Group Ltd. (MTN), Africa’s biggest mobile-phone company, expects “two-digit” growth in Ugandan subscriber numbers over the next 12 months as the start of an oil boom drives economic growth.

MTN’s chief marketing officer in Uganda,  Isaac Nsereko, declined to give further details in an interview in Kampala, the capital, today. Last year MTN boosted its number of customers in the East African country by 18 percent to 7.6 million.

MTN partners Western union

MTN Uganda is also partnering The Western Union Co.  in a joint venture that will enable the mobile-network company’s 2 million mobile-money users to send or receive funds using Western Union’s global network.

Charles Mbire, MTN Uganda Chairman confirmed this development speaking to reporters today in Kampala. The companies also  indicated,  in a joint statement, MTN’s plan to introduce similar partnerships in countries where it has presence.

News of the joint venture comes weeks after a scam that cost the company billions of shillings was reported.

MTN celebrated its seventh anniversary in Uganda last year. The company is closing in on its 1,000,000th customer.