MTN South Africa clients will now be authenticated using fingerprint or facial recognition technology for account verification purposes.
MTN South Africa has taken a significant stride in enhancing customer experience and combating fraud in the telecom sector by introducing a digital identity system. This system, which employs real-time fingerprint and facial recognition technology, is now available across all MTN stores.
The digital identity system, developed in partnership with Vigilate AI, a global leader in biometric technology, is designed to authenticate customers in real-time at any MTN store device, speed up contract and SIM registration processes, deter identity theft and SIM swap scams, and enhance user convenience and security.
The system replaces slower, manual identity verification procedures, marking a significant improvement in the sign-up process. This move is a critical step in combating identity theft and SIM swap scams, which contributed to an estimated R5.3 billion ($300 million) in telecom-related fraud in 2024, according to a July 2025 report by the Communication Risk Information Centre (Comric).
The rollout of the digital identity system followed a successful six-month pilot across 20% of MTN stores, where the biometric solution demonstrated faster onboarding, fewer errors, and greater convenience without compromising security. This makes MTN the first mobile operator in South Africa to implement biometric digital identification on a large scale.
Daniel Hartwright, CEO of Vigilate AI, called the partnership with MTN a big step forward for secure customer verification in South Africa. Hartwright stated that by combining MTN's customer insight and reach with Vigilate AI's biometric technology, they are redefining secure, customer-centric onboarding.
Cornelia van Heerden, MTN South Africa's Executive: Customer Operations, stated that the deployment of this biometric system is part of their ongoing investment in innovation. She added that the initiative is aimed at making customer journeys faster, safer, more intuitive, and convenient. The biometric system is designed to reduce errors, ease sign-ups, and drastically lower the risk of telecom-related fraud.
In summary, MTN South Africa’s biometric digital ID system employs fingerprint and facial recognition to:
- Authenticate customers in real-time at any MTN store device
- Speed up contract and SIM registration processes
- Deter identity theft and SIM swap scams
- Enhance user convenience and security
- Replace slower, manual identity verification procedures
The new system aims to streamline sign-ups and reduce fraud, making it easier and safer for customers to interact with MTN. The feedback from the pilot stores was overwhelmingly positive, with customers praising the faster sign-up, error-free verification, and convenience of the new process. This digital identity system is part of MTN's "MTN's Ambition 2025 strategy" to lead digital innovation in Africa and offer secure, future-ready services.
The partnership between MTN South Africa and Vigilate AI, a global leader in biometric technology, has led to the development of a digital identity system that integrates artificial-intelligence and biometric technology for secure and customer-centric onboarding. To combat fraud in the telecom sector, this system is designed to authenticate customers in real-time at any MTN store device, speed up contract and SIM registration processes, deter identity theft and SIM swap scams, and ensure heightened cybersecurity. As part of MTN's ongoing investment in innovation, this technology serves as a critical step towards their "MTN's Ambition 2025 strategy" to lead digital innovation in Africa and offer secure, future-ready services. This biometric system represents a significant advancement in mobile technology, setting a new standard for telecom companies across the continent.
