MTN pledges to plant 150 000 trees to thank customers

The MTN Group has passed 150 million mobile subscribers, showing strong subscriber growth despite increased competition.

Speaking at the MTN Group Annual General Meeting (AGM) today, MTN group president and CEO Sifiso Dabengwa announced that MTN increased its subscriber base by 7.4 million subscribers or 5% to 149 million customers for the four months to 30 April 2011, and has subsequently passed 150 million mobile subscribers across its 21 operations.

Margins in the majority of MTN’s key markets in Africa and the Middle East remained robust, although margin pressure in markets with high levels of price competition was experienced.

Robust margins were primarily due to the benefit of on going cost control and efficiency initiatives, despite the negative impact of inflationary pressures and higher fuel costs.

“MTN believes its current initiatives place it in good stead to take advantage of value creating opportunities, while mitigating the various risks. MTN will continue to leverage its scale, operational capability and intellectual capacity in an industry which has become more competitive as it matures and evolves,” said Dabengwa.

The MTN Group Board has decided that the formation of a formalized subsidiary company board for the international operations will not be progressed at this point in time. This follows a review of the work completed by the sub-committee of the board appointed to investigate the matter.

The MTN Group wishes to share its 150 million mobile subscriber milestone with communities by linking it to a worthy social cause. Accordingly, MTN has pledged to plant 150 000 (one hundred and fifty thousand) trees across its markets during the next six months.

MTN is cognisant of the serious implications of climate change in its markets and the world, and is therefore making a contribution to preserve the environment by mobilising its staff of approximately 30 000 to plant trees in their communities.

“At MTN, employees regard themselves as an integral part of their communities. It is this sense of community that enables us as the Group to respond meaningfully to the needs of our customers beyond just providing them with telecommunication services,” said Dabengwa.

He explained that MTN operates in a business ecosystem in which triple bottom line (people, planet and profit) issues are increasingly becoming vital for future survival.

“Our customers are important to us, and so are we to them in terms of offering them services that improve their lifestyle. Unless we take good care of the surroundings in which people live and in which we as business operate, there will be no markets and growth prospects to talk of in future”.

“The idea of planting trees has the potential to trigger the kind of public consciousness that can turn each of the 150 million MTN subscribers into active agents for positive social change,” adds Dabengwa.

MTN’s 150 000 trees pledge builds on the commitment the Group made at the onset of the MTN 21 Days of Y’ello Care corporate social responsibility (CSR) annual initiative, which kicked off on 1 June 2011, to plant 21 000 trees across its markets.

The 21 Days Y’ello Care campaign ended on a high yesterday, with more than 50 000 trees planted by MTN staff across MTN’s global footprint in support of the UN’s declaration of 2011 as the International Year of Forests.