Telecom
MTN Celebrates Landmark 300m Customers in Africa
MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecoms operator, has achieved a historic milestone, surpassing 300 million customers across its markets.
The announcement was made at the company’s Ambassadors Appreciation Dinner recently, where diplomats, government officials, and industry leaders gathered to celebrate the achievement and reaffirm their commitment to advancing Africa’s transformation.
Ralph Mupita, president and CEO, MTN Group, described the moment as a defining one in the company’s journey toward its Ambition 2025 goals.
“The time is now for Africa to take charge of its own socioeconomic progress. We need to look within for solutions and to develop our own communities,” he said
Mupita commended MTN’s employees, affectionately known as MTNers, for their dedication through the company’s annual 21 Days of Y’ello Care volunteer campaign.
“Tonight, we celebrate our Y’ello Care employee volunteers and take inspiration from their can-do attitude. Their dedication has led to the Group meeting a strategic milestone, serving more than 300 million customers just three decades since our first commercial operation in South Africa,” he stated.
The 2025 Y’ello Care campaign, themed “Connecting at the Roots: Connecting communities through the use of digital tools,” showcased how mobile operator giant’s workforce continues to empower communities through innovation and collaboration.
Nompilo Morafo, MTN Group chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer added that Y’ello Care embodies MTN’s belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life.
“Progress is built through people, our ideas, commitment and compassion. I am grateful to MTNers, partners and community collaborators who continue to bring this belief to life,” she said.
Regional MTN operations were also honoured for standout projects on the Group’s night of celebration, including MTN Eswatini’s Government in Your Hand e-governance initiative, MTN Cameroon’s digital centres, and MTN Uganda’s solar-powered health and education programmes.
Mupita further thanked Africa’s diplomatic community for fostering an enabling investment environment, reaffirming MTN’s role in supporting Agenda 2063’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and resilient Africa.
“Partnership and purpose remain the pillars of our progress. This milestone belongs to every African who believes in a brighter digital future.”
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
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