MTN Pumps R300 Million into Enhancing its Gauteng Communications Infrastructure
MTN South Africa is investing a significant amount of R300 million in a network upgrade across Gauteng, the country's most populous province. This investment forms part of a larger R4.5 billion national investment plan aimed at boosting connectivity across South Africa, scheduled for completion in 2025.
The key elements of the Gauteng upgrade include the construction of new base stations, capacity upgrades to improve network coverage and capacity, and the introduction of 5G technology alongside enhanced LTE performance. The aim is to provide faster, more reliable digital services, and to bridge the digital divide by increasing access to high-speed digital services for individuals, businesses, and communities across urban and rural areas in Gauteng.
Machawe Dlamini, General Manager of Gauteng Operations, stated that this investment supports MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy to create "the largest and most valuable platforms" for sustainable digital growth and inclusion, focusing on access to online education, health, and business services.
The investment will also enable MTN to extend high-speed connectivity to underserved parts of Gauteng, including densely populated townships and outlying peri-urban areas. Improvements in energy resilience are also being made to mitigate service interruptions from power outages like load shedding.
Enhancements aimed at bridging the digital divide are a crucial part of this upgrade. Dlamini emphasized that investing in network infrastructure is vital to bridging the digital divide in South Africa. The goal of the upgrade is to boost coverage and expand capacity for urban and rural communities in Gauteng.
MTN South Africa was recently recognized as the country's best mobile network for Q1 2025, according to the MyBroadband Insights Network Quality Q2 2025 report. This upgrade is expected to further strengthen MTN's position as South Africa’s top-performing mobile network through expanded physical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, no specific details were given about the scope of the network upgrade in KwaZulu-Natal, such as the number of base stations to be added or network sites to be enhanced. Additionally, no mention was made of whether the KwaZulu-Natal investment will include 5G capabilities or enhance LTE performance. No details were provided about the timeline for the completion of the network upgrade in KwaZulu-Natal, but it is part of a broader national effort to improve mobile connectivity across South Africa.
MTN has pledged an additional R480 million (over $27 million) for a network infrastructure upgrade in KwaZulu-Natal. The network upgrade in KwaZulu-Natal aims to promote digital inclusion throughout South Africa, but no details were given about any improvements to battery systems, site security, or energy infrastructure as part of this upgrade.
In summary, MTN's 2025 Gauteng network upgrade is a major infrastructure enhancement prioritizing expanded 5G and LTE coverage, network reliability, and digital service accessibility to foster inclusive digital growth in South Africa's most populous province. The network upgrade in KwaZulu-Natal is part of a broader national effort to improve mobile connectivity across South Africa, but details about its scope and specific improvements are yet to be announced.
- MTN's investment of R480 million in KwaZulu-Natal's network upgrade is part of a larger effort to promote digital inclusion throughout South Africa.
- The national investment plan, which includes the KwaZulu-Natal network upgrade, aims to extend high-speed digital services to businesses and communities in urban and rural areas across South Africa.
- As part of their Ambition 2025 strategy, MTN is investing in data-and-cloud-computing and technology infrastructure to foster digital growth and inclusion, with a focus on online education, health, and business services.
