MTN South Africa has moved to reinforce digital access in public education by providing learning devices to selected schools nationwide as part of the Department of Basic Education’s Back-to-School Campaign.
Delivered through the MTN SA Foundation, the intervention targets schools in under-resourced communities and is designed to strengthen access to e-learning tools at the start of the academic year. The rollout coincides with the release of the 2025 matric results and signals the activation of MTN’s education programmes for 2026.
The initiative reflects the increasing recognition that education outcomes are tied not only to curriculum and teaching quality, but also to access to technology. As digital platforms become integral to learning, schools without adequate devices face widening inequality. MTN’s contribution is positioned as a practical response to that gap.
South Africa’s matric results season remains a nationally coordinated event that underscores education as a shared responsibility across government, business and communities. MTN’s participation in the Back-to-School Campaign aligns with this collective approach, linking end-of-school outcomes with early-stage investment in learning infrastructure.
MTN has partnered with the Department of Basic Education for more than 20 years, supporting a range of interventions including e-learning platforms, educator training in information technology and computer applications, and the establishment of multimedia centres in both mainstream and special-needs schools. The company has also hosted the national matric results announcement for the past six years, reinforcing its long-term engagement in the sector.
Education remains the single largest focus area of the MTN SA Foundation’s corporate social investment, accounting for more than half of its annual CSI budget. Key initiatives include the MTN Online School, delivered at scale through a partnership with Siyavula, which provides free digital learning content to millions of learners, as well as educator development programmes aimed at strengthening classroom delivery in a digital environment.
The device handovers are being implemented in partnership with provincial education departments, with a focus on quintile one to three schools. The aim is to enable learners to access digital resources for research, collaboration and skills development, supporting readiness for a technology-driven economy.
MTN says the initiative forms part of its broader digital inclusion strategy, which positions education as a foundation for long-term economic participation. By investing in early access to technology, the company is seeking to reduce structural barriers that limit learner outcomes and future employability.
The intervention reflects a shift from symbolic support toward targeted infrastructure investment, recognising that access to digital tools is increasingly central to educational equity and national competitiveness.
