(Telecompaper) South African operator Telkom plans to rebrand its mobile business 8ta as Telkom Mobile. The company announced the change to employees, saying that 8ta will not be discontinued, but will be re-positioned to focus on specific market segments. This will support the group-wide convergence strategy and support a more effective business with stronger commercial prospects. The 8ta brand has been particularly successful in the youth market, and new propositions will be developed and launched under the 8ta brand in future. Telkom launched 8ta as the fourth mobile operator in South Africa in October 2010, after selling its stake in Vodacom. The operator last reported 1.5 million subscribers at 8ta at the end of September 2012.