Cote d’Ivoire is considering the sale of its minority stake (49%) in local subsidiary of French group Orange, on the Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres of Abidjan, Bloomberg said citing government’s spokesperson, Bruno Koné (picture). It’s something that’s being considered, said Koné adding that government was not in a hurry and would wait for the right time to proceed.

Since the successful IPO of Bank Africa Mali, last December 17, listing on the West African regional bourse has decreased. Cote d’Ivoire’s government recently announced a series of privatization processes, mostly through placement via call to tenders.

Presently, investors expect Orange CI, produce of merger between Orange Cote d’Ivoire and Cote d’Ivoire Telecom and in which Orange already had a 51% stake, to be listed soon. “Given its promising results (turnover of 166 billion for a net result of 11.7 billion in 2013), Orange CI should be well received,” said Brice Kouaou, an individual investor of the market, in a concept note issued to the members of his club.  

Orange’s mother company intends to make Orange CI a second hub from which it plans to conquer regional market, and reinforce itself as well, in Liberia and Burkina Faso namely. For now, Sonatel (Orange’s branch in Senegal) and Onatel (subsidiary of Maroc Telecom) are the only ICT firms listed on the BRVM.