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MTN Group, Africa’s leading mobile network operator, has entered a strategic partnership with Synamedia, a leading video software provider, to develop a new streaming platform tailored for mobile and fixed broadband subscribers across Africa. This collaboration aims to enhance digital content accessibility and provide a diverse range of viewing options to meet the evolving preferences of audiences throughout the continent.

The service will leverage Synamedia’s advanced, cloud-based technologies to deliver both linear television and video-on-demand content.  The platform will offer diverse monetisation models, including subscriptions, ad-supported content, and free streaming channels with targeted advertising. Each market will benefit from a curated content strategy, thoughtfully adapted to local cultures, languages, and viewing habits – ensuring deep relevance and strong audience resonance across the continent. 

Synamedia’s technology will play a key role in shaping the platform, enabling seamless content management and personalised recommendations. With Synamedia’s integration expertise, the platform will be built for reliability and scalability.

Selorm Adadevoh, Group Chief Commercial Officer at MTN Group, said, “We see a unique opportunity to transform video consumption in Africa with high-quality, accessible, and relevant content. This partnership enables us to leverage cutting-edge technology and deep customer insights to enhance entertainment experiences and drive digital inclusion.”

Paul Segre, Synamedia CEO, said, “Thanks to MTN’s leadership and innovation, smartphone owners across Africa will be able to enjoy innovative linear TV and on-demand video. By taking advantage of the breadth of our integrated, cloud-based portfolio to quickly deploy new services at scale, MTN will be able to create a groundbreaking set of offerings for customers and viewers that will drive new revenues.”

This collaboration underscores MTN Group and Synamedia’s shared commitment to advancing digital inclusion and enhancing access to quality content across Africa. By leveraging innovative technologies and a localised approach, this partnership is poised to create a service that brings value to audiences and contributes to the development of the continent’s digital ecosystem. With this strategic alignment, MTN and Synamedia are taking meaningful steps toward empowering communities, driving industry progress, and shaping the future of entertainment in Africa.

GSMA Board names new Deputy Chair to serve until end of 2026

The GSMA Board of Directors has elected Ralph Mupita as Deputy Chair for the remainder of the Board term, until the end of 2026. In this role, he will support the Chair and Board in overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents the world’s mobile operators and companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.

“This appointment is a great honour as it comes at a time of rapid developments in technology and increasing digital adoption across Africa. Mobile technology will play a critical part in addressing the pressing challenges facing our communities and unlocking the full potential of Africa and the rest of the Global South, ensuring that no one is left behind in this journey toward a more connected future,” Mr Mupita said.

“I am committed to supporting the strategic direction of the GSMA, which plays a pivotal role in representing the global mobile ecosystem. Together, we will continue to drive innovation and positive change in the industry,” he added.

Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, commented: “My warmest congratulations to Mr Mupita on being elected as the Deputy Chair of the GSMA Board. His experience will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the dynamic landscape of our industry. I look forward to working closely with him and the Board.”

Mr Mupita is the Group President and CEO of MTN Group, a position he has held since September 2020, after previously serving as MTN Group’s Chief Financial Officer from April 2017. Since joining MTN, he has helped strengthen the Group’s financial position and strategy formulation and overseen the successful listing of MTN subsidiaries in Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda.

Prior to joining MTN, Mr Mupita was CEO for Old Mutual Emerging Markets, providing financial service solutions to individuals and corporates across 19 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. He holds a BSc. Engineering (Hons) and MBA from the University of Cape Town and has completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Read accompanying release here.

As part of MTN Group’s ambition to lead in the provision of reliable, high-quality home broadband services, the company is pleased to announce the elevation of Group Home into a dedicated business function within Group Commercial. To lead this strategic focus area, Ankur Bajpai has been appointed Executive: Group Home Broadband, effective 1 April 2025.

This move reinforces MTN’s commitment to strengthening its position in the broadband market by ensuring executional focus, accelerating innovation, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. The dedicated function will play a critical role in driving market penetration while achieving sustainable growth through operational excellence.

Ankur brings over 21 years of experience in business strategy and advanced analytics, with extensive expertise in the telecommunications sector. For the past seven years, he has been an integral part of MTN Group, contributing significantly to its growth and innovation efforts.

Throughout his career, Ankur has worked across three continents and travelled to over 80 countries, giving him a rich global perspective. Before joining MTN, he held leadership roles at Etisalat Group, including Director of Commercial Intelligence across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and Assistant Vice President for Corporate Marketing at Etisalat DB. He also held key roles at Idea Cellular and Reliance Communications.

