It must be difficult to be crowned the best mobile network in South Africa time and time again, not to mention being the go-to infrastructure provider for every new MVNO that has cropped up around the country. In order to keep up, MTN SA has announced a huge R300 million investment to upgrade its infrastructure across Gauteng.
R300 million is a drop in the bucket when compared to MTN’s total R4.5 billion spend planned for all of South Africa in 2025. Of that investment will come the acquisition and construction of new base stations around SA, alongside “operational improvements,” and “capacity upgrades” to over 70 sites nationwide.
Climbing up the MTN
“The R300 million investment, part of the national rollout to enhance the company’s digital capabilities, will lead to improvements in battery, site security, and energy facilities, including the availability of generators across the province,” said Machawe Dlamini, MTN GM for Gauteng.
While MTN’s plans to ensure more Saffas have access to its network wherever they are — particularly to those people and communities without easy access — is certainly admirable, what do these unimaginable sums of cash mean for the network’s existing customers? According to MTN, customers can expect to see a boost in overall quality, resilience, and performance — alongside some vague promises of improved coverage.
More tangible (you know what we mean) are the network’s promises to introduce 5G coverage into areas that still lack it, a job it hopes to have completed before the end of 2025, though it didn’t promise any specific dates. MTN also expects customers to experience “improved LTE performance” before the year is over.
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“The achievement of our objectives will also signify another step forward in MTN’s long-standing commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that all South Africans have access to online educational, health, and business services capable of enriching and transforming lives,” continued Dlamini.
“The enhancements to our network and increased accessibility to digital services are crucial aspects of our Ambition 2025 strategy, which focuses on creating the largest and most valuable platforms to drive sustainable growth.”
While MTN has yet to confirm exactly how it’s divvying that billions-strong investment across South Africa, this announcement comes soon after the network announced an even larger R480 million investment — also aiming to improve network coverage — in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Expect similar humble brags from the company in the coming months.