During the inaugural CNN International Global Perspectives event in London on November 3, 2025, Ebenezer Asante, the MTN Group Vice President for Ghana, Southern and East Africa, highlighted the urgent need for collaboration across various sectors to address the digital divide in Africa. He emphasised that one billion Africans still lack access to mobile internet, urging cooperation among competitors, investors, governments, multilateral organisations, and development fund providers to enhance connectivity. Asante warned that without these strategic partnerships, the telecommunications industry will struggle to reach individuals still reliant on traditional voice services.
According to the International Telecommunication Union, internet adoption in Africa is considerably lower than the global average, with only 38% of the population online compared to 68% worldwide. The GSMA estimates that closing this gap could inject around $700 billion into sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP from 2024 to 2030.
Asante proposed a three-pronged strategy to realise connectivity goals: first, driving innovation to significantly lower deployment costs; second, enacting smart regulations that promote rather than impede expansion; and third, cultivating talent and skills within the telecommunications sector. He argued that these components must work together to unlock the economic benefits associated with widespread digital access.
Serigne Dioum, CEO of MTN Group Fintech, joined the panel discussions, focusing on building Africa’s next-generation startup ecosystem. He illustrated how fintech innovations, especially through MTN Mobile Money, help bridge funding gaps, formalise informal economies, and foster more inclusive digital marketplaces. Dioum stressed the synergy between mobile operators and regulators in promoting financial inclusion and independence.
MTN Group currently caters to over 300 million subscribers across 16 markets in Africa and the Middle East. Their financial services platform boasts over 63 million active Mobile Money users, who completed more than 20 billion transactions valued at over $320 billion in 2024. In the first half of 2025 alone, the platform processed over 11 billion transactions worth more than $212 billion.
The CNN Global Perspectives event attracted over 300 participants. It featured notable speakers, including World Trade Organisation Director General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Judith Suminwa Tuluka, the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a key sponsor, MTN played a vital role in discussions on Africa’s potential for economic transformation, emphasising that overcoming the digital divide requires coordinated efforts from multiple stakeholders rather than isolated initiatives.