Ankur holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Managerial Finance from Cardiff Business School in Wales and an Advanced Diploma in Web-Centric Curriculum from the National Institute of Information Technology in India.

As Executive Group Home Broadband, Ankur will lead the development and execution of MTN’s home broadband strategy, with a strong focus on Fibre to the Home (FTTH) and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solutions.

“We are excited to see Ankur take on this role at a time when home connectivity is more critical than ever. His leadership will help us bring practical, high-quality solutions to more households across our markets. I’m looking forward to working with him on this journey,” said Selorm Adadevoh, Group Chief Commercial Officer.

Please join us in congratulating Ankur on his new appointment and wishing him continued success as he leads the next chapter of MTN’s home broadband journey.

Driven to extend digital and financial inclusion across Africa, MTN Group and Airtel Africa have entered into agreements to share network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria, while ensuring compliance with local regulatory and statutory requirements.

These sharing agreements target improved network cost efficiencies, expanded coverage and the provision of enhanced mobile services to millions of customers, particularly those in remote and rural areas who do not yet fully enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life.

MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said operators on the continent were seeing sustained demand for data services: “As MTN, we are driven by the vision of delivering digital solutions that drive Africa’s progress. We continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets. To meet this demand, we continue to invest in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity for our customers. That said, there are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher efficiencies and improve returns.”

Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said: “As we compete fiercely in the market on the strength of our brand, services and our offerings we are building common infrastructure, with in the permissible regulatory framework, to provide a more robust and extensive digital highway to drive digital and financial inclusion at the same time avoiding duplication of expensive infrastructure to drive operational efficiencies and benefits for our customers”.

The initiative is part of a growing global trend toward network sharing. By collaborating, telecoms operators can explore innovative and pro-competitive solutions to improve service quality while managing costs more effectively. The sharing of infrastructure has the potential to enable the delivery of world-class, reliable mobile services to more and more customers across Africa.

Following the conclusion of agreements in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa are exploring various opportunities in other markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda and Zambia. Among the types of agreements considered are RAN sharing and those aimed at establishing commercial and technical agreements for fibre infrastructure sharing and, if necessary, the construction of fibre networks.

MTN Group and Airtel Africa are dedicated to working with other mobile operators within the countries in which they have a presence to achieve the advantages of network sharing. Throughout this process, the parties will continue to function as independent market entities and will compete freely in shared markets. This engagement does not preclude the parties from collaborating with other operators in any respective market.

MTN Group on Monday reported a solid underlying operational and financial performance for 2024 – and a particularly strong second half. This strong performance was affected by a sharp drop in the value of the currency of one of our largest markets, Nigeria; and impairments in conflict-hit Sudan

This meant that even though the Group’s service revenue and earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITDA) in constant-currency terms grew by around 14% and 10% respectively, they were negatively affected in reported rand terms.

In the year to 31 December 2024, service revenue of R178 billion was down by some 15% in reported terms, and reported EBITDA (before once-off items) of R60 billion was a third lower than it was in 2023. Basic earnings per share swung by 758 cents in 2024 to a loss of 531 cents.

Adjusted headline earnings per share (HEPS) decreased by 32% to 816 cents, impacted mainly by the sharp devaluation in the naira. With a relatively more stable naira in the second half of 2024 and stronger results from MTN South Africa, second half adjusted HEPS showed strong momentum.

The Board of Directors declared a dividend of 345 cents a share (up from 330 cents in 2023) as the Group reported strong commercial momentum and maintained its guidance over the medium term. The Board, further, anticipates paying a minimum ordinary dividend of 370cps for the 2025 financial year.

We serve 291 million subscribers in 16 markets and progressed key strategic priorities and sustained a healthy financial position as well as balance sheet flexibility in 2024.

“Alongside execution of our commercial strategies, our continued capital investment of R30 billion to strengthen the quality and capacity of our networks enabled us to capture the opportunities in data and fintech across our markets,” said Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, adding that data traffic accelerated by a third, as data subscribers grew by 8% to 158 million active users.

The volume of fintech transactions on MTN’s networks rose by 15% to more than 20 billion valued at over US$320 billion, while the number of active Mobile Money (MoMo) users rose by just less than 1% to 63 million, slowed by initiatives in key fintech markets to enhance the quality, stickiness and profitability of our overall fintech ecosystem.

Data revenue decreased by 12% on a reported basis, but increased by almost 22% in constant-currency terms. Fintech revenue increased by 11% on a reported basis, but by almost 29% in constant currency. As part of our expense efficiency programme (EEP), we realised sustainable savings of R3.8 billion in 2024.

Performance was underpinned by adhering to disciplined capital allocation as well as expense efficiencies. We are well on track to achieve our EEP target of R7-8 billion between 2024 and 2026.

