MTN Group hosted its annual Ambassadors’ Appreciation Dinner in Sandton on Thursday, welcoming South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, together with ambassadors, high commissioners and representatives of development institutions and international organisations from across MTN’s markets.

During the evening, MTN presented the 2026 Y’ello Care Awards, honouring the colleagues and teams who worked alongside health ministries, health workers and communities during this year’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care.

Welcoming guests, MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said the Group’s success has always been intertwined with that of the countries and communities it serves.

“A year ago, I said the time was now for Africa to take charge of its own socioeconomic progress. I believe that more firmly today,” said Mupita. “Progress is built through partnership. For your partnership, we sincerely thank you.”

Since 2007, Y’ello Care has seen MTNers lend their time, hands, skills and care to communities in each of their markets. This year, from 1 to 21 June, they turned their focus to health, under the theme “Expanding Equitable Health for Every Community”. According to Africa CDC and McKinsey, Africa carries about a quarter of the global disease burden but only 3% of the world’s health workforce, and the gaps are widest in rural and underserved communities.

A total of 6,384 MTNers from MTN’s operating companies, MoMo and Bayobab, MTN’s digital infrastructure business, gave more than 50,000 volunteer hours to healthcare initiatives that reached more than 400,000 people.

MTN Eswatini was named overall winner for the fifth time. Working with the Luke Commission, it extended a medical drone network to a remote clinic, cutting the delivery of medicine from up to four hours by road to as little as 30 minutes.

MTN Benin received the Francophone Region Award for a campaign built with the Ministry of Health, which included a national blood donation drive, surgery for children awaiting care and the renovation of a hospital dispensary.

MTN Uganda received the SEAGHA Region Award for maternal and child health work in four districts, including smartphones and digital skills for community health workers.

Bayobab won the Platform Business Award for a campaign across eight markets that used connectivity to strengthen health facilities, including a telehealth network linking a hospital and two primary healthcare centres in Nigeria.

Winning teams were joined on stage by representatives of their diplomatic missions, in recognition of the partnerships that made the work possible.

Fourteen awards were presented in all, and every operating company and platform business that took part was recognised.

MTN Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Nompilo Morafo said the strongest initiatives went beyond once-off support: they listened first, worked alongside governments and development partners, and strengthened existing health systems.

“Expanding access to healthcare is not only a health imperative; it is essential to education, skills development, inclusion and sustainable growth,” said Morafo. “I am deeply grateful to every MTNer who gave their time and skills, and to the health workers, governments and communities who made this work possible. These awards recognise what they achieved together.”

Note: Please find the Group President and CEO’s remarks here.