MESSAGE Enabling
MESSAGE Enabling Mpumalanga’s digital future By Nkateko Nghonyama, Acting General Manager: Northern Region, MTN SA. Despite the fact that Mpumalanga is the second smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces in terms of land size, it is one of the budding powerhouses of our economy. From agriculture, to mining, to manufacturing and tourism, Mpumalanga’s Economic Growth and Development Path is bearing fruit, with the province’s untapped potential being recognised by a number of companies across diverse industries. We are proud to be assisting the provincial government’s efforts to put business enablers in place and are even more gratified to be empowering rural communities through better access to connectivity. Our longstanding partnerships with Mpumalanga’s official and business leaders continue to grow, helping to provide the support the region needs to achieve its goals. This is evident in the variety of projects we have completed in the province over the past year. These range from the continued expansion and improvement of our network to IoT solutions in various industries, to cost-effective digital enablement for the public and private sectors through offerings like our RT-15 deals and cloud offerings, to name a few. Relentless pursuit of excellence In today’s digital environment, connectivity is at the heart of everything we do. Whether an organisation is focused on service delivery for citizens, on improving MPUMALANGA BUSINESS 2024/25 6
MESSAGE productivity and profitability or on expanding its operations, connectivity provides the foundation for effective business operations. Connectivity is just as vital to the day-to-day lives of individuals, who rely on Internet access for everything from online banking and education to staying informed with news and enjoying entertainment. This is why MTN continues to invest in improving the quality and resilience of our network – and why MTN’s network was once again voted the best in the country. In Mpumalanga, we are actively building new sites and enhancing existing ones, resulting in a remarkable 99.7% daily network availability. We have ensured resilience during challenging periods like loadshedding and power outages, improving network throughput and availability while also reducing drop-call rates and increasing data volumes. For example, 4G download speeds in towns like Nelspruit and Emalahleni now average 12Mbps. MTN remains dedicated to expanding network coverage, particularly in rural areas. Our goal is to achieve 95% broadband coverage by 2025 and we are leveraging cutting-edge technologies to address coverage challenges. Our relentless pursuit of connectivity is not just about networks; it’s about empowering communities and creating opportunities, helping to usher in a brighter digital future for all. Previously unconnected areas, like rural sites in remote villages such as Mooiplaas in the Lowveld, have been seamlessly integrated into MTN’s robust network infrastructure, unlocking a myriad of digital opportunities. Adding value MTN is also helping government employees service their constituents better, regardless of where they are located. With free inter-departmental calls, uncapped data and no out-of-bundle rates, our RT-15 solution has been designed to support the needs of civil servants operating in an increasingly demanding environment. The scale of government’s requirements has allowed MTN to develop industry-leading systems and innovative pricing and products that not only add value to provinces like Mpumalanga, but also significantly improve on existing mobile telecommunications service delivery while allowing for a high degree of control of spend by individual entities. MTN will continue to invest in its network to keep elevating the connectivity experience for South Africans, ensuring that the benefits of the digital world are accessible to all. Mpumalanga remains a focus area for us, with plans for acceleration in a number of digital programmes across the province in the coming year. ■ 7 MPUMALANGA BUSINESS 2024/25
