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MTN drives digital growth and improved access in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West with R350m network investment


Johannesburg, 23 Jul 2021

MTN is making significant headway in ensuring more people in SA benefit from the modern, connected world. The planned network investment in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West areas, for the 2021 financial year of R350 million, is aimed at modernising, upgrading, building new sites and transmission links.

“We want to bridge the digital divide and create exciting opportunities for communities, businesses and individual users. Our investment is therefore far more than achieving market share growth in the region – it is about bringing the benefits of the digital world to more people through a stable, secure and innovative network experience,” says Kagiso Moncho, MTN General Manager for Northern Region.

“We are already seeing active data users and traffic increase as more consumers seek affordable, innovative and reliable digital services and solutions. The key for us is to deliver network excellence and an enterprise turnaround. This will be underpinned by modernisation and roll-out of 5G, together with price competitiveness,” says Moncho.

Maintaining network quality remains the key objective despite challenges, like battery theft.

“MTN is making strides with its fifth-generation (5G) technology roll-out strategy. We have already activated 5G in greater Polokwane and Witbank, and intend to expand the 5G coverage footprint further across the region, into areas such as Nelspruit and Middelburg. Added to this is that 93% of towers in the Northern Region have LTE.

“We are committed to ensuring our network coverage and quality is maintained and expanded so our customers stay connected. This is even more critical in the face of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown; connectivity is essential for medical emergencies as well as for learners and individuals working from home,” says Moncho.

While battery theft and vandalism remain a challenge, MTN has earmarked part of the investment for battery replacement and security programmes in the Northern Region.

“Vandalism of the network infrastructure remains a pain point and hinders the great progress we have made in stabilising and improving network availability. These vandalism incidents affect the economy negatively and the interruptions due to network outages hinder emergency and security services. Unfortunately, Limpopo province is one of the hotspots.

“We plead with the members of the community to report any vandalism incidents that they might witness to the nearest SAPS branches. Our efforts are directed towards building and maintaining a resilient infrastructure amid adversities. We remain committed to proving a modern connected digital life for all,” says Moncho.

MTN’s work in these provinces also includes programmes to help the most vulnerable, particularly in the deep rural villages. Key stakeholder partnerships with government and municipalities will see ongoing support for learners and education facilities. Food parcel support is also a key part of the initiatives being rolled out by MTN Foundation as the COVID-19 hit lives and livelihoods.

The strides being made to help people and communities on the ground across SA is also reflected in recent network successes achieved by MTN, which has been named South Africa’s best network three years (2019-2021) in succession based on P3 Communications. The benchmarking Network Quality score results are indicative that MTN provides its customers with optimum upload and super faster download speeds as well as uninterrupted streaming, surfing and the best in voice calling when compared to other mobile operators.

“We are working tirelessly to ensure our customers enjoy their experience on our Bozza network, and our commitment to serving our customers with distinction will always be at the core of what we do,” concludes Moncho. 

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MTN Group

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers. We are inspired by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code ‘MTN’. Our strategy, Ambition 2025, is anchored on building the largest and most valuable platform business, with a clear focus on Africa. www.mtn.com.

Visit us at www.mtn.com or www.mtn.co.za, or follow us on Twitter @MTNza 

Editorial contacts

Leigh-Ann Chetty
Senior Manager: Public Relations
(083) 209 1310
Leigh-Ann.Chetty@mtn.com
Mthokozisi Ndlovu
Manager: Communications and Public Relations
(083) 209 2683
Mthokozisi.Ndlovu@mtn.com