Signed during MWC Barcelona 2023, the MoU aligns with MTN’s business strategy, Ambition 2025, and Huawei’s Corporate Sustainability Development strategy, including its TECH4ALL initiative.
“Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress can only be achieved through the power of partnerships,” said Nompilo Morafo, chief sustainability & corporate affairs officer at MTN Group.
“Working with companies like Huawei, we can pool our technologies and expertise to drive greater access to connectivity, digital skills and greener and more sustainable solutions to the benefit of all.”
The Huawei DigiTruck project provides free training for those who need it, including people in rural communities, the elderly, unemployed youth, and girls and women.
Based out of a converted used shipping container mounted on a truck, DigiTruck is a solar-powered mobile classroom equipped with laptops, smartphones, and 4G connectivity.
There is also the Huawei ICT Academy, which trains university students in ICT skills such as 5G, cloud computing, and AI.
"We believe that digital technology will become an important force driving social development and making the world more inclusive and sustainable," said Guo Ping, chairman of the Huawei supervisory board.
While the MTN Skills Academy aims to boost the link between digital skills training and job market requirements.
Through the partnership with Huawei, MTN aim to reach even more rural and remote communities and broaden the portfolio of available digital skills training.
Together the two are collaborating on deploying RuralStar, an affordable connectivity solution for online access to remote and rural communities.
From an environmental perspective, Huawei will support MTN's goal of minimising its impact on the planet and achieving net zero by 2040 by decarbonising the operator's telecoms infrastructure, which spans Radio Access Network sites, transport networks, storage and data centres.
