MTN Group Fintech has made history by winning the first Regional Platform Business Award at MTN’s prestigious Y’ello Care Awards in recognition of its outstanding contribution to community development across Africa, the company said in a statement.
According to a statement, MoMo teams at both the group level and across multiple African markets implemented a wide range of projects designed to enhance digital literacy, financial inclusion, healthcare access, and support for vulnerable groups.
Activities included training programmes on mobile money systems, digital skills classes, installation of solar panels in community centres, and donations of food, cash, and resources to underserved communities.
The Y’ello Care initiative reflects MTN Group’s long-standing commitment to uplifting and empowering disadvantaged communities through employee-led projects. This year, employees from Group Fintech teams in Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, South Sudan, and Uganda joined forces to drive meaningful change across the continent, it added.
Across all participating regions, MoMo prioritised increasing access to digital tools and literacy by providing smartphones, building digital centres in communities, and offering digital skills training to equip individuals with future-ready capabilities.
The programme directly addressed unemployment and socio-economic challenges by empowering people through education and technology.
MTN’s financial inclusion efforts also featured prominently, with MoMo teams offering financial literacy sessions, providing grants and Point of Sale devices, and supporting entrepreneurship to promote economic independence, especially in communities grappling with poverty and limited opportunities.
In addition, several regions implemented healthcare initiatives, such as providing smartphones to health workers, installing solar panels to power public facilities, and disseminating vital health information using technology to raise awareness of issues like HIV/AIDS prevention.
The Ivory Coast team specifically focused on supporting marginalised communities, including people with albinism and the deaf community, by providing mobile technology training and leadership lessons aimed at empowering them to start businesses and achieve financial independence.
“This year’s Y’ello Care campaign demonstrated practical and effective ways to use technology to tackle complex social issues,” MTN Group Fintech’s Chief Legal Officer, Nikiwe Tanga, who accepted the award alongside Chief Executive Officer, Serigne Dioum, said.
“By focusing on digital literacy, financial inclusion, improved healthcare access, and targeted support for vulnerable groups, MoMo is not only enhancing lives but also building stronger, more resilient communities across the continent.”
Trialogue, the adjudicators of the Y’ello Care Awards, observed that several key lessons emerged from the campaign.
“Hyperlocal solutions proved most effective for stronger results, and where local communities were engaged, projects showed greater potential for ongoing success and impact,” the agency said.
“Additionally, digital inclusion enables social and economic participation at scale, while partnerships with government, NGOs, and community leaders can extend reach and deepen results. Data-driven insights also guide smarter allocation of resources, ensuring interventions are both impactful and scalable.”
As MTN Group Fintech celebrates this milestone, the organisation reaffirmed its commitment to developing sustainable solutions that continue to positively impact lives.
“We are immensely proud to be recognised not only as the first platform business to win this award but also for the impact our teams have made across various regions,” Tanga said. He added, “This milestone reflects the dedication and passion that our employees bring to the Y’ello Care initiative, showcasing the difference we can make when we work together for a common cause. It is a testament to the collective efforts of our employees across multiple operating companies, whose commitment to making a difference embodies the spirit of MTN’s mission to enrich the lives of the communities we serve.”
