French telecoms company Orange has no plans to launch a mobile network operator in Swaziland, the company chief executive officer confirmed on Thursday.

Last month it was reported that the French telco was “eyeing Swaziland’s mobile phone market and could soon add Africa’s last absolute monarch to its growing presence on the continent”.

Swaziland has two network operators: Swazi Telecom, which operates as a fixed line network operator and MTN Swaziland, which is the country’s chief mobile operator.

Speaking to ITWeb Africa Orange global chief executive officer, Sebastien Crozier said the report was a misunderstanding as there are no plans for other operations in the landlocked African country.

Orange operates in Swaziland by providing online services and selling devices as well as SIM cards for people travelling to Europe, Botswana, Ivory Coast and African other countries.

Our plans for Swaziland have to do with our online store, which is doing well, Crozier said.

“We have planned for the beginning of next year to extend our coverage of the online store because there is a customer union between Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia,” he said.

“And probably because some people have heard we are going to extend the coverage of the delivery in Swaziland they thought Orange will set a new mobile operator in the country,” Crozier noted.

“We plan to be able to deliver products in Swaziland to our online store. If there are opportunities then why not, but at the moment that is not the case,” he said.

Orange has a huge African presence with operations in 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East.