A high-level MTN Group delegation, led by Group Chairman Mcebisi Hubert Jonas and Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita, over the weekend visited Uganda’s President, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, at State House, Entebbe.
The meeting, which was alongside the MTN Chairpersons’ forum hosted in Uganda, aimed to discuss ways of strengthening trade and business linkages between Uganda and South Africa, as well as explore opportunities for cross-border investment.
During the meeting, President Museveni commended MTN for their continued investment and emphasised the importance of targeting sectors that generate employment and expand the economy.
“If people have jobs and incomes, they will buy more phones and use them more,” Museveni said.
“That’s why we must invest in the four key sectors of wealth and job creation: commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT,” he added.
The President called on MTN to explore cross-border investment as a means of promoting regional integration and intra-African trade.
MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi expressed appreciation for the long-standing collaboration between MTN and the government of Uganda.
“We just came today to say thank you very much for the support you have always given us. We have had excellent collaboration from the regulators, and MTN is not here for the short term; we are here for the long haul,” he said.
Mcebisi emphasised MTN’s interest in strengthening trade and business linkages between Uganda and South Africa, highlighting the Group’s broader capacity to support national development.
“We believe there is real opportunity to help Ugandan businesses enter the South African market, and that is something we can explore further,” he noted.
Aligning Private Sector Investment with National Development Priorities
The engagement between MTN Group leadership and President Museveni demonstrates the importance of aligning private sector investment with national development priorities.
By focusing on job creation, value addition, and regional integration, MTN’s investment can contribute to Uganda’s economic transformation.
The meeting between MTN’s leadership and President Museveni is thus a strategic affirmation of purpose, highlighting the potential for private sector investment to drive economic growth and development.
By strengthening trade linkages between Uganda and South Africa, MTN can play a key role in promoting regional integration and intra-African trade.