Business Enquirer Issue 112 | MTN Zambia | April'23

LEADING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR AFRICA’S PROGRESS

MTN ZAMBIA

MTN ZAMBIA PROJECT

DIRECTED BY: CHARLOTTE ROPE

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

LEADING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR AFRICA’S PROGRESS

MTN’s purpose is to enable the benefits of a modern connected life to everyone. Inspired by Africa’s potential, MTN is committed to bridging the digital divide, and furthering financial inclusion.

Established in South Africa in 1994, the business has grown by investing in sophisticated communication infrastructure, developing new technologies and by harnessing talent.

Ambition 2025

With purposeful core values (leadership, innovation, relationships, integrity, and “can do”) the business has made its intent for the future clear, with strategies in place for 2025 and 2030.

Ambition 2025: Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress, intends to harness the leading brand’s footprint, connectivity infrastructure and technology platforms.

The strategy to 2025 is anchored in building the largest and most valuable platform business with a clear focus on Africa. This rests on a scale connectivity and infrastructure business – mobile and fixed access networks in the consumer, enterprise and wholesale segments.

MTN Zambia provides voice, data, fintech, digital, enterprise, wholesale and API services to more than 289 million customers in 19 markets.

MTN is accelerating implementation through partnerships and is focused on four strategic priorities:

Build the largest and most valuable platforms;

Drive industry-leading connectivity operations;

Create shared value;

• Accelerate portfolio transformations; And five vital enablers:

ESG at the core;

• Leading customer experience; Best talent, culture and future skills;

• Value-based capital allocation; Technology platforms second-to-none.

On MTN’s success in 2022 and plans for Ambition 2025, Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said:

“MTN delivered a solid operating and financial performance in 2022, as we continued to execute on our Ambition 2025 strategy. We are pleased with the business’ continued resilience under challenging global and regional macroeconomic conditions”.

Vital Fintech solutions

With a vision to become Africa’s leading digital platform, MTN aims to unlock economic growth through financial and digital solutions for consumers and businesses of all sizes. As such, it has developed MTN Mobile Money (MoMo). MoMo is a fintech platform which provides both consumers and businesses with a host of innovative digital financial services. It enables users to access payments, e-commerce, insurance, lending and remittance services.

As it develops its service offering, it aims to create a marketplace that supports cashless and digital economies through affordable, inclusive, understandable and comprehensive financial services.

“We are playing a key role in the evolution of mobile financial services to mobile financial platforms by offering in-store

payments, remittances, prepaid services, mobile wallets, micro-loans and microinsurance”, says MTN.

In 2022, MoMo saw great uptake, with active Mobile Money (MoMo) users increasing by 21.4% year on year to 69.1 million and volume of transactions up 33.9% YoY to 13.4 billion.

Digital Transformation with Microsoft

Key to MTN’s growth is developing strong partnerships, one of the most recently announced is with Microsoft.

Following the signing of a five-year strategic partnership in September 2022, MTN and Microsoft are in the process of delivering a programme of work that will see the latest technologies deployed for the benefit of MTN’s customers, starting with South Africa and Nigeria.

The core of the programme will focus on migrating BSS and OSS applications to the Microsoft Azure cloud aiming to realise operational benefits and cost efficiencies. MTN and Microsoft will work closely with Accenture who will be providing technology implementation, integration and support services to successfully enable the migration and operations of the targeted environments.

MTN’s core belief is that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. Through its partnership with Microsoft it has embarked on an extensive skills development program in cloud technologies, DevSecOps and data management.

Hundreds of MTN employees in Nigeria and South Africa have already benefited from the Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative which provides hands-on technical training and certification in Microsoft Azure technologies. MTN aims to expand the program across multiple countries where MTN operates to maximise the impact of the partnership.

Working together with Microsoft and Accenture, MTN is taking a unique

The Power of Innovation: How 6 Light Media Continues to Succeed in an Ever-Evolving Market

6 Light Media is a pioneering company in Zambia that specialises in providing innovative, solution-based branding, printing and signage products for clients across all industries. 6 light Media has been at the forefront of the market, offering high quality outdoor and indoor large format printing, which was previously limited in scope and quality.

