggest mobile operator, lodged an objection over the transfer in December, maintaining it is the rightful part owner of the licences. This followed an Icasa publication in a Government Gazette earlier that month that it had received an application for transfer of control of various licences of Cell C, prompting a number of media reports.

Blue Label co-CEO Brett Levy told News24 that this, along with an application to the Competition Commission, was part of the necessary regulatory processes to finally take control of Cell C and involved no physical asset transfers. "It really is in the normal course of what happens in SA on a daily basis," he said.