KATTA DICKO President and General Manager of Sotelma

Mali’s national telecommunications company, Sotelma, is looking abroad for help in carrying out its ambitious plans for modernizing its infrastructure and expanding its networks.
Sotelma’s president and general manager, Katta Dicko, makes it clear that the company needs a strategic partner with an international profile that is willing to commit itself to a long-term investment.
This partner, Mr. Dicko notes, will be able to repatriate the expected hefty profit in Mali’s booming telecoms sector.
Telecommunications is, without a doubt, one of the 21st century’s greatest growth sectors, and Sotelma plans to participate fully in the development of the market in Mali.

Currently, Sotelma is a public entity, but a very substantial minority share will be offered to the appropriate partner to be selected soon with the help of a consultant, which has yet to be named by the Mali government, with international expertise in the telecommunications field.
This partner, in addition to investing in infrastructure, should also be able to provide the technological know-how for expanding the existing network with state-of-the-art technology and be especially adept at management, a quality that it will be called upon to share with local Malian managers.

Sotelma is looking for a strategic partner to make a long-term commitment

In return, Mr. Dicko says Sotelma has a lot to offer its future partner. The company’s balance sheet is in excellent shape; its networks –both land lines and satellite links–extend across the entire country.
Adding to that is the fact that Sotelma has a well-trained work force. Its technicians are kept up to date through regular training sessions both in Mali and abroad. It should also be noted, Mr. Dicko stresses, that in Mali, labor is much cheaper than in many other countries.

Moreover, Sotelma is the sole proprietor of a GSM cellular telephone license through its subsidiary Malitel. The ongoing search for a strategic partner is to some degree prompted by the recent deregulation of telecommunications in the country and the consequent prospect that competitors will invest in this ever-growing sector.
With the assistance of a sound strategic partner, Mr. Dicko explains, Sotelma will be in the perfect position in this new market to meet those competitors head on.