Mobile operator Airtel Zambia has initiated a retrenchment process in order to downsize its workforce, the company has confirmed.

Managing Director Peter Correia said the exercise is aimed at reinforcing the company's competitiveness in the marketplace.

In a statement Correia said to date 41 Airtel Zambia workers have been retrenched and this has been done in order 'to create a high performing organisation'.

"Airtel Zambia has embarked on a strategic restructuring that will reposition the business and

reinforce its competitiveness in the market place. The exercise which is focused on aligning the company's structure with its operating model, also entails a right-sizing that impacted 41 members of our current workforce," Correia said.

However, the company has not said how many more people will be affected by the exercise.

Until 2014, Airtel Zambia was the country's largest mobile phone operator but was overtaken by MTN Zambia, which currently holds over 51% of Zambia's mobile phone market share. Airtel Zambia is now the country's second largest mobile phone operator.

The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) claims that MTN Zambia is the fastest growing network in the Southern African country.

The statement from Airtel Zambia also said that Bharti Airtel has made changes in its senior management and its African operational structure to form a cluster based model. Its 15 operations have now been reduced to 8 clusters with some managing directors taking over two countries.

Correia is now in charge of Zambia and Malawi.

Christian de Faria, MD and CEO of Airtel Africa has also been elevated to the position of Executive chairman and will lead all matters relating to legal, regulatory affairs, shareholders as well as mergers and acquisitions.