MTN Group Fintech Wins First-Ever Regional Platform Business Award at Y’ello Care Awards for Transformative Community Impact

MTN Group Fintech  has announced its historic achievement by securing the first Regional Platform Business Award at MTN’s Y’ello Care Awards – a prestigious recognition stemming from the annual 21 Days of Y’ello Care initiative. 

For 21 days in June, MoMo teams at group level and at the markets across the continent improved the lives of their communities by implementing training programmes on the use of mobile money systems, conducted digital literacy classes, built solar panels for centres and by donating food, cash and resources to deserving communities.

The Y’ello Care initiative is an embodiment of MTN Group’s commitment to uplifting and empowering the less privileged through dedicated employee participation in projects focused on education, youth development, women’s empowerment, and digital literacy. This year, the initiative saw widespread participation from various financial companies (Fincos, including the teams at Group Fintech, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, South Sudan, and Uganda, each contributing to impactful community projects. Over the 21 day period, employees across these regions collaborated to create positive change, demonstrating their commitment to serve and uplift their communities, in several ways:

Bridging the Digital Divide: Across all regions MoMo prioritised increasing access to digital tools and literacy. This included providing smartphones, internet access in schools, building a digital centre in Benin, and offering comprehensive digital skills training within chosen communities. This directly addresses unemployment and socio-economic challenges by equipping individuals with future-ready skills.

Financial Inclusion and Empowerment: MoMo’s work consistently emphasised financial literacy and inclusion across regions. This ranged from providing basic financial training to providing grants and Point of Sale (POS) devices, fostering entrepreneurship, and focusing on economic independence. This is especially impactful in communities grappling with poverty and limited economic opportunities.

Improved Healthcare Access: In several regions, MoMo facilitated better healthcare access over the 21 days. This involved providing smartphones to health workers, installing solar panels to power public spaces, enabling improved communication, as well as using technology to reach communities with vital health information – directly addressing issues like HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

Targeted Support for Vulnerable Groups: The Côte d’Ivoire’s team work highlights a commitment to supporting marginalized communities. By focusing on those with albinism and the deaf community, these marginalised groups were trained to use mobile technology to start businesses and offered leadership lessons. This is a demonstration of MoMo’s dedication to inclusivity and ensuring no one is left behind.

“MoMo’s approach within this year’s Y’ello Care campaign demonstrated practical and effective ways to use technology to tackle complex social issues. By focusing on digital literacy, financial inclusion, improved healthcare access, and targeted support for vulnerable groups, MoMo is not only enhancing lives, but building stronger, more resilient communities across the continent.”

-Nikiwe Tanga, Chief Legal Officer, MTN Group Fintech (who accepted the award alongside Serigne Dioum, Group Fintech CEO,  MTN Group Fintech) 

This was key to MoMo’s success in winning the award, as the campaign showcased a strong commitment to using mobile technology as a driver of social progress.

Instead of following a single, uniform approach, MoMo tailored its initiatives to address specific needs and challenges in each region, such as youth unemployment, underage marriage, and lack of access to technology and information, as key examples.

These interwoven challenges highlight the complexity of community development and the importance of holistic, multi-faceted interventions. From these interventions, Trialogue agency, the adjudicators of the awards, explained that several key lessons emerged: “Hyperlocal solutions proved most effective for stronger results and where local communities were engages, projects showed greater potential for ongoing success and impact.

Additionally, digital inclusion has the potential to enable social and economic participation at scale, and partnerships with government, NGOs and community leaders can assist in extending reach and deepening results. Lastly, data-driven insights guided smarter allocation of resources, ensuring interventions were both impactful and scalable.”

As MTN Group Fintech celebrates this remarkable achievement, the organisation remains focused on its mission to create sustainable solutions that continue to impact lives positively. This award not only honours past efforts but also inspires future initiatives aimed at further community enhancement.

“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. 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. This award is a testament to the collective efforts of our employees across multiple operating companies. Their unwavering commitment to making a difference is inspiring and embodies the spirit of MTN’s mission to enrich the lives of the communities we serve.”

– Nikiwe Tanga, Chief Legal Officer, MTN Group Fintech