The President and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Group, Ralph Mupita, has urged governments across Africa to put in place stable and predictable policy and regulatory frameworks capable of attracting investment and unlocking the continent’s long-term economic potential.
Delivering his address at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation Winter Seminar, Mupita argued that the continent’s prosperity in the years ahead would rest less on migration and more on widening economic opportunities, deepening regional integration and drawing more people into meaningful participation in the economy.
He said governments carry the responsibility of shaping an environment that encourages investment, pointing out that companies commit capital more readily where rules are clear and consistent.
“The future of Africa will not be determined by the borders that separate us, but by the economic opportunities that connect us. Governments must set predictable policies and regulations. Businesses will follow and allocate resources and capital. Together, we can build a continent where opportunity is more evenly shared and prosperity is more widely created,” Mupita said.
The seminar, which MTN sponsored this year, drew leaders from government, business, the diplomatic corps, academia and civil society to examine the links between migration, development and Africa’s future. The company said such platforms for dialogue among varied stakeholders were vital to crafting practical answers to the continent’s challenges.
During a panel session, Mupita described migration as a symptom of uneven economic development rather than a standalone policy problem.
“If our discussion ends with the language of crisis around migration, we will have treated the symptom and missed the deeper challenge. People move because opportunity is unevenly distributed. The defining question is whether we can build economies in which mobility is matched by opportunity,” he said.
He maintained that Africa’s expanding population would only translate into an economic asset if countries invested in skills, infrastructure, financial systems, markets and strong institutions, adding that digital infrastructure had become central to connecting people to education, entrepreneurship, financial services and wider markets. “MTN was born in South Africa and has grown alongside the continent. Our prosperity is inseparable from Africa’s prosperity,” he said.
His comments come as several African nations court domestic and foreign investment to accelerate growth, create jobs and harness digital technologies for financial inclusion and regional trade. “MTN believes that Africa’s strength lies in its connectivity not only through networks, but through people, ideas and shared identity. This initiative is about building bridges, not borders,” he added.
Source: Punch.
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