Profile

Incorporated in 1994, MTN Group Limited is a multi-national telecommunications group offering voice and data communications products and services to individuals and businesses. MTN has GSM licences in 21 countries and internet service provider businesses in 13 countries, spanning three continents. At the end of December 2010, it had 141,6 million total subscribers. In 2010, its revenues reached R114,7 billion and it invested R19,5 billion in developing its network infrastructure, bringing to more than 36 750 the total number of MTN BTS. MTN also made investments in fibre optic cables as well as growing access to broadband capacity on undersea cables. MTN predominantly uses independently owned outlets to distribute its products and services, but also has own branded stores.

MTN’s vision is to be the leading telecommunications provider in emerging markets. It has 34 558 employees who communicate in five official languages and
represent 55 nationalities. In 2010, MTN invested R246 million on employee development.

MTN Group Limited’s head office is in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the Group is listed on the JSE Limited under the share code “MTN”. MTN is the largest primary listing on the exchange. MTN also has a level 1 American Depository Receipt Programme. The Group operates in three regions: South and East Africa (SEA), West and Central Africa (WECA), and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

	MTN SEA is made up of GSM licences in MTN South Africa, MTN Swaziland, MTN Zambia, MTN Uganda, MTN Rwanda and Mascom Botswana and ISP businesses in South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Namibia, Kenya and Botswana.
	MTN WECA comprises GSM licences in MTN Nigeria, MTN Ghana, MTN Cameroon, MTN Congo-Brazzaville, MTN Côte d’Ivoire, MTN Benin, MTN Guinea-Bissau, MTN Guinea Conakry and MTN Liberia and ISP businesses in Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
	MTN MENA consists of GSM licences in MTN Irancell, MTN Syria, MTN Sudan, MTN Afghanistan, MTN Yemen and MTN Cyprus and ISP businesses in Syria and Cyprus.

The core of MTN offerings include:

• Voice services via 2G and 3G networks, including prepaid and postpaid airtime (on various price plans), please-call-me message service, international roaming, electronic voucher distribution services and community payphones.
• Mobile and fixed data products, including short message service (SMS), multimedia message services (MMS), internet access via various technologies (including 3G, WiMax, EDGE, HSPA), MTN MobileMoney, content portal MTN Play, Google SMS information services, USSD services (including callback and balance enquiries) and corporate data services.

In certain markets MTN also serves corporate customers providing solutions designed to manage costs, improve efficiencies and deliver consistent quality. Among these are: data solutions, satellite connectivity, infrastructure solutions (data centres and hosting solutions), customer and productivity solutions, converged services and other support and sector-specific services.

MTN’s business model is evolving. Although there is still considerable untapped demand for voice services in many markets, MTN is also investing in and expanding its infrastructure to enable more use of data services. As smartphones become more accessible to more people, demand for internet services grows and so MTN’s opportunity expands.