Mo Ibrahim, has acquired 25 percent stake of ISON Growth Markets, the holding company that owns Spanco BPO Africa Ltd.

Spanco BPO Africa is the African arm of India-based Spanco Limited (SPAL), a telecommunications and call centre Services Company that also has operations in Europe and the Middle East.

The acquisition will help grow SPAL operations across Africa, which includes offering more technology, versus voice-based services.

Although the exact transaction price was not disclosed, the London-based investment firm makes investments within a range of $20 million and $50 million for growth capital and expansion stage businesses.

The acquisition which values ISON Growth Markets at between $80 million and $120 million saw the buyout of Spanco India, to make way for Satya’s entry.

Hence, Spanco BPO has now been rebranded to Ison BPO.

Speaking on the deal, ISON founder and chairman Ramesh Awtaney assured that “the entire management will stay in place, only the ownership has changed.”

ISON has about 4,000 employees spread in Kenya, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Madagascar.

He told local newspaper, Business daily, that the firm’s growth has been largely driven by the increase in internet access in a continent that is under-served by poor infrastructure network.

However, the IT firm is already taking advantage of the widespread mobile phone based internet access in Africa. It is planning to build an IT infrastructure that will allow shoppers to buy goods either through their smartphones or by phoning a call center.

To this effect, ISON has signed an online shopping deal with Nakumatt, the largest retailer in the region.