MTN South Africa sustained a resilient overall performance, with service revenue growth of 3.1% to R43.2 billion for the year, underpinned by improved network availability and commercial initiatives. In the latter part of the year, the business delivered some encouraging acceleration in key commercial metrics, with prepaid data revenue returning to growth from November.

MTN Group advanced the execution of our key strategic initiatives in the year. These included the signing of definitive agreements with Mastercard for a minority investment into the Group Fintech structure, as well as the disposal of MTN Afghanistan, MTN Guinea-Bissau and MTN Guinea-Conakry, which further enhanced the Group’s focus and risk profile.

In Nigeria, we renegotiated tower lease contracts, which allow MTN Nigeria to better manage adverse macroeconomic impacts on the business. In Ghana and Uganda, we increased local ownership in our operations. In South Africa, we extended the MTN Zakhele Futhi broad-based black economic empowerment transaction.

“This underscores our dedication to transformation and creating shared value and remains integral to our future success,” Mupita said of the Group that celebrated 30 years of operations in 2024.

Other shared value wins included further reductions in the Group’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions as well as widening access to broadband internet access to cover 93% of the population in our markets. Advancing broadband in rural and remote areas is critical to our work to extend digital and financial inclusion across Africa.

In terms of our economic value-added to the communities we serve, MTN contributed approximately R155 billion in the year, including around R206 million in corporate social investment programmes across our host nations.

Looking ahead, Mupita said although there remained some macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties in the near term, he was encouraged by trends in various indicators. These included inflation (which showed signs of abating in the second half of 2024), reduced forex volatility (particularly of the naira), as well as the tariff adjustments in Nigeria which we started to implement in February 2025. These prompted MTN Nigeria to re-instate its medium-term guidance.

“MTN Group is well positioned to capture the exciting opportunities in our markets and deliver on our medium-term objectives to sustain growth, create shared value in nation states and communities, and unlock value for our stakeholders,” he said.

SENS: https://irhosted.profiledata.co.za/mtngroup/2019_feeds/SensPopUp.aspx?id=507535

At MTN Group, we believe that when women thrive, communities prosper. As the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD), we reaffirm our commitment to empowering women across Africa and beyond by using our technology and resources to make a tangible difference in the lives of women entrepreneurs.

The theme of IWD 2025 is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”. It calls for collective action to unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for women and girls everywhere, and MTN is leading the way.

“Women entrepreneurs are not only catalysts for economic growth but are also pivotal in transforming communities and industries,” said MTN Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Nompilo Morafo.

“From building innovative tech startups to supporting local economies, female entrepreneurs are challenging the status quo, breaking barriers and paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future,” she added.

Despite their immense potential, however, women face unique challenges, including limited access to finance, resources, mentorship and technology.

“It’s time for society to take collective action and support these women who are already making an impact,” said Morafo. “At MTN, we believe that when women thrive, communities thrive. This IWD, we reaffirm our commitment to empowering female entrepreneurs by bridging digital and financial gaps, enabling them to access financial services, connect with markets and grow their businesses.”

MTN Group, operating in 16 countries across Africa and the Middle East, is focused on creating a digital ecosystem that enables women to break free from the constraints of inequality. By leveraging our wide-reaching mobile technology and financial services, MTN is helping to bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship, offering women the tools, connections and resources they need to succeed.

Here are just a few ways MTN is actively empowering female entrepreneurs and supporting women’s rights and equality:

1. MTN Mobile Money: Empowering women through financial inclusion

One of the most powerful ways MTN is empowering women entrepreneurs is through MTN Mobile Money (MoMo), our mobile financial service. In many African countries, women face obstacles in accessing traditional banking services, often due to geographical barriers, lack of documentation or societal norms. MoMo is changing that by offering a safe and convenient way for women to manage money, make payments and access financial services right from their mobile phones.

In Uganda, for example, Joyce Ssebugwawo, a small-scale farmer and businesswoman, uses MoMo to sell her produce to customers in remote areas, allowing her to reach a wider market. By accepting payments digitally, she can reduce the risk of cash theft and streamline her business operations. MoMo has also enabled her to save, invest and access loans, directly contributing to the growth of her business and her financial independence.

MTN is committed to ensuring that women across our markets can easily access mobile money services and financial literacy programmes, helping them take control of their economic future.

2.Local Impact: Women entrepreneurs across MTN’s markets

Across MTN’s countries, from Nigeria to South Africa, Cameroon to Côte d’Ivoire, women entrepreneurs are benefiting from MTN’s initiatives. In South Africa, MTN has partnered with local incubators and accelerators to provide women-led startups with mentorship, access to investors and digital tools to help them scale.

