MTN Group, Microsoft to accelerate value creation and Africa’s growth

MTN Group and Microsoft are announcing a new partnership that will see them support customers across governments and organizations accelerate value creation and drive Africa’s economic growth using Microsoft platform solutions.

The agreement centers on transforming and modernizing MTN’s communications and technology infrastructure together with harnessing capabilities and building the largest and most valuable platform business with a clear focus on Africa.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Microsoft – a company with the strength and scale to complement MTN’s capabilities and to support our Ambition 2025 strategy,” said Group Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Chika Ekeji. “Together we will use the power of technology and connectivity to innovate and accelerate the digitalization and development of the continent.”

The two companies will develop joint go-to-market plans across the markets where MTN operates. To serve the digital transformation ambitions of African enterprise customers. Microsoft will skill up MTN Group resources to drive focused selling of Microsoft’s products and cloud services in Africa.

“Our valuable, longstanding partnership with MTN will play a pivotal role in Africa’s digital transformation, and we are proud to continue building on that decade-long collaboration with our newest venture. We recognize the potential that Africa holds to stand among the leaders of the digital world, and we are committed to maximizing our partnerships to deliver infrastructure that accelerates this transformation and enables a connected, digital-first continent,” says Samer Abu-Latif, Corporate Vice-President and President of Microsoft Middle East and Africa.

The partnership also includes ongoing knowledge-sharing, innovation, and growth opportunities. Joint initiatives will be in areas such as digital education, micro-SME digitization, fintech, and gaming. To create shared value and extend digital and financial inclusion across Africa.

“Our partnership with MTN will empower and enable the future growth of Africa through the joint development of innovative solutions; a dedicated focus on digital skilling and education; robust go-to-market strategy transformation; and the advancement of SMMEs and industries to compete on the global digital stage”

The parties will also execute a carrier agreement that will position MTN as a major provider of terrestrial connectivity to support Microsoft’s Africa-based expansion plans.

The companies believe that digital transformation presents an opportunity for the continent to leap ahead and benefit from widespread socio-economic growth. Particularly when leveraging the power of the cloud.

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