Tag: Awards

Artificial intelligence (AI) is potentially the most powerful tool for inclusive growth in Africa, but the continent is in a race against time and must act with urgency to overcome the risk of further inequality and the creation a digital underclass. This is according to the continent’s largest mobile operator MTN Group.

“We must be obsessed and paranoid about not being left behind,” MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita told The Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation (KMF) Inclusive Growth Forum over the weekend.

He said Africa’s path to inclusive AI required speedy action on six fronts.

Firstly, AI needs more abundant electricity supplies to drive economic growth. The IEA has estimated that Africa’s energy and climate-related goals by 2030 require annual investments of more than US$200 billion. The International Monetary Fund has said that all data centres combined use as much power as some of the world’s largest economies, and data centre power demand may triple by 2030.

As Africa has less than 2% of global data centre capacity, Mupita said it needs to invest heavily in digital infrastructure, beyond investment in fibre and subsea cables. The International Telecommunication Union has said that Africa needs around US$96 billion until 2030 to plug the digital infrastructure capex gap.

Thirdly, Africa needs to speed up the development of its own large language models (LLM) to power AI-driven solutions for its 1.5 billion people. There are more than 2 000 distinct African languages and Mupita said that fewer than 2% of them are supported by mainstream LLMs.

He was building on comments he made in New York in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, when he took up a call to action from Nigeria for MTN Group to support the collection of datasets of African languages, including funding academic research into the continent’s languages.  

This followed the launch of the Nigerian Atlas for Languages & AI at Scale (N-ATLAS) – an open-source multilingual LLM designed to understand and generate Nigeria’s diverse voices and create datasets for AI solutions.

Mupita told the KMF gathering that Africa must act with urgency to develop strong digital and AI skills. “This is an opportunity to enable Africa’s rich pipeline of youth, which will make up the world’s largest workforce by 2050,” he said, adding that by 2030, there would be an estimated 230 million digital jobs in sub-Saharan Africa.

“We must ensure that new jobs and augmented jobs are greater than the jobs lost, particularly with the youth divided that Africa will have.”

Calling AI a tool to solve Africa’s unique challenges, particular in high impact sectors, Mupita said Africa needed to combine traditional AI and generative AI for the greatest value across key use cases in key sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture.

Finally, he said if Africa was to turn its ambition into reality and create – not merely consume – AI, partnerships were essential. “To give African AI initiatives scale and joint success, governments, the private sector and civil society must partner on policy, data governance and skills development. And we must do this without delay.”

MTN Group has once again been recognised for its leadership in capital markets stakeholder engagement at the 2025 Extel Europe & Emerging EMEA Equities Awards, for executive teams. This survey, compiled independently by Extel, is among the most globally respected measures of corporate performance in Investor Relations, reflecting the feedback of a wide spectrum of institutional investors, analysts and broader capital markets stakeholders.

The 2025 survey for Emerging EMEA specifically drew responses from over 460 voters, nominating 608 individuals from 304 companies. Overall, respondents were up by 14% from last year, with votes weighted across a wide set of performance attributes. These measures included management credibility and leadership, capital allocation, productivity of investor engagements, quality of investor events, granularity of disclosures and ESG metrics; underscoring the robustness of the results as a reflection of market sentiment and perceptions.

Against this rigorous benchmark, MTN was excited to be named Best Corporate in Investor Relations and Best Team in Investor Relations, in the Large Cap EMEA-TMT sector, with the Group also ranked first in the Most Honoured Companies category.

MTN was further distinguished within its sector, ranking first with stakeholders in the EMEA-TMT across eight award categories: Best Company Board, Best CEO – Ralph Mupita, Best CFO – Tsholofelo Molefe, Best Investor Relations Professional – Thato Motlanthe, Best Investor Relations Team, Best Investor Relations Program, Best Investor/Analyst Event and Best ESG Program.

“The work to safeguard and enhance MTN’s reputation with our capital markets stakeholders is a major priority for us. We are humbled by this recognition and grateful to investors and analysts for their continued engagement,” said Tsholofelo Molefe, MTN Group Chief Financial Officer, adding: “These awards are a testament to the hard work of our Investor Relations team and the collaboration across MTN to ensure that we communicate openly, consistently and with integrity. We remain committed to strengthening trust through financial discipline, transparent reporting and constructive dialogue with all our stakeholders.”

“The scope and scale of the Extel survey make the recognition especially meaningful. It is shared with the colleagues across the organisation that we work with every day, and we are deeply appreciative of the confidence placed in MTN by the investment community,” said Thato Motlanthe, MTN Group Executive for Investor Relations. “We will continue to focus on providing clear and timely insights, while listening closely to the perspectives of our stakeholders, as we work to build enduring relationships that support MTN’s long-term success,” he added.

