MTN

MTN Ghana, Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), and the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Ghana Awards (SMEGA) have officially launched the SME Acceleration Programme, a joint initiative aimed at enhancing the capacity and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana.

Unveiled in Accra on May 14, the programme seeks to promote business formalisation, increase market access, and strengthen resilience across key economic sectors. Running from May to November, the programme will provide targeted training in product packaging, customer service, branding, and value addition.

“We have over a hundred SMEs attending today’s edition,” said Mohammed Abubakari-Sidick, Senior Manager for SME at MTN Ghana. “They will be taken through the necessary training to foster development in their respective sectors.” He also noted that SMEs unable to attend in person can still benefit through the MTN SME Fair and Market Stall, offering them greater market exposure.

Emmanuel Brahuah, Partnership and Schemes Officer at GCB, highlighted the bank’s role in providing a robust package of financial support, including flexible loans, working capital, and tailored SME accounts. He emphasized GCB’s expanded focus on digital banking and financial literacy to ensure greater accessibility and efficiency for SME clients.

Kwesi Ofori Jnr., CEO of SMEGA, commended MTN for spearheading the initiative and affirmed SMEGA’s commitment to ensuring maximum SME participation across the country.

The SME Acceleration Programme represents a significant step forward in empowering Ghana’s SMEs—promoting sustainability, innovation, and economic inclusion.

Source: B&FT Online

Kampala, Uganda – Bayobab, the digital infrastructure arm of MTN Group, has launched a new 1,000+ km fiber optic route connecting Kenya and Uganda, with plans to expand into Tanzania. The deployment strengthens East Africa’s digital backbone, supporting hyperscalers, enterprises, and rural connectivity.

Key Highlights:

• New Route: The 260 km Ugandan segment runs along the rail corridor (Kampala–Tororo–Malaba), linking major data centers in Kenya and Uganda.
• Regional Expansion: Part of Bayobab’s “East-to-West Fibre” initiative, targeting 135,000 km of proprietary fiber across Africa by 2025.
• Investment: The $13 million project enhances digital resilience and creates alternative data traffic routes.

Quote:
“This isn’t just fiber—it’s a catalyst for East Africa’s digital transformation,” said Sylvia Anampiu, Bayobab Kenya MD.

The rollout aligns with MTN’s strategy to boost cloud services and attract tech investments in the region.

Source: Extensia.tech, with data from Agency EcoFin

MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, recently paid a courtesy visit to Hon. Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, during a working trip to Kigali. The visit included engagements with the leadership of MTN Rwandacell PLC and Mobile Money Rwanda.

Their discussions focused on developments in the ICT sector, particularly reflections on the AI Africa Summit held in Kigali in April 2025. The summit underscored the continent’s determination to play a leading role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Mr. Mupita, who was recently appointed Deputy Chairperson of the GSMA (serving through 2026), reiterated MTN Group’s full support for MWC Africa 2025, also scheduled for Kigali. The event is a key platform uniting policymakers, operators, and innovators to drive inclusive and sustainable digital transformation across the continent.

MTN continues to champion Africa’s digital future through investments in connectivity, strategic partnerships, and leveraging AI-driven solutions to boost socio-economic development.

Source: extensia.tech
Original Source: TechAfrica News

MTN Ghana, in partnership with the University of Ghana’s Faculty of Agriculture and smart agronomic solutions provider Defarmercist, has launched a GH¢3 million Vegetable Centre of Excellence at the University of Ghana Farms, Legon. The initiative aims to empower Ghanaian youth with practical agricultural skills and reduce unemployment through vocational training in modern agribusiness.

The pilot phase of the project will train at least 300 young people over the next two years, offering both theoretical and hands-on instruction in greenhouse farming, crop production, marketing, and agribusiness management. Graduates will also receive support in accessing land, farming tools, and market linkages to establish their own ventures.

Speaking at the launch, Adwoa Wiafe, MTN Ghana’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, emphasized the initiative’s role in making agriculture appealing, practical, and profitable. “This is a homegrown initiative—from training to production—and it’s aimed at creating real, lasting impact,” she said.

Charles Agyeman, General Manager of Defarmercist, noted the program’s practical, two-phase design, integrating best practices from countries like Israel and the Netherlands to ensure that graduates are business-ready.

Professor Eric Nartey, Dean of Agriculture at the University of Ghana, praised the initiative and called for more investments in smart classrooms to extend training to underserved communities.

The Centre is expected to strengthen Ghana’s local agricultural ecosystem, reduce dependence on imports, and create sustainable opportunities for youth in agribusiness.

Source: Daily Guide Network

MTN Group has confirmed a cybersecurity breach involving unauthorized access to customer data in certain countries where it operates. The telecommunications company, however, has not yet disclosed which countries have been affected.

In a statement released on April 24, 2025, MTN said the incident involved an intrusion by an unknown third party, who claimed to have accessed parts of its systems. The company emphasized that there is currently no evidence suggesting that customers’ accounts or mobile money (MoMo) wallets have been directly compromised.

