MTN Group proudly announced at its annual Ambassadors Appreciation Dinner that it had reached its Ambition 2025 strategic target of serving 300 million customers. The dinner was hosted as part of its commitment to connecting communities across Africa.
The gathering brought together African diplomats and senior public-sector officials, CEOs from across MTN’s markets, and members of the MTN Group Executive Committee to strengthen collaboration, investment and policy alignment in support of Africa’s digital transformation.
“The time is now for Africa to take charge of its own socio-economic progress. We need to look within for solutions and to develop our own communities,” said MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita. He referenced global geopolitical uncertainty that had curtailed the foreign aid on which large parts of the continent typically depended.
Mupita drew encouragement from MTN employees (known as MTNers) and their communities, who weren’t deterred by the challenges they faced. They chose instead to roll up their sleeves and participate in the company’s annual employee volunteerism campaign — 21 Days of Y’ello Care — working together to extend digital and financial inclusion, particularly in rural, remote, and underserved areas.
“Tonight, we celebrate our Y’ello Care employee volunteers and take inspiration from their can-do attitude. We also celebrate their dedication which has led to the group meeting a strategic milestone by serving more than 300-million customers a mere three decades since the start of our first commercial operation in SA.”
MTN Group chief sustainability and corporate Affairs officer Nompilo Morafo said the 2025 Y’ello Care campaign — themed “Connecting at the Roots: Connecting communities through the use of digital tools” — illustrated how collaboration and innovation translated into progress across communities.
Through initiatives developed by employees and local partners, it demonstrated how digital tools were expanding opportunity and improving everyday life across Africa.
“Y’ello Care embodies our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life, while reminding us that progress is ultimately built through people — our ideas, commitment and compassion,” Morafo said. “I am grateful to MTNers, partners and community collaborators who continue to bring this belief to life.”
Several employee-led volunteer projects were lauded during the annual Y’ello Care Awards at the Ambassadors Appreciation Dinner:
- MTN Eswatini received top honours for its Government in Your Hand initiative, which integrates MTN’s mobile money platform, MoMo, to deliver essential public services and build digital literacy, advancing national e-governance and inclusion.
- MTN Cameroon earned the WECA Region Award for its community-driven digital centres that empower citizens to co-create local solutions, strengthening participation and innovation at the grassroots.
- MTN Uganda won the SEA Region Award for expanding digital inclusion through computer labs, solar-powered health centres, and vocational training, equipping communities with digital skills, connectivity, and access to essential services.
- MoMo, the winner of the inaugural Platform Business Award, was recognised for driving financial inclusion through digital training, entrepreneurship support, and technology-enabled healthcare access.
- MTN Nigeria received a Special Mention Award for the scale and innovation of its Y’ello Boxes and MoMo Market Storm initiatives, which deepen digital and financial inclusion for women, traders, and small business owners.
Additional recognition went to operations across MTN’s markets for projects exemplifying MTN’s values. Connecting purpose with action, MTNers help build societies that are more inclusive, more resilient and more hopeful.
Mupita thanked the diplomatic community for its continued partnership and for supporting an enabling environment that fosters sustainable investment and innovation.
He noted that this spirit of collaboration remained vital as Africa advanced towards the goals of Agenda 2063 — the African Union’s strategic plan for the socio-economic transformation of the continent — reaffirming that the journey is ambitious but achievable, grounded in partnership and guided by a vision of an inclusive digital future.
This article was sponsored by MTN.
