MTN is giving 1.2 million of its prepaid users the opportunity to buy a 4G smartphone for only R99. This follows the government’s intent to decommission 2G and 3G networks by 2027. The mobile network provider says the plan is part of a push to “extend digital inclusion and ensure that South Africans are not left behind in the country’s transition to 4G and 5G technologies.”
MTN links up the masses
The initiative has three phases: the first entails “carefully selecting” 5,000 customers to offer 4G smartphones. That selection will be based on usage profiles, spending patterns, and tenure. Crucially, this is mainly for customers based in Gauteng. The second phase expands the offer to 130,000 customers nationally, and in the third phase, the offer expands further to 1.1 million users across the country.
MTN also notes the catch. “The devices will come preloaded with a variety of major applications designed to help customers access a wide range of digital tools and services. One of the conditions for receiving the device is that it can only be used with an MTN SIM card.”
The mobile network provider has not specified the models potential buyers will have to choose from, but a smartphone for R99 should suffice for most in a country with a 31.9% unemployment rate, up to 45,5% for the youth (15 to 35 years). Coupled with increasing free Wi-Fi access across major cities, this should go a long way to making sure people stay connected. Now if we could also start revamping those public libraries, we’d be talking.