“An unknown third party has claimed to have accessed data linked to parts of our systems,” MTN said, adding, “At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers’ accounts and wallets have been directly compromised.”

MTN assured customers that its critical infrastructure—including its core network, billing systems, and financial platforms—remains secure and fully operational.

Following the breach, MTN activated its cybersecurity protocols, informed law enforcement agencies including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), and began cooperating with investigations in affected countries.

The company is notifying impacted customers in line with local legal and regulatory requirements and has also issued general security advice. Customers have been urged to stay vigilant, use strong and unique passwords, enable multifactor authentication, and avoid sharing sensitive information like PINs, passwords, and OTPs via phone, SMS, or email.

MTN reiterated its commitment to transparency and customer protection, stating that safeguarding customer data remains its top priority. “We will continue to contain and manage this matter carefully,” the company said. “MTN remains committed to protecting the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and stakeholders.”

Source: My Joy Online

MTN Group has reassigned MTN Rwanda’s Mapula Bodibe and MTN South Sudan’s Ali Monzer as part of a leadership reshuffle to support succession planning and advance its Ambition 2025 strategy.

Ali Monzer, formerly CEO of MTN South Sudan, now heads MTN Rwanda, bringing over 21 years of telecom experience. MTN Rwanda Chairman Faustin Mbundu highlighted Monzer’s leadership through challenging conditions in South Sudan, including war and economic instability.

Mapula Bodibe, who led MTN Rwanda since 2022, moves to MTN South Sudan. Her tenure saw notable milestones, including the launch of MTN Rwanda’s own 4G network, the country’s first live 5G demo, and the affordable Ikosora smartphone initiative. She also oversaw major network upgrades in Kigali.

Mbundu praised Bodibe’s impactful leadership and welcomed Monzer’s appointment to build on her legacy.

Source: IT Web

South Africa’s MTN Group has made a net gain of R564 million ($29.76 million) from selling 1.57 billion shares in its Ugandan subsidiary, despite offering them at a discount to meet Uganda’s 20% local ownership rule for foreign telecoms.

According to MTN’s 2024 audited financials, the sale generated R1.03 billion ($54.67 million) after taxes and costs. This latest transaction, completed in June 2024, reduced MTN’s stake in MTN Uganda from 83.05% to 76.02%.

The discounted offer, priced at Ush170 ($0.04) per share versus the original IPO price of Ush200 ($0.05), included an incentive of 30 free shares for every 140 purchased. The deal was oversubscribed 2.3 times, attracting three billion share requests.

This follows MTN’s initial public offering in Uganda in November 2021, which sold a 12.97% stake. Together, both offers helped MTN meet Uganda’s regulatory requirement to localize at least 20% of telecom ownership.

The move reflects broader pressures in Uganda, where the government seeks to curb profit repatriation by foreign-owned telecoms. Airtel Africa, facing the same rule, also plans to offload an additional 9.11% stake in Airtel Uganda after only partially meeting the requirement in its 2023 IPO.

MTN has also pursued localization elsewhere, including the sale of 686 million shares in MTN Ghana, reducing its stake to 73.99%. Meanwhile, the company continues to navigate operational challenges, such as a R11.72 billion ($618.66 million) impairment in Sudan due to conflict and inflation.

Additionally, MTN reported gains from subsidiary sales in Afghanistan and Guinea-Bissau (R1.3 billion) and a loss of R1.9 billion from exiting Guinea-Conakry in 2024.

Source: Extensia

MTN Group has teamed up with Meta to improve voice and video call quality on real-time apps like WhatsApp across 12 African markets. The collaboration focuses on optimizing network performance through data analytics, testing, and targeted interventions to ensure a more stable and seamless user experience.

Since MWC 2024, both teams have worked to fine-tune network and app interactions. Nigeria is the first country to benefit, with early results showing a 50% improvement in key performance indicators.

MTN Nigeria’s CTO, Yahaya Ibrahim, praised the enhanced user experience, while Meta’s Diego Marí highlighted the partnership’s role in delivering advanced, efficient solutions.

Source: Extensia

MTN Group is preparing to sell an additional 11% stake in MTN Nigeria to local investors, aiming to deepen local ownership and reduce its shareholding from 76% to 65%. The move builds on its 2021 sale of 575 million shares, part of a broader strategy to localize ownership across Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda.

Group Chairman Ralph Mupita indicated the offer will launch once MTN Nigeria’s financial position stabilizes amid a challenging macroeconomic environment. Inflation in Nigeria rose to 33.1% in 2024, with the naira depreciating significantly against the dollar.

Despite these headwinds, MTN Nigeria reported a 36.1% increase in revenue to N3.36 trillion (USD 2.1 billion) in 2024. However, the company posted a net loss of N400.43 billion and has suspended dividend payments for the year.

MTN says it remains committed to sustainable growth and will continue to adapt to economic shifts while engaging stakeholders on future developments.

Source: Extensia