The recognition extends MTN’s consistent record in the Extel Europe & Emerging EMEA Equities Awards and reinforces its standing as a leading African multinational with a sustained reputation for effective capital markets engagement.

MTN Group, in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the African Editors Forum (TAEF), today launched the Pan-African Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a continental initiative to equip journalists with the skills, tools, and networks required to navigate a rapidly changing information environment.

The programme builds on the success of the MTN Nigeria MIP, established in 2022, and now extends the model to media practitioners across MTN’s footprint. It offers a certified 12-week curriculum, delivered independently by UJ and TAEF, which combines online academic modules with in-person immersion in Johannesburg. Participants will explore digital transformation, the sustainability of independent media, ethics and law, entrepreneurship, and the impact of platforms and emerging technologies on the information ecosystem. Industry masterclasses, newsroom visits, and innovation projects will connect academic learning to practice.

The launch comes at a time when Africa, like the rest of the world, faces rising levels of fake news, coordinated disinformation, and fragile business models. Strengthening media resilience is critical to advancing the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goal of inclusive, informed, and democratic societies. For MTN, the initiative also aligns with its role as a trusted partner to the countries where it operates, ensuring that connectivity supports not only digital access but also the institutions that safeguard trust.

Speaking at the launch, Nompilo Morafo, MTN Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer said, “Africa’s digital future depends on both the infrastructure we build and the strength of the institutions that foster trust and accountability. Through the Pan-African MIP, we are investing in media capacity and innovation alongside respected academic and editorial partners. Together we aim to strengthen the information ecosystems that are essential for resilient democracies and inclusive growth.”

UJ spokesperson added, “Our partnership ensures that the programme is rooted in academic rigour while responsive to the realities of newsrooms. Equipping journalists with the skills to navigate disruption and build sustainable models is critical for the future of the profession.”

African Editors Forum spokesperson said, “Editors across Africa welcome this initiative. Independent media are indispensable to democratic governance, and partnerships such as this provide a pathway to greater resilience, collaboration, and trust.”

The launch, held at MTN’s Innovation Centre in Johannesburg, coincided with a visit from Nigerian journalists representing the MIP Alumni Association, symbolising the transition from a national programme to a Pan-African platform. The first cohort of fellows will begin in 2026.

MTN Group has retained the top spot in the annual ‘Brand Africa 100: Best Brands’ survey, also continuing to lead the list of African brands ‘doing good for society, people and environment’ in recognition of our ESG efforts to create shared value and a sustainable business, society and world.

“This Africa Day, we take heart from this accolade and would like to acknowledge and thank our partners everywhere for their support,” said MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita.

“MTN is committed to meeting our customers’ current and future needs, leveraging digital capabilities for a more sustainable future, and fostering strong partnerships to drive meaningful change. These awards inspire us to keep focused,” he added.

The Brand Africa awards are the result of independent research in more than 30 markets which account for 85% of the continent’s population and economic activity.

MTN Group has mobile operations in 17 countries on the continent. Since 2021, our strategy has been ‘Ambition 2025: Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress’.

Among our ESG commitments are those to eco responsibility and achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040; driving digital and financial inclusion and a diverse society; being a committed partner to stakeholders to create and protect value; and boosting inclusive economic growth across the continent.

In April, Brand Finance ranked MTN as the most valuable South African brand, as well as the top South African brand by ‘sustainability perceptions value’, assigning MTN a brand value of R68.2 billion and a sustainability perceptions value of R5.7 billion.

Brand Africa Recognition

MTN is honoured to have received The Africa-America Institute’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Award, which recognises corporations that have made significant contributions to Africa’s progress and demonstrated a commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth, positively impacting communities and industries.

The accolade was presented at AAI’s 70th Anniversary Gala event in New York on Tuesday evening.

“As Africa’s largest mobile network operator, MTN has contributed to a revolution in the way Africans communicate with each other and the world – bridging the digital divide, catalysing economic growth, and raising living standards across the continent,” said AAI President and CEO Kofi Appenteng.

“MTN has been fundamental in supporting collaboration and the continent’s ability to share its achievements and history, something that is at the core of AAI’s mission. MTN’s work and that of its foundations is an inspiration. The company’s commitment to inclusive connectivity, gender equality, accelerating financial inclusion, and empowering employees and communities deserves recognition,” he added.

MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita accepted the award on behalf of MTN’s more than 17 000 employees across 19 markets: “We are humbled by this recognition. We are also inspired and encouraged to continue to drive digital and financial inclusion and create shared value. We believe this work gives Africans dignity, hope, and opportunity.”

