MTN FOUNDATION’S DIGITAL SKILLS PROGRAMME Opens Doors for South African Youth

MTN believes that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern, connected life. Yet, for many youth and women across the African continent, access to digital tools, skills, and opportunities remains limited. As digital transformation accelerates, closing the digital divide and addressing the digital skills gap becomes critical to ensuring inclusive participation in the evolving economy.

In South Africa, the challenge lies in creating platforms that provide accessible training in digital and financial literacy, career readiness, mentorship, and job placement. Through initiatives such as the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme and the MTN Skills Academy, the MTN Foundation is empowering young people to participate meaningfully in the digital economy. These initiatives are active in several MTN markets and are key components of the Group’s Ambition 2025 strategy, which includes a target to train 1 million unemployed youth.

In 2024, the Foundation allocated R15 million to the rollout of the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs initiative in South Africa. This investment directly targets one of the country’s most pressing issues: youth unemployment. According to Stats SA’s Q3 2024 Labour Force Survey, unemployment among youth aged 15–24 sits at 60.2%, and at 40.4% for those aged 25–34. In contrast, the national unemployment rate stands at 32.1%. These figures underscore the urgent need for action. The Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme is strategically aligned with the International Finance Corporation’s warning that by 2030, 230 million jobs will require digital skills - a target Africa is at risk of missing. The Digital Skills Gap Index further highlights this concern, identifying 12 African countries among the 20 weakest performers globally in digital skills readiness. MTN’s approach is holistic, aiming not just to train, but to transform, equipping youth with practical tools and linking them to real employment pathways.

Building Skills for the Future

Since its launch in 2023, the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme has reached 1,800 unemployed youth across South Africa. The programme includes industry-relevant training in areas such as software development, data analytics, cyber-security, and artificial intelligence (AI). These are high-demand skillsets, and the programme is designed to be inclusive, placing particular focus on increasing the participation of women.

Women remain underrepresented in the global technology workforce. According to PwC, only 22% of AI professionals are women, and just one-third of tech employees globally are female. The MTN Foundation’s programmes aim to challenge this imbalance by creating more accessible opportunities for women and fostering greater gender diversity in the digital sector.

This isn’t just about digital training - it’s about creating sustainable pathways to employment, inclusion, and economic participation for South Africa’s youth.

All training offered is accredited by the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA). Alongside technical instruction, participants receive support in career development, life skills, and personal growth. This blend of training ensures that young people are not only digitally capable but ready for the demands of the modern workplace.

Expanding Access Through the MTN Skills Academy

A key component of the Foundation’s digital strategy is the MTN Skills Academy - a low-data, mobile-friendly platform that delivers digital and financial literacy courses online. Designed to meet the needs of underserved communities, the platform integrates accessibility features to accommodate learners with disabilities and helps overcome barriers such as limited connectivity, high data costs, and the lack of access to physical training centres.

The Skills Academy is open to individuals aged 15 to 24 and provides tools for career mapping, enabling learners to make informed decisions about their future. The content is developed with input from industry experts to ensure relevance and alignment with market needs. By offering training remotely, the platform allows learners in rural or remote areas to upskill without the burden of travel costs or urban relocation.

Recognising that training alone is not enough, the MTN Foundation also focuses on supporting youth as they transition into the workforce. The Foundation’s broader strategy includes work readiness programmes, exposure to entrepreneurship development, and links to job opportunities. By addressing employability from multiple angles, MTN ensures that its programmes go beyond education and contribute to long-term economic empowerment.

The integrated approach adopted by the Foundation reflects a deep understanding of the barriers that South African youth face in accessing and applying digital skills. From the affordability of devices and connectivity to the lack of support for job seekers post-training, the MTN Foundation’s interventions are designed to create sustainable pathways to employment.

Digital literacy is no longer a luxury - it is essential to participation in the modern economy.The Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme and the MTN Skills Academy demonstrate how targeted, strategic investment in youth development can yield meaningful outcomes. By investing in skills development and removing structural barriers, the MTN Foundation is helping to shape a future where more young South Africans can benefit from the promise of a digital world.

Both initiatives speak to MTN’s broader commitment to creating a bold, inclusive, and connected future - one where no one is left behind.

By giving young people access to the right tools and support, the MTN Foundation is not just teaching skills - it’s enabling futures, building a more inclusive, resilient digital economy for all.