SA's largest mobile telephone operator Vodacom has increased its total number of customers by 12.7 percent to 34 million, Telkom – which jointly owns Vodacom with the UK's Vodafone – said on Monday.

Customers increased by 7.9 percent to 24.8 million in SA while customers increased by 29.6 percent to 4.2 million in Tanzania.

Customers rose by 25 percent to 3.3 million in the Democratic Republic of Congo while customers in Lesotho increased by 41.6 percent to 395 thousand in Lesotho.

In Mozambique, Vodacom increased its customers by 29.8 percent to 1.3 million.

Vodacom's revenue rose by 17.1 percent to R48.2-billion while profit from operations increased by 15.0 percent to R12.5-billion.

Earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization were up by 15.7 percent to R16.5-billion while net profit after taxation increased by 21.3 percent to R8-billion.

Despite strong competition, Vodacom remained the leader in the SA mobile phone market with an estimated 55 percent market share as at 31 March 2008.

Vodafone of the UK is presently in talks to buy an additional 12.5 percent of Vodacom.

Sapa