Telkom Kenya takes on rivals with lower call rates

Telkom Kenya has dropped its off-net call rates for its bundled offerings of Holla Plus and Holla Premium tariffs.

Subscribers of the two tariffs on its Orange network will now enjoy the lowest rates in the market at Sh1.80 from Sh3 previously.

Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday, Telkom Kenya Chief Corporate Communications Officer George Mlaghui said the company was focused on providing customer-centric solutions through its continuously evolving product and service offerings in line with market trends.

He said the telco appreciates the market demand for better quality products that demonstrate more value to customers.

“We are all about creating value to the Telco customer and these Holla bundles confirm our resolve to create more choice,” said Mr Mlaghui.

The all-inclusive Holla Plus and Holla Premium bundles come with free on-net calls and free SMSs across all networks.

GOOD RESPONSE

The Holla Premium bundle also has an increased validity period of 72 hours from the previous 24-hour period.

The bundles come with an automated renewal feature for ease of planning for customers, with the option of deactivation.

Subscribers will also earn Ziada points within the loyalty programme under the same name, for prepaid customers on purchase of any of the Holla bundles.

The Holla bundle offering was launched in the market in 2012, targeting the youth and has since transformed to become a permanent tariff after the company got a good response from its customers.

The move to lower call rates comes months after the telco was accused of inflating their subscriber base.

Orange acquired Telkom in 2007 and has a customer base of 2.9 million users.

It reportedly inflated the number nearly double to appeal to investors before they sold their 70 per cent stake to Helios Investment Partners.

When the new owners Helios Investments took over and did a quick audit, they found that the subscriber numbers had been inflated by nearly double.

In the quarter to June, the firm reported a subscriber base of 5.2 million but in the quarter to September, this dropped to 2.9 million after adopting CA’s recommended 90-day formula.

Helios Partners now controls 60 per cent stake through a Mauritius-registered company, Jamhuri Holdings.

The transaction value was, however, not given although it is thought to be about Sh8 billion.