Latest data from the GSMA and Broadband Commission shows that for every 10% increase in internet use, GDP grows by an additional 1.5%. However, a third of the world’s population does not use the internet at all.

“These people are still not digitally connected and could well end up as a digital underclass,” said Mupita, adding that priority must be given to investments in digital infrastructure and services to avoid even more inequality. “We must ensure that as technologies such as AI develop, we also get large language models trained on African languages. Initiatives such as conversational payments that are taking root in places like India must come rapidly to Africa.”

MTN Group’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Nompilo Morafo said the AAI recognition was both a validation and an inspiration for MTN’s commitment to responsible business practices and sustainable growth. “Our business has always been about more than connectivity; it’s about empowering communities, driving inclusion, championing diversity, and ensuring that our operations leave a positive, lasting impact.”

The AAI’s Annual Awards Gala, held during the United Nations General Assembly, is a marquee event celebrating the accomplishments of Africa and its global diaspora. The gathering attracts a diverse audience, including heads of state, diplomats, international officials, philanthropists and business leaders.

“As we celebrate this esteemed recognition, we are reminded that our work is far from complete,” said Morafo. “This award fuels our resolve to intensify our efforts. Working together, with our partners, communities, governments, and other stakeholders, we will continue to champion initiatives that drive Africa’s digital transformation and socio-economic betterment,” she added.

To focus MTN’s CSI efforts and maximise their impact, MTN launched our first foundation in 2001 in South Africa. Since then, we have rolled out another 12 foundations across 18 markets and impacted the lives of more than 40 million people in the last four years alone. We focus on strategically building an ICT ecosystem to deliver greater inclusion to the most vulnerable, with a special focus on enabling digital skills for digital jobs to address job creation, enhance competitiveness, and drive inclusive growth for the communities we serve.

The prestigious Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Awards ceremony brought together procurement professionals from around the globe to celebrate their accomplishments. MTN Global Sourcing and Supply Chain (GSSC) emerged as the standout winner, taking home five prestigious awards, including the coveted “Procurement Team of the Year – Large Organization.”

The awards won by MTN GSSC include “Best Approach to Risk Mitigation” and “Best Initiative to Deliver Social Value Through Procurement,” highlighting the team’s commitment to excellence and their ability to create tangible value for their organization and society.

This impressive accomplishment demonstrates MTN GSSC’s unwavering commitment to delivering value and innovation, embodying the essence of MTN Group’s Ambition 2025 strategy – leading Africa’s digital advancement while making a positive and sustainable impact on the continent. Dirk Karl, Group Executive and Chief Procurement Officer, was recognized as “Leader of the Year” for his exceptional leadership skills and the positive impact he has made on the team and the procurement profession as a whole. Karl’s leadership has been instrumental in successfully implementing MTN’s agile operating model, contributing to the team’s outstanding performance.

The pinnacle of the night was MTN GSSC being named the “CIPS Overall Winner,” an award celebrating their extraordinary achievements across all categories.

“These awards underscore the hard work and dedication of our team, and their commitment to delivering value and making a positive societal impact. Transforming GSSC into an agile, innovative organisation underpins our success tonight and this would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our Group Chief Financial Officer, Tsholo Molefe and our Group Chief HR Officer, Paul Norman. It’s an honour to be recognized in this way, and it only strengthens our resolve to continue our relentless pursuit of excellence, shared value, and digital progress for Africa.” Says Dirk Karl, Group Executive and Chief Procurement Officer

The CIPS awards ceremony is a globally recognized event celebrating the accomplishments of procurement professionals. MTN GSSC’s sweeping victory at this year’s ceremony sets a new benchmark in procurement excellence and serves as an inspiration to their peers worldwide.

MTN Group is pleased to announce the continued recognition of its efforts to engage with stakeholders as we continue to create shared value in line with our Ambition 2025 strategy. The Group was recognised in a total of six categories at the Institutional Investor: 2022 Emerging EMEA Executive Team Awards. 

The awards, which recognise the Emerging EMEA region’s best-rated Investor Relations (IR) and executive teams, are based on an independent assessment and rating of more than 17 IR performance metrics by leading global buy and sell side professionals.

Specifically, MTN Group attained second place rankings within EMEA TMT for the Best IR Program, Best Analyst/Investor Event, Best ESG, Best CEO, Best Company Board and Most Honoured Company.

The assessment was based on feedback from over 270 investment professionals and 183 financial services firms who were asked to provide ratings on metrics including CEO credibility, leadership and communication as well as the impact and productivity of roadshows, earnings calls and the IR teams’ responsiveness and knowledge of the company and sector.

MTN remains steadfast in our commitment to engaging with our stakeholders, and in this instance the investment community. The continuous feedback is critical to enhancing how the company communicates and engages with our stakeholders.

