MTN Group and its major subsidiary MTN South Africa have once again achieved the highest Level 1 contributor status under Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) for 2025, reinforcing the telecom giant’s long-standing commitment to transformation and inclusive growth in South Africa.
This marks the sixth consecutive year for MTN Group and the seventh year in a row for MTN South Africa. The results are contained in the company’s annual B-BBEE compliance report, verified by an independent agency.
“For MTN, long-term business success and societal progress are deeply interconnected,” said MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita. “Maintaining a Level 1 B-BBEE status over many years reflects this.”
B-BBEE is South Africa’s policy framework designed to address historical economic inequalities, broaden participation in the economy, and build long-term resilience. MTN integrates this into its “create shared value” strategy, which emphasises digital and financial inclusion to support economic development across its African markets.
The sustained Level 1 performance stems from strong results across the B-BBEE scorecard, particularly in Skills Development, Enterprise and Supplier Development, and Socio-Economic Development. Leadership transformation has also advanced at the board level for both MTN Group and MTN South Africa.
In 2025, MTN supported 492 learnerships, graduate programmes, and targeted skills interventions, with a clear focus on digital and technical capabilities to boost employability and participation in the digital economy.
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Preferential procurement served as a major driver of inclusive growth. During the year, MTN spent R8.8 billion with 51% Black-owned suppliers and R11.6 billion with 30% Black women-owned suppliers. This spending leverages the company’s scale to empower local enterprises and stimulate broader economic activity.
“By using our procurement spend, skills programmes and partnerships to enable real economic participation, MTN South Africa is driving impact that extends well beyond compliance,” said MTN South Africa CEO Ferdi Moolman.
Through the MTN South Africa Foundation, the company continues to deliver tangible outcomes in education and digital inclusion. Key initiatives include the MTN Online School, which reached 905,000 learners, and the MTN Skills Academy, which benefited 25,023 individuals — with a strong emphasis on women and youth to support employability and entrepreneurship in the digital economy.
MTN says it remains focused on embedding transformation across its entire value chain, aligning procurement, skills development, enterprise support, and community programmes with local needs. This approach aims to foster inclusive growth, enhance economic resilience, and contribute to a more equitable and digitally connected South Africa.
