MTN on 2010 AfricaCom Awards shortlist

MTN South Africa has been shortlisted in the following categories:

• Best Network Improvement for the Optimal Network Coverage
  
• Green Telecoms Award for its construction of an environmentally-friendly power supply plant. The tri-generation plant, which is the first in Africa, powers the company's head office in Johannesburg, South Africa.
  
• Best Marketing Campaign for the Ayoba! marketing campaign

Both the MTN Nigeria Foundation and MTN Uganda were shortlisted in the Changing Lives Award for the Rural Telephone Project 3000 and MTN Easy Talk respectively. MTN launched the Rural Telephone Project 3000 to micro-finance rural women in Nigeria to purchase hardware including the phones, antennas, umbrellas, solar chargers, SIM packs and basic to enable them to operate call centres.

MTN Easy Talk solution for rural Africa

With MTN Easy Talk, MTN subscribers can make calls, retrieve their voice messages, maintain a phonebook and check their airtime balance without needing to own a handset. Subscribers can do this by inserting a specialy-made SIM card at MTN Easy Talk call-boxes. The solution is relevant for the rural markets in Africa where handset costs are expensive.

Said Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN group executive: corporate affairs: "We are humbled by the acknowledgement we have received. This recognition will embolden us to raise the bar higher and give our subscribers innovative solutions that will ensure that MTN achieves its vision of being the leading telecoms player in emerging markets."

Last year, MTN Uganda scooped the Best Innovation Award for the Google SMS initiative.