South Africa’s telecommunications landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation, as evidenced by recent financial results from the industry’s major players. The intensifying battle for prepaid market share represents more than just typical competition—it signals a fundamental shift in how telecom operators must approach growth in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.
Telkom’s strategic resurgence has created significant pressure on both MTN and Vodacom, with MTN openly acknowledging it has “discernibly” lost prepaid market share. This development reflects broader industry trends where traditional revenue streams face erosion while new opportunities in digital services and infrastructure emerge.
Watch the interview
In this comprehensive TechCentral Show interview, MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita provides unprecedented insight into the strategic thinking shaping Africa’s telecommunications future. His conversation with TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod explores critical industry dynamics, including:
- The prepaid market shakeup: Beyond simply acknowledging market share losses, Mupita explains how MTN is responding with innovative pricing strategies, bundled services, and customer retention programs designed to maintain relevance in this highly competitive segment.
- Online gambling’s transformative impact: The surge in mobile betting platforms represents both a revenue opportunity and regulatory challenge. Mupita discusses how telecom operators balance partnership opportunities with social responsibility concerns in markets where gambling regulations vary significantly.
- Consolidation imperatives: With Vodacom’s acquisition of a co-controlling stake in Vumatel parent Maziv, Mupita analyzes the evolving fixed-mobile convergence strategy. He explains why MTN remains open to a potential Telkom deal “if the stars align,” highlighting how infrastructure sharing and spectrum consolidation could create efficiencies in an increasingly capital-intensive industry.
- The satellite connectivity revolution: Low-Earth orbit satellites from companies like SpaceX/Starlink and Amazon Leo represent both competition and partnership opportunities. Mupita details MTN’s strategy for integrating satellite services to extend coverage to remote areas while maintaining the company’s core mobile network advantages.
- Nigeria’s remarkable turnaround: MTN’s Nigerian operations have undergone a dramatic recovery. Mupita explains the strategic interventions that drove this transformation and assesses the sustainability of this performance amid currency volatility and regulatory developments.
- Geographic portfolio optimization: The planned shift toward East Africa reflects MTN’s strategic prioritization of markets with strong growth potential, favorable demographics, and improving regulatory environments. Mupita outlines what makes markets like Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda particularly attractive for future investment.
- AI’s transformative potential: Beyond the hype, Mupita explores specific applications of artificial intelligence that could revolutionize African telecoms—from network optimization and predictive maintenance to personalized customer service and fraud detection in markets where digital financial services are rapidly expanding.
- Middle Eastern lessons learned: MTN’s exit from several Middle Eastern markets provided valuable insights about geopolitical risk management and portfolio optimization. Mupita discusses how these experiences inform current strategy and the ongoing evaluation of MTN’s position in Iran.
This discussion offers more than just corporate updates—it provides a strategic roadmap for how one of Africa’s telecommunications giants is navigating technological disruption, intense competition, and unprecedented opportunity across the continent.
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