MTN Group was the only African company in the Top three of any category in EMEA TMT.

MTN Group has been recognised as having one of South Africa’s finest Investor Relations teams, scooping three awards at the inaugural Intellidex Top Investor Relations SA Survey Awards.

Investment analysts and portfolio managers surveyed for the awards placed MTN Group first in the industrial sector, third among large cap stocks listed on the JSE, as well as third in the overall rankings.

“MTN Group is honoured to have received this recognition, which is evidence of our commitment to transparent communication with our stakeholders, in this case the investment community,” said Group CFO Tsholo Molefe. “We strive to keep the capital markets appraised of our progress as we execute on our Ambition 2025 strategy, which is centred around driving accelerated growth,  faster deleveraging, and revealing value within its financial investments and platforms.”

Respondents shared their views on the quality of investor relations among JSE-listed companies and were asked to rank the best and worst five companies among those they cover. They were also asked to rank these companies on a number of factors including the quality of engagement with senior management, annual reports, notes to the financial accounts, presentations, earnings and booklets.

“We are humbled by the recognition and grateful to our investors, analysts and other stakeholders who engage MTN,” said MTN Group Executive for Investor Relations Thato Motlanthe. “This feedback is invaluable in driving our Investor Relations programme and journey of progress. It’s also important to acknowledge the hard work of the Investor Relations team at MTN, the collaboration of the various teams within the Group as well as the guidance and support of Management and the Board. It is all critical in enriching MTN’s Investor Relations effort.”

The introduction of this survey is expected to improve engagement by listed companies with the investment community, with this ultimately encouraging better communication.

MTN Group has received recognition on the 2021 Fortune Change the World list. The Change the World List is a global ranking of the top 53 companies that make a measurable progress addressing pressing social problems as part of their business strategy.

“MTN is humbled to be recognised on the Fortune Change the World list. We are committed to changing the world through meaningful contributions to the societies across the markets in which we operate,” says MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita. “Our networks, products, and services are supplied with the intention of closing the digital divide by facilitating digital communications and financial inclusion.”

The publishers of the Change the World list have noted that many of this year’s honourees are battling to reverse the neglect of some societal needs, as magnified by the pandemic. These companies are investing in the long-term health of their businesses by supporting those on the lower stages of the global economic ladder, including distributing COVID-19 vaccines in low- and middle-income nations.

Since the start of the spread of COVID-19, MTN has remained committed to playing a part in the ongoing fight against the pandemic through our global mask wearing awareness campaign #wearitforme and #onemorepushafrica. Heeding the call for vaccinations across the African continent, MTN donated US$25 million to support the African Union’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. The donation to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) will help secure up to seven million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for health workers on the continent.

Also noted during the pandemic, the urgent need to stay connected, saw data traffic soaring by 110% in 2020. MTN was able to address gaps in connectivity by improving the affordability of its services, whilst providing digital and financial solutions to consumers and businesses, and helping to drive digital inclusion to the most vulnerable and marginalised communities on the African continent.

For MTN, better connectivity doesn’t mean less eco-responsibility. MTN works with its partners to make sure we limit our environmental impact and safeguards biodiversity around every cell tower we build. MTN has also set science-based targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 47% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. 

For us, this is about being part of the long-term solution, harnessing the power of partnerships to act swiftly to address the challenges brought on by the pandemic, whilst prioritising our people, customers, and communities, as well as looking after our businesses and the environment. It is for this reason, we continue to believe in the power of collective action to make a meaningful difference, focusing our efforts where needs are greatest.

Read more:

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How a pan-African company is connecting the world—responsibly

For the second year in a row, MTN Group has been named the most valuable African brand in the Brand Finance Africa 150 rankings, which assigned the group a brand value of US$2.7 billion – US$1.0 billion above the next most valuable brand.

A report on the 2021 survey’s findings states that “the telecoms giant dominates on home soil too, this year holding onto its decade-long reign as South Africa’s most valuable brand”.

Brand value is defined as the “net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market”.

Brand Finance Africa said the value of the continent’s top 150 brands fell by a combined US$5.5 billion in 2021, largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic creating uncertainty and impacting brands’ ability to do business as usual. In 2020, it had assigned MTN a brand value of US$3.3 billion.

MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said the latest accolades were achieved thanks to the hard work of MTNers across the continent and their commitment to bringing to everyone in 17 African markets the benefits of a modern connected life.

“We are both humbled and inspired by the confidence our customers and broader stakeholders continue to place in the MTN brand. At the core, a brand is about exceeding promises, expectations and delivering true value,” Mupita said.

“MTNers know this is the work that needs to be done every day, everywhere, as we remain focused on our core belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life.”