Advertorial: MTN Foundation
MTN’ s digital skills training for the digital economy
MTN’ s Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme and MTN Skills Academy are bridging the digital divide, equipping young people with in-demand skills and connecting them to employment opportunities for a brighter future.
MTN believes that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern, connected life. Yet, for many youth and women across Africa, access to digital skills, tools, and opportunities remains limited. While the rapid pace of digital transformation brings immense potential, addressing the digital divide and skills gap is critical to ensuring this potential is shared equally.
The challenge, particularly in South Africa, is to create access to world-class training in digital and financial literacy, work readiness, mentorship, and job placement. MTN is tackling this through initiatives such as the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme and the MTN Skills Academy, an online platform already active in several of MTN’ s markets. These programmes aim to empower young people and ensure they are not left behind in the digital economy.
In line with MTN Group’ s Ambition 2025 to train one million unemployed youth, the MTN Foundation has invested R15 million into the 2024 rollout of its Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme. This initiative forms part of MTN’ s wider commitment to digital skills development and job creation across Africa.
The programme responds to South Africa’ s urgent unemployment crisis, where over 10 million people aged 18 – 35 are without jobs. According to Statistics South Africa’ s 2024 Q3 Labour Force Survey, youth unemployment remains staggeringly high: 60.2 % for those aged 15 – 24 and 40.4 % for those aged 25 – 34. National unemployment stands at 32.1 %. Meanwhile, the International Finance Corporation estimates that by 2030, 230 million jobs will require digital skills – yet
Africa is underprepared to meet this demand.
According to the Digital Skills Gap Index, Africa is home to 12 of the world’ s 20 countries with the weakest digital skills. MTN’ s holistic approach to digital training is designed to reverse this trend. By equipping young people with in-demand skills and connecting them to employment opportunities, MTN aims not just to train but to create sustainable pathways to economic participation.
The impact is already visible. Since its 2023 launch, the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme has reached 1 800 unemployed youth nationwide. The 2024 cohort received additional training in life skills, career development, and personal growth. Each year since 2023, the Foundation has committed R15 million to the initiative, which is MICT SETA-accredited.
Training covers key areas such as software development, data analytics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence – skills that are not only in high demand but also vital to South Africa’ s digital future. A special focus is placed on increasing gender diversity. While women make up just 22 % of the global AI workforce, MTN actively supports the upskilling of women and promotes inclusivity in the tech sector.
At the heart of this initiative is the MTN Skills Academy, an online platform offering digital and financial literacy courses, career mapping tools, and low-data, mobile-friendly access. It is also equipped with tools to ensure inclusivity for learners with disabilities.