The company was founded over a decade ago by a young team of partners with a history in the advertising industry. Frustrated by the inability to source signage products within the country and having to import products at very high costs, they took the initiative and set out to offer these products and provide Zambian Companies with state-of-the-art technology locally.

Initially, the company installed the first of its kind signage machinery, which included Industrial Laser Cutters, CNC Aluminium channelling machines for 3D letters, CNC routers, Flatbed Printers, Plasma Cutting machinery, and vacuum formers. This allowed Zambian businesses to access top-quality branding and signage solutions at their doorstep, raising industry standards and enhancing the visual landscapes of many companies.

Over time, 6 Light Media has continued to expand its product portfolio with the establishment of a one-stop shop at one of Zambia’s largest shopping malls, Eastpark Mall. The shop specialises in corporate branding, desktop publishing, and commercial digital printing.

To stay ahead in a constantly evolving media landscape, 6 Light Media has continued to invest in new technology, which has enabled the company to be leaders in fabrication, moulding and printing of a vast array of signage and display products. It’s latest acquisition, one of the worlds largest high speed 3D Printing machines has increased production times of the super-sized 3D products they fabricate. From predominantly being a large format printer, the company also offers laser and plasma cutting, cnc routing, various safety signage, and the ability to produce super-sized 3D products. This has enabled companies such as MTN, FNB, KAZANG, ZAMBIAN BREWERIES and ZANACO to showcase their products and services more effectively.

The founding directors of the company have a strong creative and technical background, which ensures that all products are made with a design philosophy brought to life by unmatched technology and superior quality. This philosophy emphasises the need to understand client’s expectations and to create superior products and branding mediums that are effective.

Overall, 6 Light Media is a company that is dedicated to providing innovative branding and signage solutions that help clients stand out in a crowded market. Whether you’re looking for Large Format Printing, Supersized 3D Products, International Quality Signage or Creative Design Services, 6 Light Media is a company that is well equipped to meet your needs.

Contact them today to learn more about their services and how they can help your business stand out.

www.sixlightmedia.com

approach to the deployment of workloads to the public cloud, seeking opportunities to improve customer experience. This also aims to enhance organisational agility and cost transformation in a predictable and committed way. This approach has already enabled MTN to complete a proof of concept for the world’s first 5G standalone core network solution deployed in Microsoft’s Azure public cloud.

“Our strategic partnership with Microsoft will enable us to transform the way we deliver products and services to our customers. We will bring the power of cloud computing to life driving development and innovation with speed, flexibility and predictable investments and operations. We remain focused on nurturing the digital skills within MTN and in the societies we operate in and building digital platforms to drive digital transformation across Africa and the Middle East” said Nikos Angelopoulos, MTN Group Chief Information Officer.

“We see this program becoming a global standard in the industry for years to come,” commented Nitesh Singh, Communications, Media and Technology Lead for Accenture Africa.

MTN and Microsoft accelerate Africa’s digital transformation in the public cloud

Doing for Tomorrow, Today

With ESG at its core, MTN is focussed on advancing the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which aims to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure equality for all by 2030.

MTN aims to support this through its core business activities and our support to governments, communities and customers.

MTN has four sustainability pillars:

Doing it Right - MTN are committed partners to stakeholders to create and protect value. The business has been recognised as the most improved company on the Ranking Digital Human Rights 2020 Corporate Accountability Index.

Doing for People - MTN is committed to driving digital and financial inclusion and a diverse society. This includes 39% of its workforce being women, with a target of 50% by 2030. It has also achieved an average 83% rural broadband coverage.

Doing for Growth - MTN is committed to boosting inclusive economic growth on the continent. Achievements for MTN includes R115 billion contribution towards society with six million people supported through job creation and skills development.

And Doing for Planet - MTN are committed to protecting the planet and achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. The business has achieved a reduction of around 16% in GHG emissions for Scope 1 and 2, with a goal of net-zero by 2040.

www.mtn.com