As South Africans, we have long been on a transformative journey – one marked by remarkable achievements and challenges, but most importantly, a spirit of unity and determination.
President Ramaphosa’s recent State of the Nation Address underscored the government’s commitment to driving inclusive growth, creating jobs, and building a capable developmental state. These are ideals that resonate with us at MTN South Africa, where we are committed to sustainable development and transformational growth to achieve a prosperous South Africa.
MTN’s story mirrors that of our country. From the dawn of our democracy in 1994, we have been driven to bridge divides, connect people and enable progress. When MTN began, only 1% of black South Africans had access to phones. Today, the MTN Group connects 288 million people across 17 countries. We are eager to maintain that momentum.
Building strong partnerships
A key component of MTN’s success has been our commitment to work with the government to the benefit the public sector and the people of South Africa. Through the RT15 transversal contract, we have developed cost-effective communication solutions across essential sectors, reducing the state’s costs and simplifying vital functions, ensuring greater efficiency.
By supporting educational initiatives with the Department of Basic Education, we are helping build a better future for South Africa’s youth. Recently, MTN was privileged to be part of the announcement of the exceptional 2024 matric results alongside Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
MTN has also invested billions of rands to enhance the resilience of our network, particularly in the face of loadshedding. Our ultra-rural network expansion efforts have brought 4G to remote communities from Lusikisiki to Msinga and Mhlabuyalingana.
Connecting communities, empowering lives
Our commitment to developing communities began in 1995, increasing teledensity in disadvantaged areas. This evolved into a broader focus on digital inclusion and community empowerment. The MTN South Africa Foundation, established in 2001, is now one of the largest corporate investors in social responsibility in Africa, creating lasting change.
In 2024, for example, our ‘Digital Skills for Digital Jobs’ programme invested R14 million providing IT skills training to 900 unemployed youth. Through our ‘Connecting Every Child’ initiative, we are donating 30 000 devices to underprivileged learners, giving them the tools to access digital learning and opening up a world of opportunity. Through our digital education programmes, we have reached hundreds of thousands of learners, trained countless teachers, and established over 500 multimedia facilities.
These initiatives are designed to create sustainable pathways for development, ensuring that technology works as a catalyst for social progress.
Looking ahead, a digital future for South Africa
As President Ramaphosa emphasised in his address, South Africa’s future depends on innovation, growth and development. The telecoms industry is central to this, and MTN is committed to supporting the government by providing state-of-the-art technology, connectivity and digital skills. We are here to enable, empower and enhance the capacity of both government and citizens, ensuring that everyone has the capacity to make the moves needed to reach their full potential.
As not only South Africa’s best network, but also the official mobile and connectivity partner to the SA government, MTN is poised to contribute to the realisation of several critical initiatives aimed at modernising public services. MTN will play a key role in enhancing the digital public infrastructure, and we are willing to support the government’s implementation of a digital identity system, which will streamline interactions with public services and help create an accessible, efficient government system.
From the judicial services, where we are poised to assist in digitising and streamlining critical paperwork for swift and fair justice, to healthcare, MTN is committed to providing the connectivity and support for the establishment of electronic national health records, helping to improve service delivery.
As the country’s data centre industry continues to grow, MTN is actively involved in expanding network capacity to ensure that South Africa remains a key hub for data storage, generating new job opportunities. MTN is also willing to support the government’s visa digitisation programme by providing robust telecoms infrastructure to ease the application process to attract talent and investment.
The story of MTN is inseparable from the story of South Africa; a story that is still being written. As we celebrate the past 30 years of innovation and impact, we look ahead with optimism towards a South Africa where technology is a force for good, where opportunities are accessible to all, and where no one is left behind. United in purpose, let us continue to transform South Africa into a nation where possibilities become reality.
