Category: Media releases

MTN Group is the first African telecommunications company to join the IoT World Alliance, the leading enabler of connected IoT solutions Johannesburg – Telecommunications operator, MTN Group is proud to announce that it is the first African telecommunications company to join the IoT World Alliance. IoT World Alliance is a collaboration of established mobile network operators which aims to adopt and run a globally connected business through well-executed and smart business decisions.

Multinational corporations planning to roll out connected devices worldwide face a multitude of hurdles. As the largest mobile operator cooperative in the world, the IoT World Alliance aims to eliminate the complexity associated with worldwide deployments of connected devices.

The Alliance provides a global solution aimed at simplifying and promoting the adoption of IoT communications worldwide. The unique solution leverages the operators’ combined global presence to the benefit of customers.

MTN Group Executive for Enterprise Business, Oliver Fortuin said “We are very proud to be a member of the Alliance, not only do we join a community of like-minded telecommunications companies committed to making global connectivity cheaper and simpler, but as MTN we believe this partnership supports our efforts to deliver on our core belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life.”

Commenting on the partnership, IoT World Alliance Chairman Mark van den Berg said, “We are pleased to have MTN on board, and look forward to leveraging the scale and reach that MTN has in Africa and parts of the Middle East. I think it is an exciting and long overdue partnership not only for MTN Group but also for IoT World Alliance as we work towards enabling our customers’ IoT device connectivity. He added that, “we look forward to a long-lasting partnership and most importantly working together to offer customers the solutions they need when they need them”.

About the IoT World Alliance

The IoT World Alliance is a global collaboration of telecommunications providers dedicated to providing multinational customers with seamless machine-to-machine device connectivity around the world through its Single Global SIM solution. The IoT World Alliance enables businesses to deploy an international IOT solution through a single point of contact, manage a vast number of connected devices through a unified IOT platform, and leverage the reach of the world’s largest IoT partnership. Current members include KPN, NTT DOCOMO, Rogers, SingTel, Telefonica, Telenor Connexion, Telstra, Veon, and DNA.

For more information please visit: www.iotworldalliance.org

Johannesburg – Two of Africa’s largest mobile operators and mobile money providers, Orange Group and MTN Group, today announced a joint venture, Mowali (mobile wallet interoperability), to enable interoperable payments across the continent. Mowali makes it possible to send money between mobile money accounts issued by any mobile money provider, in real time and at low cost.

Mowali will immediately benefit from the reach of MTN Mobile Money and Orange Money, bringing together over 100 million mobile money accounts and mobile money operations in 22 of sub-Saharan Africa’s 46 markets. Mowali is ready to enable interoperability between digital financial service providers beyond MTN and Orange operations and markets, to support the existing 338 million mobile money accounts in Africa.

Mowali is a digital payment infrastructure that connects financial service providers and customers in one inclusive network. It functions as an industry utility, open to any mobile money provider in Africa, including banks, money transfer operators and other financial service providers.

The objective of Mowali is to increase the usage of mobile money by consumers and merchants. Mowali enables money to circulate freely between mobile money accounts from any operators in all countries. From the customer’s point of view, this means “I can pay or receive money anywhere from my mobile account regardless of my operator”. The system will unlock further innovation in the digital financial space within the continent.

For Stéphane Richard, Chairman & CEO of Orange, “by providing full interoperability between platforms, Mowali will provide an important step forward that will allow mobile money to become a universal means of payment in Africa. Increasing financial inclusion through the use of digital technology is an essential element in furthering the economic development of Africa, particularly for more isolated communities. This solution embodies Orange’s ambition to be a leading player in the digital transformation of the continent. By joining forces with another of Africa’s market leaders, MTN, we aim to accelerate the pace of this transformation in a way that will change the lives of our customers by providing them with simpler, safer and more advantageous services.”

“One of MTN’s goals is to accelerate the penetration of mobile financial services in Africa, Mowali is one such vehicle that will help us achieve that objective. Furthermore, co-operation and partnerships that help us accelerate the pace of development and overcome some of the scale, scope and complexity of challenges that society faces are key. This partnership with Orange is therefore an important step in helping us play a meaningful role in supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals related to eliminating extreme poverty and enhancing socio-economic development in the markets we operate in and beyond. Thus giving our customers access to a bright, digital future.” said Rob Shuter, Group President and CEO of MTN.

The GSMA supports the Mowali initiative as interoperability at this scale is a key accelerator for both financial inclusion and Mobile Money usability across Africa. “Today, there are over 690 million mobile money accounts around the world. Mobile money services have become an essential, life-changing tool across Africa, providing access to safe and secure financial services but also to energy, health, education and employment opportunities. The creation of Mowali will help to further transform mobile financial services throughout the African region. It demonstrates the mobile industry’s continued leadership and commitment to driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment through industry collaboration. The GSMA is proud to support its development,” said Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA.

