MTN South Africa has kicked off its first-ever integrated Partner Conference titled ‘Being No 1 together for the next 30 years,’ in Sun City, North West.
The two-day conference brings together MTN’s partner ecosystem from Branded Retail Channels (BRC), retailers, enterprise partners, wholesalers, direct partners, telesales, and online channel partners.
Addressing the partners at the event, Charles Molapisi, MTN South Africa CEO emphasised, “MTN would not exist without our partners, as we look back, we are filled with gratitude for the 30 years of partnership with you. Over the next three decades and beyond, our growth and success will only be possible with the strong support of our partners.”
The session sets out to build on MTN SA’s goal of “Being #1 in everything we do” – seeking to extend the spirit and culture to partners, sharing MTN’s strategy of leading digital solutions for South Africa’s progress and joint vision for shared prosperity for MTN and its partners.
“For us, it’s critical that we build camaraderie and greater connections, value, and relationships with our partners. We need to continue to foster an infectious sense of collaboration, obtaining feedback and co-creating ideas of the future. Our partners are key to the realisation of our core belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life,” said Wanda Matandela, MTN South Africa Chief Commercial Operations Officer at the Conference.
MTN’s partners play a significant role in the expansion of the company’s services. In 1996, when pre-paid cellular service began to evolve from privileged accessary to affordable commodity, MTN forged an association with petroleum group, Engen. The partnership saw MTN distributing pre-paid airtime for the very first time through a wide network of Engen Quick Shops and service stations across the country. This partnership opened doors to more retailers including smaller partners (SMEs) who now play a significant role within MTN’s sales and distribution strategy.
One of MTN’s longest serving retail partners Faryal Sacoor, Edgars remarked via video message, “We are thrilled to be connected to MTN through a three-decade partnership. Can you believe its 30 years since you helped South Africans dial up on their brick-size cell phone, carrying a bag of batteries around? Now, MTN is the one keeping us connected through lightning-fast data speeds. Here’s to many years of not running out of data at 3am while binge watching Netflix. We are so proud to have your ‘Ayobaness’ as part of the Edgars’ Connect family. Cheers to a birthday that is as bright as your network.”
Desiree Singh from Spliced IT, one of MTN’s enterprise partner said, “Over the years, we have enjoyed the partnership with MTN. A lot has been achieved by both parties in the past 30 years, and we are looking forward to strengthening the partnership to offer even more bold ICT solutions to our customers.”
MTN has reached many milestones, including opening its first digital store at Mall of Africa in Midrand. Today, BRC as a sales channel, is core to the delivery of MTN’s ambition and is a key service delivery gateway for other growing channels.
Commenting on the successful partnership, Simphiwe Mdlalose, Principal Dealer at Conecta Mobile added, “Our partnership with MTN has seen our startup owning six stores in Limpopo. For us, partner engagement sessions such as the one happening today are crucial, and they give us the competitive edge within the market as we get an opportunity to interact with MTN and have visibility of the company’s strategy, vision, and future ambitions. We are proud to be part of the 30-year milestone with MTN and we are looking forward to the next 30 years of connecting South Africans.”
MTN has over 410 stores across the country, of which only 30 are MTN-owned. In 2019, as part of MTN’s phased transformation strategy, MTN launched its programme to transform the retail channel by driving BBBEE in the telecommunications industry through lowering the barrier to entry and placing more stores in the hands of black owners. Today, MTN has 215 stores that are transformed.
