Steve Bailey, former Virgin Mobile SA (VMSA) CEO, has returned to the country after having quit as head of SA's only mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to take up a position with Nigeria's second-largest mobile service provider last month.
According to Bailey, this follows late payment and a discrepancy in the terms agreed between himself and Glo Nigeria, the West African hub's second biggest cellphone operator after MTN. Bailey says not only did Glo pay him late, but the amount the cellphone giant paid him was less than what had been agreed upon.
Bailey flew back to SA on Friday and says he will not consider returning to Glo, even if the company offered satisfactory conditions. He says the business and living environment in Nigeria is challenging, but concedes it is “improving all the time”.
Short-lived shift
Bailey resigned as CEO of VMSA at the end of May and, on 13 June, set off for what was to be the new home to him and his family. He joined Glo as chief commercial officer, running Glo Nigeria's sales and marketing division.
Having brought Virgin from a loss-making to a break-even business during his three-and-a-half-year tenure there, Bailey said he felt he was leaving VMSA with the sound knowledge that it had a good foundation.
VMSA signed a strategic partnership with Dubai-based MVNO Friendi Group at the beginning of June, which essentially saw the reins being put in the Middle East telco's hands. The company has not yet announced who will succeed Bailey, but says it has a “highly experienced candidate” in line.
Glo Nigeria has over 25 million subscribers, almost a third of the country's total mobile phones in use (90 million). At the time of his departure, Bailey said he was looking forward to “seeing things from the other side”, having gone from a marginal player in SA's mobile telecommunications market, to a larger, established contender in Nigeria's.
Glo Nigeria could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
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