Our Journey

MTN was launched in 1994 as a leading provider of communication services, offering cellular network access and business solutions. After building up a successful operation in South Africa, achieving a market share of some 38%, the group began our expansion into the rest of Africa in 1998.

We were the first South African cell phone network operator to do so. The objective of this expansion was to take advantage of the market opportunities on the continent, given its underdeveloped telecommunications infrastructure and the transferability of MTN's skills into other African countries.

Since then, MTN has grown by investing in sophisticated communications infrastructure, developing new technologies and leveraging the talent of our diverse workforce to now better serve communities in Africa and the Middle East. MTN is officially Africa’s largest mobile network operator.

Timeline

• MTN was founded in 1994. That year, it rolled out South Africa’s first GSM payphones, which could carry both voice and data.

• In 1995, M-Cell became a public company, with 25% of MTN Holdings and 60% of M-Tel. Also that year, MTN offered free calls to emergency services for the first time in South Africa.

• In 1996, MTN acquired South Africa’s biggest service provider in M-Tel. MTN also launched the prepaid solution PayAsYouGo and made SMSs available to its customers.

• In 1997, MTN acquired the service provider Transtel Cellular.

• In 1998, MTN International was established. MTN

Specialising in providing voice, data, fintech solutions, digital, enterprise, wholesale and API services to more than 285 million customers in 19 markets.

Growth Platforms

MTN is playing a key role in the advancement of mobile financial services by offering in-store payments, prepaid services, mobile wallets and microloans/ micro-insurance.

MTN is playing a key role in the advancement of its growth platforms mobile financial services by offering in-store payments,prepaid services, mobile wallets and microloans/micro-insurance.

These consist of fintech solutions such as MoMo – officially dubbed MTN Mobile Money, which is a platform that offers consumers and businesses a wide range of innovative digital financial services – digital services including Ayoba, a world-class messaging platform, enterprise services and NaaS (Network as a Service).

also offered South Africa’s first two-way PC-to-cellphone messaging app as a free and international service.

• In 2001, MTN became a tier-one internet service provider (ISP), trading as MTN Network Solutions. It also acquired ISP Citec to enhance its data service offering to the business sector.

• In 2002, MTN was the first operator in South Africa to offer General Packet Radio Services (GPRS).

• In 2003, MTN made South Africa’s first video call, using its new 3G-enabled network.

• In 2008, MTN sponsored South Africa’s oldest knock-out football tournament, which became MTN 8.

• In 2007, MTN introduced online banking services.

• In 2009, MTN launched mobile money in Benin, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Yemen.

• In 2010, MTN was the only African global sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

• In 2013, MTN partnered with Rocket Internet, a world-leading internet incubator, to enhance the internet in Africa and the Middle East.

• In 2015, MTN acquired the multimedia and telecoms company Smart Village as it started rolling out fibre across South Africa.

• In 2017, MTN South Africa became a sponsor of the iconic Springboks, the country’s national rugby union team.

• In 2018, MTN partnered with KaiOS Technologies, China Mobile and UNISOC to launch Africa’s first 3G smart feature phone.

• In 2018, Supersonic, an ISP, was founded in Johannesburg by MTN Group to provide fibre internet services.

• In 2021, SuperSonic introduced “Air Fibre” – a 5G-based mobile data service. With more than 19 000 employees and operations across various African and Middle Eastern countries, MTN continues to break boundaries in digital progression.