Virgin Group and Friendi group announced a partnership agreement on MVNO services in the Middle East and Africa. The new venture Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa (VMMEA) will combine the current operations of Virgin Mobile in South Africa and the Friendi MVNOs in Oman, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, creating a telecom player with more than 1 million customers. The companies said they have complementary brands across their respective demographic targets, and both are focusing on providing great customer service and value for money. The new group plans to further strengthen its presence by launching in more markets across the Middle East and Africa, and is targeting a regional customer base of over 5 million subscribers by 2015 across both the Virgin Mobile and Friendi mobile brands. In addition, Virgin Mobile South Africa's management will change. The current CEO Steve Bailey will step down, and Anton Landman, the former CFO of Digicel Panama, will become CFO. Landman will also take the role of acting CEO until a new CEO is appointed. Upon completion of the deal, Virgin Group will become the largest individual shareholder of the combined group, holding a significant minority stake.
