South African mobile operator MTN has seen its prepaid market share drop in the second half of 2013.

Airtime retailer Blue Label Telecoms has published its November 2013 interim results, revealing MTN’s prepaid sales were down on Blue Label’s platform.

MTN’s market share dropped by 11 per cent, from 36 per cent in June 2013 to 32 per cent in November 2013.

Vodacom saw its market share drop slightly from 51 per cent in June to 50 per cent in November.

However Cell C’s market share rose 42 per cent during the same period.

MTN has recently been criticised by Cell C for wanting to keep costs high after the mobile operator took legal action against the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) for its move to impose asymmetrical mobile termination rates (MTR).

“Dominant incumbents are typically defensive when any attempt is made to curb their otherwise abusive behaviour, but isn’t MTN taking it a bit far?” said Jose Dos Santos, acting chief executive officer (CEO) of Cell C.