In Ghana, MTN has rolled out the MoMo Entrepreneurship Programme, which supports women entrepreneurs by helping them integrate digital payment solutions into their businesses. Women who were previously selling goods in informal markets are now able to accept payments via MoMo, gaining access to a broader customer base and enhancing their financial security.

The impact of women entrepreneurs is undeniable, but their journey is far from easy. They face financial, social and cultural challenges that hinder their progress. However, as MTN demonstrates through our initiatives, the path to equality, rights and empowerment is not just a distant ideal—it is happening now, one digital connection at a time.

As we celebrate IWD 2025, MTN calls on governments, businesses and individuals to continue supporting women entrepreneurs. We must break down the barriers, remove the obstacles and ensure that women have the resources, the rights and the opportunities they need to thrive.

New contract expands Network International’s growing portfolio of issuer processing collaborations in the African continent

Network International (Network), a leading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has been appointed as a Payment Processor – Issuing partner for MTN Group Fintech, Africa’s leading mobile financial services provider. This partnership marks a significant extension of Network’s portfolio of issuer processing collaborations throughout the African continent.

With a footprint spanning over 50 countries and serving over 250 financial institutions, Network International brings its expertise to this partnership which will enhance MTN Fintech’s cutting-edge mobile services and provide even greater value to stakeholders and customers across Africa.

The partnership will focus on rolling out card issuance products across key MTN Fintech markets, starting with Rwanda which is already operational. Soon   Uganda, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria will also be covered under this collaboration.  Network International will provide a comprehensive range of services, including transaction processing, card management and online fraud prevention. MTN Fintech users will benefit from a seamless experience accessing both traditional mobile services and innovative digital payment solutions.

Dr. Reda Helal, Group Managing Director – Processing, Africa and Co-Head Group Processing at Network International commented: “Our collaboration with MTN Group Fintech marks a major milestone for our outsourced payments services in Africa. It demonstrates our ability to successfully serve Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) via our fully-fledged processing solutions and our continued dedication and commitment to the African region. We are excited to support MTN Group Fintech’s growth strategy, and its business development plans across the continent.”

Cedric N’guessan, Executive for Payment and E-commerce at MTN Group Fintech added, “This collaboration with Network International is pivotal in enhancing financial inclusion across Africa and beyond. It enables our customers to actively engage in the global economy, aligning perfectly with our strategic goals alongside Mastercard to broaden access to digital financial services across the continent.” Read More

MTN Group provides voice, data, fintech, enterprise wholesale and API services to more than 288 million customers in 16 African markets. 

MTN Group Limited (“MTN”) announces the conclusion of the sale of its operations in Guinea (also known as “MTN Guinea-Conakry”), to the State of Guinea, on 30 December 2024. This transaction aligns with MTN’s focus on portfolio optimization and simplification, as part of the Ambition 2025 strategy.

MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, stated: “This milestone marks a new phase for MTN Guinea-Conakry under local ownership, and MTN thanks the staff, customers, regulators and broader stakeholders in Guinea for the support during the time MTN has been operational in the country. Concluding this transaction is in line with the strategy to simplify the portfolio and allocating capital to markets where we can make a difference as MTN and deliver long-term growth and returns.”

MTN Group is pleased to announce key leadership changes aimed at addressing succession, operational execution, and advancing the Ambition 2025 strategy.

Operating Companies’ Leadership Changes

Mitwa Ng’ambi, CEO of MTN Cameroon, will move to the same position at MTN Côte d’Ivoire, effective 1 March 2025, as Djibril Ouattara takes early retirement. We thank Djibril for his significant contributions to MTN, including his leadership of MTN Congo-Brazzaville. To ensure an orderly handover, Djibril will support Mitwa during her transition for a few months.

Mitwa brings over 15 years of telecom experience and transformational leadership, having served as CEO of MTN Cameroon since September 2022. She is also the Board Chairperson of Mobile Money Corporation, MTN’s fintech subsidiary in Cameroon. Prior to her role in Cameroon, Mitwa was CEO of MTN Rwanda, where she successfully led the renewal of the company’s licence and spearheaded its growth and listing on the Rwanda Stock Exchange. Previously, she held leadership positions at Airtel Tigo in Ghana and Tigo in Senegal. Mitwa’s experience and track record will add impetus to the growth and turnaround of MTN Côte d’Ivoire.