“Interoperability of digital payments has been the toughest hurdle for the financial services industry to overcome, in support of financial inclusion. With Mowali, Orange and MTN deliver a solution that will enable them, and other companies, to scale digital financial services across Africa, faster, to everyone—including the poor,” said Kosta Peric, deputy director of Financial Services for the Poor, at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “This is a signal that a new wave of innovation, which can help alleviate poverty and drive economic opportunity, is coming. We’re pleased to see an implementation of Mojaloop —an open source payment platform available to operators across the sector—help achieve that.”

Mojaloop is open-source software for financial services companies, government regulators, and others taking on the challenges of interoperability and financial inclusion

New handset makes internet connectivity and advanced digital services affordable for everyone
13 November 2018 – Today, at the annual AfricaCom conference in Cape Town, the CEO of MTN Group, CEO of KaiOS Technologies Inc., Executive Vice President of China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd., and Executive Vice President of UNISOC announced a partnership to launch the world’s first 3G smart feature phone in Africa, powered by KaiOS.

The new product will allow customers to upgrade from a feature phone with only voice and text capabilities, to a fully connected handset with fast, 3G internet. Because of the competitive pricing of the device, access to advanced digital services is finally a reality for everyone.

Of the partnership, Rob Shuter, Group President and CEO of MTN, said, “As MTN we are proud to be part of this partnership that supports our ambitions to deepen digital inclusion in our markets. This initiative contributes to the achievement of one of our key goals to provide affordable data enabled handsets to our customers, and by so doing, remove some of the barriers to mobile internet adoption in Africa.”

The new smart feature phone runs on KaiOS — the world’s leading operating system for smart feature phones — and includes the following features and services:

Fast internet access through Wi-Fi and 3G
Bluetooth connectivity and GPS for navigation
The Google Assistant and other smart services
The KaiStore, home to the world’s most popular apps and localized content
2 cameras, as well as music and video streaming services
Long battery life 2000mah
Dual SIM support

“With 834 million people still unconnected to the internet in Africa, today’s launch with MTN, UNISOC and China Mobile stands to have a significant impact on communities across the continent,” said Sebastien Codeville, CEO of KaiOS Technologies. “MTN has one of the largest customer bases in the region, and coupled with KaiOS, we’re taking an important step toward closing the digital divide on the continent.”

KaiOS already powers close to 50 million smart feature phones globally, including in the USA, Canada, India, China, and several countries in Europe. It has overtaken iOS as the second most popular mobile operating system in India (based on data usage) and is at the forefront of connecting the next billion users by enabling devices that provide affordable mobile internet access.

The 3G smart feature phone will initially be available from MTN in Nigeria and South Africa, followed very shortly by the other MTN operations in Africa as well as the Middle East. The new product will retail between $20-$25, which is relatively affordable compared to the price of other devices across the African continent.

Li Huidi, Executive Vice President of China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd, said, “As the largest Telecom Operator in China, we have made fruitful attempts at rapidly promoting business development through device customization. We hope to share our experiences in this regard with international operator partners, and help them expand market presence through device customization, thus delivering the dividend of reliable mobile networks to more users.”

“As the largest operator in Africa, MTN Group has achieved excellent progress. China Mobile is very honoured to be MTN’s strategic and cooperative partner, and is willing to provide customized integrated device solutions to MTN. Jointly, we can provide intelligent connectivity for the multi-billion market in Africa, and help to promote the digitalization of the continent.”

Through the efforts of all parties, this product will help convert African 2G users to 3G, allowing African people to enjoy high-speed mobile networks. The new smart feature phone is powered by the UNISOC SC7731EF, the first 3G smart chipset with up to 256MB RAM. The device has a 2.4’ screen, 256MB/512MB RAM/ROM, a 2000MAH battery, and supports dual SIM. It will be available starting from the first quarter of 2019.

“UNISOC has been in the African market for over 10 years and every year more than 100 million mobile phones powered by UNISOC chips are sold in Africa.” said Adam Zeng, Executive Vice President of Unigroup and CEO of UNISOC., “UNISOC is glad to partner with MTN, China Mobile and KaiOS, and together we will continue to invest more to fill in the gaps in the mobile communications and IoT fields in African markets. With customized solutions and excellent services, we will create a rich and diversified mobile ecosystem for Africa that will enable more than 1 billion African consumers to connect intelligently.”

Johannesburg – MTN Group has announced its Sudan operation as the winner of this year’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care employee volunteerism programme. The programme, which ran for 21 days in June, saw over 9000 employees across the company’s footprint dedicating their time and efforts to uplifting local communities. The initiative benefitted over 256 000 people across the company’s operations.

