Telecommunications company MTN has launched its tailor-made packages for small and informal businesses in the Western Cape – MTN Made for Skhokho. This is a first in the province with Khayelitsha identified as the growing entrepreneurial and small business hub.
The launch event was held at the recently refurbished The Milk Restaurant & Champagne Bar, with attendance from Khayelitsha’s business community. The telecommunications company believes in the power of small businesses to drive change and sees it as a priority to ensure this sector receives the necessary support to succeed.
“Small businesses are the backbone of local communities and an engine-room for jobs and economic growth. They have the power to transform – but to do that they must be connected all the time and it is our aim, with constant innovation and best quality network, to deliver solutions that add value to their businesses,” says Wanda Matandela, chief business and enterprise officer at MTN Business.
Guests at the launch event included Siphelo Jalivane, founder and co-owner of The Milk Restaurant & Champagne Bar, who has been identified by the network as a trailblazer after the resurgence of his business post-Covid-19.
Other guests included business owners Mfundo and Mshayi Mbeki, co-owners of Rands Cape Town, Ndithini Thyido, chairperson of the Khayelitsha Development Forum, Annette Skaap and founder and CEO of The Spade Boutique Hotel & Spa.
MTN Made for Skhokho voice and data bundles are the first prepaid bundles to launch in South Africa targeted specifically for businesses in the informal sector, providing greater value and flexibility to help businesses navigate the current tough economic conditions.
To make MTN Made for Skhokho more accessible to wider SMEs, MTN Business has made it easy for SMEs to purchase these plans as customers do not need to be a registered business to get these packages. Customers can simply register for MTN Made for Skhokho plans on the Made for Skhokho portal thereafter recharge using the MTN App. The bundle packages are valid for seven, 14 and 30 days respectively.
“Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and business in the informal sector play an important role in South Africa’s economy by providing employment opportunities as well as driving much-needed growth. Added to the recent negative impact brought on by Covid-19, SMEs continue to face many headwinds, including the high cost of running a business, excessive red tape, lack of access to markets, financing and technical knowledge.”
“The MTN Made for Skhokho prepaid package is designed to help by addressing connectivity challenges so that SMEs can thrive and enjoy all the benefits and opportunities of the modern, connected world,” Matandela concludes.
