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Limpopo Business 2021-22

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The 2021/22 edition of Limpopo Business is the 13th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2007, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Limpopo Province. Limpopo has been attracting significant investments in the mining sector in recent years and with commodity prices of certain minerals rising in response to demand in the renewable energy and automotive sector, mining houses are well-positioned to expand production even further. This journal carries messages of welcome to investors from the province’s Premier and the MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism. In addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key economic sectors of the province, there is special feature on plans to catalyse investment and growth in the province through measures such as industrial parks and the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone in the province’s far north, which is attracting billions of dollars in investment. News related to mining, agriculture, tourism, construction and property, water, education and development finance is carried in overviews of the main economic sectors.

FOCUS MTN drives digital

FOCUS MTN drives digital growth and improved access R350-million invested in network for Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. Kagiso Moncho, General Manager, MTN Limpopo and Mpumalanga MTN is making significant headway in ensuring more people in South Africa benefit from the modern, connected world. The planned network investment in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West for the 2021 financial year of R350-million is aimed at modernising, upgrading, building new sites and transmission links. “We want to bridge the digital divide and create exciting opportunities for communities, businesses and individual users. Our investment is therefore far more than achieving market-share growth in the region – it is about bringing the benefits of the digital world to more people through a stable, secure and innovative network experience,” says Kagiso Moncho, MTN General Manager for the Northern Region. “We are already seeing active data users and traffic increase as more consumers seek affordable, innovative and reliable digital services and solutions. The key for us is to deliver network excellence and an enterprise turnaround. This will be underpinned by modernisation and rollout of 5G, together with price competitiveness,” says Moncho. Maintaining network quality remains the key objective despite challenges like battery theft. MTN is making strides with its fifth-generation (5G) technology rollout strategy. We have already activated 5G in greater Polokwane and Witbank, and intend to expand the 5G coverage footprint further across the region, into areas such as Nelspruit and Middelburg. Added to this is that 93% of towers in the Northern Region have LTE. “We are committed to ensuring our network coverage and quality is maintained and expanded so our customers stay connected. This is even more critical in the face of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown: connectivity is essential for medical emergencies as well as for learners and individuals working from home,” says Moncho. While battery theft and vandalism remain a challenge, MTN has earmarked part of the investment for battery replacement and security programmes in the Northern Region. “Vandalism of the network infrastructure remains a pain point and hinders the great progress we have made in stabilising and improving network availability. These vandalism incidents affect the economy negatively and the interruptions due to network outages hinder emergency and security services. Unfortunately, Limpopo province is one of the hotspots. “We plead with the members of the LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2021/22 48

FOCUS community to report any vandalism incidents that they might witness to the nearest SAPS branches. Our efforts are directed towards building and maintaining a resilient infrastructure amidst adversities. We remain committed to proving a modern connected digital life for all,” says Moncho. MTN’s work in these provinces also includes programmes to help the most vulnerable particularly in the deep rural villages. Key stakeholder partnerships with government and municipalities will see ongoing support for learners and education facilities. Food parcel support is also a key part of the initiatives being rolled out by MTN Foundation as Covid-19 hit lives and livelihoods. The strides being made to help people and communities on the ground across South Africa is also reflected in recent network successes achieved by MTN, which has been named South Africa’s best network for three years in succession based on P3 Communications (2019-2021). The benchmarking Network Quality score results are indicative that MTN provides its customers with optimum upload and super faster download speeds as well as uninterrupted streaming, surfing and the best in voice calling when compared to other mobile operators. “We are working tirelessly to ensure our customers enjoy their experience on our Bozza network, and our commitment to serving our customers with distinction will always be at the core of what we do,” concludes Moncho. MTN strives to ensure customers remain connected to the digital world and also have the delight of sharing moments and memories with friends and family through their social platforms. ■ About the MTN Group Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging-market operator with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers. We are inspired by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code “MTN”. Our strategy, Ambition 2025, is anchored on building the largest and most valuable platform business, with a clear focus on Africa. Twitter: Twitter @MTNza Website: www.mtn.com or www.mtn.co.za 49 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2021/22

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