From 01 to 21 June, MTN employees partnered with a myriad of institutions to provide laptops, electronic boards, data, and training in ICT skills. In recognition of the impact of the projects, MTN Group awards prizes to the top four performing operations. This year, MTN Sudan claimed the coveted Group President and CEO prize of US$ 100 000.

MTN Sudan’s CEO, Malik Melamu said: “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to MTN Sudan employees. Every year I see them coordinate their efforts all in the name of doing good in our communities, it is great that their efforts are recognised”.

MTN Sudan partnered with key stakeholders to uplift small enterprises; partners included an online shopping and logistics platform which created a merchant account for one of its beneficiaries that works with disabled people, offering them services for free. While another partner offered training at a discounted rate to beneficiaries for 12 months.

Throughout the programme, approximately 99 educational institutions were positively impacted across the MTN footprint. Furthermore, close to 7500 students were given career guidance through a new addition to the programme dubbed Y’ello Career Day. The career day was aimed at empowering young people by preparing them for the future of work through sharing insights into the digital future.

MTN Afghanistan received the Vice President Award for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The operating company was lauded for their excellent execution of the Y’ello Career Day, and other impactful programmes, which included the provision of brand ambassador training to female youth and the launch of a capacity building centre.

The Vice President Award for the Southern, East Africa and Ghana (SEAGHA) region went to MTN Uganda. The operation implemented a waste management campaign while simultaneously providing young people with training and tools on how to generate an income from waste.

MTN Benin received the Vice President Award for the West and Central Africa (WECA) region for their innovative use of ICT for educational purposes. As part of their main campaign, the team engaged with the Ministry of Education and collaborated with education experts to deliver e-learning content to students via the company’s digital classrooms as well as Facebook, to help them prepare for exams.

Recipients of the Vice President regional awards each receive US $30 000; all prize money received by the operations will be ploughed back into future community projects.

MTN Group Manager for Government Relations and CSI, Miranda Davids, said: “since its inception, 21 Days of Y’ello Care has had one primary objective, and that is to transform the lives of people where we operate. I am particularly proud of all MTNers that heed the call every year and dedicate their efforts to social good. I am excited about the future of the programme as this year we have re-oriented our CSI strategy to focus on Youth Empowerment. I look forward to seeing the lives of youth impacted for the better”.

Johannesburg – MTN’s annual employee volunteerism programme, 21 Days of Y’ello Care, which ended on 21 June saw thousands of employees from 20 countries across the MTN footprint taking part in various activities to impact the lives of the communities around them.

The initiatives ranged from clean-up campaigns, to building training institutions, refurbishing schools and libraries, establishing ICT centres, running health awareness campaigns, supporting orphans and raising funds for worthy causes.

The highlight of this year’s programme however, was the Global Y’ello Career Day held across 19 of the company’s operating companies. The career day was the perfect way to end a successful 21 days of employee volunteerism, with MTN joining forces with public and private sector entities to prepare young people for the future of work, by sharing insights into the digital future.

The youth were educated and enlightened about how technological advancements are reshaping the world as we know it, and the skills and competencies they need to acquire to succeed in the future. They were also given practical tips to help them bolster their employment prospects, and introduced to the concept and practice of entrepreneurship.

Reflecting on the career day, Miranda Davids, MTN Group Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Manager said: “The idea of the global career day was born out of our desire to support governments and other stakeholders to reduce the digital skills gap among the youth in our markets, so that they can take advantage of the opportunities presented by new technology.” She also lauded the efforts of all MTN employees who contributed to the success of this year’s edition of Y’ello Care, adding that it serves to strengthen the company’s community development efforts, particularly those aimed at uplifting the youth, who often feel marginalised and excluded from the digital economy.

During the 21 days some MTNers who operate in trying conditions rose to the challenge to make a difference to so many people’s lives, for instance, MTN Syria held Ramadhan Iftar for more than 300 orphans in Damascus, while MTNers in Afghanistan worked together to launch a capacity building centre, and in Sudan employees provided support to low income families by providing small urban farming units to be used as food sources and a means for generating income.

Other operations like MTN Business Kenya and MTN in Ghana engaged in activities aimed at ensuring environmental sustainability; Kenyan employees installed a bio-digester, to produce biogas for catering classes at a training centre while MTN Ghana collected plastic bottles for recycling at the James Town Beach in Accra. These are just a few of the activities that MTNers engaged in, but that will transform the lives of thousands of people.

All MTN operations that participated in Y’ello Care 2018 stand a chance to win monetary prizes, which will be re-invested into CSI or community upliftment programmes in their countries. These include the Group President and CEO prize of US$100 000, and first and second runner up prizes of US$30 000 each. Winners will be announced in the latter part of 2018.
– Issued by MTN Group Corporate Affairs

For more information, please contact:
Karen Byamugisha on +27 (0) 83 214 3685 or at Karen.byamugisha@mtn.com mtngrouppressoffice@mtn.com
Follow us: @MTNGroup