Wanda Matandela, Chief Commercial Operations Officer at MTN South Africa, has been appointed as the new CEO for MTN Cameroon, effective 1 March 2025. Wanda joined MTN in 2018 as Chief Enterprise Business Officer and drove the turnaround of this business. With over 20 years of experience, including more than 13 years in telecoms, he has held strategic roles across the FMCG and financial services sectors. Wanda serves on the boards of Supersonic (Pty) Ltd and MTN Rwanda PLC. His strong commercial and stakeholder management experience will be invaluable as he builds on the high impact and energy created under Mitwa’s leadership, bringing new capabilities and insights to drive growth in Cameroon.

Change in leadership at digital infrastructure business

Effective 1 January 2025, Mazen Mroue, MTN Group Chief Technology and Information Officer (GCTIO), will assume additional responsibilities as CEO of Digital Infrastructure (Infraco). This new role will incorporate the mobility and fibre businesses of Bayobab, along with executing our data centre strategy as we position MTN Group for growth and profitability in the development of AI across Africa. In this dual role, he will continue to report to the Group President and CEO and remain a member of the Group Executive Committee.

Since joining MTN in 1998, Mazen has held various senior positions within the Group’s regional operations in Africa and the Middle East, including CEO and COO roles across multiple operating companies. He has also served as a board member of various companies within the MTN Group. Mazen’s strong technology and operational experience, combined with his track record of delivery, positions him well to fulfil this dual mandate.

Frédéric Schepens, current CEO of Bayobab, will be leaving the group effective immediately. We thank Frédéric for his contributions and wish him success in his future endeavours.

MTN Group President & CEO Ralph Mupita extends his best wishes and appreciation to all incoming and outgoing colleagues, expressing confidence in the internal succession bench-strength of the business. He emphasises the importance of driving execution and maintaining our commitment to digital and financial inclusion priorities across our markets.

The digital age offers remarkable opportunities for children across Africa but also exposes them to significant risks, requiring collective action to ensure their safety. Today, MTN Group convened policymakers, educators, advocacy groups, and digital safety experts to unveil the findings of its Online Child Safety African Insights research, conducted in partnership with IPSOS.

The event also highlighted MTN’s renewed efforts under its Help Children Be Children (HCBC) initiative to address online child abuse and exploitation.

The research, which spanned Nigeria, South Sudan, and Zambia, sheds light on critical challenges facing children in the digital space. In Nigeria, over 50% of children surveyed reported experiencing bullying or harassment online, with many refraining from seeking help due to fear of judgment or punishment. In South Sudan, unrestricted access to inappropriate content without adequate parental guidance was linked to heightened stress and behavioural issues among children. Meanwhile, Zambian parents and educators highlighted the urgent need for support in navigating online safety measures.

Alarmingly, the data also showed a direct link between online abuse and adverse mental health impacts, including anxiety and withdrawal in children.

MTN Group’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Nompilo Morafo, emphasised the collective responsibility for safeguarding children online: “This research underlines the urgency of equipping children with the skills to protect themselves online while empowering caregivers to create safer digital environments.”

“MTN is steadfast in our commitment to ensure the digital world offers growth and opportunity, free from harm. However, this is a collective responsibility—we cannot do it alone,” she said. IPSOS Associate Director Marcus Hollington concurred: “The research underscores the urgency of equipping children with the skills they need to protect themselves online while also empowering the adults in their lives to provide effective support,” he said, adding: “Education and peer influence are crucial to fostering safer digital behaviors in these diverse contexts.”

The HCBC campaign addresses the key challenges highlighted in the research, focusing on peer advocacy and enhancing the capabilities of caregivers and educators. By empowering children—many of whom face online harassment and exposure to harmful content—MTN aims to create a secure digital environment. It does so by championing online safety within its communities and equipping adults with tools and knowledge to mitigate these risks. This approach not only reduces exposure to risks but also promotes positive mental health outcomes, addressing the emotional toll identified in the research.

A cornerstone of MTN’s efforts is its partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). This collaboration has resulted in the creation of the Africa-wide MTN-IWF Portal, a critical resource for reporting and addressing harmful online content. Accessible at Child Online Protection | MTN.com, the portal enables swift action to tackle Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). In 2023 alone, MTN inspected over 656 million URLs using adaptive systems to block harmful sites identified by IWF.

The findings and MTN’s proactive measures underscore the importance of collaboration. Governments, civil society, businesses, and individuals must unite to protect children from the dark side of the internet. Reports of harmful online activity can be made through the MTN-IWF Portal to ensure the swift removal of dangerous content.

MTN remains resolute in its mission to safeguard Africa’s youngest digital users, empowering them to explore the internet confidently and safely while ensuring their well-being and security remain at the forefront.

Read the full Online Child Safety African Insights research: here