en.Wedoany.com Reported - MTN Group has officially joined the SAMENA Telecommunications Council, represented by Ms. Lele Modise, Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer. Lele Modise is an internationally recognized professional, listed in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist and Chambers Global rankings, and serves as Vice Chair of the ITU Development Sector Industry Advisory Group and the Private Sector Chief Regulatory Officers Forum (AIGDI-CRO).
As a pan-African digital operator, MTN Group has accumulated practical experience in areas such as infrastructure investment, digital inclusion, regulatory certainty, cross-border connectivity, and trusted platforms. By joining the SAMENA Council, MTN aims to bring an operator perspective to regional industry discussions on key issues, including advancing infrastructure protection and resilience, fostering sustainable investment models, strengthening data governance frameworks, and promoting trusted digital infrastructure. Other areas of focus for MTN include shaping dialogue on policies and regulatory frameworks concerning cybersecurity, artificial intelligence readiness, and supporting long-term regional industry development, innovation, and inclusive growth.
Commenting on MTN's membership in the SAMENA Council, Ms. Lele Modise said: "Our engagement with the SAMENA Council reflects our commitment to shaping bold industry conversations that support resilient networks in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, catalyze investment-friendly policy frameworks, and drive inclusive digital growth in the markets we serve, delivering better outcomes for customers, businesses, and society."
Bocar BA, CEO of the SAMENA Council, welcomed MTN Group and Ms. Modise, stating: "We are delighted to welcome MTN Group to the SAMENA Council. MTN's extensive experience as a leading African operator, digital infrastructure investor, and provider of fintech and connectivity platforms is highly relevant to the Council's priorities. As telecommunications infrastructure increasingly becomes central to national resilience, economic development, cross-industry enterprise growth, and digital transformation, MTN's perspective will add practical value to our regional industry dialogue and broader efforts to strengthen secure, sustainable, and investment-ready digital ecosystems."
As networks continue to transform and support new essential services, and as demand for connectivity driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, enterprise platforms, and cross-border data flows increases, operators and ecosystem partners require greater coordination in infrastructure security, regulatory clarity, network resilience, and long-term investment models. In this context, the participation of leading operators in the SAMENA Council facilitates more focused cross-regional dialogue and recommendations on how critical digital infrastructure should evolve and how sustainable digital ecosystems can be built.
About MTN Group: MTN Group is Africa's largest mobile network operator, serving 312.7 million customers across 19 markets through voice, data, fintech, digital, enterprise, wholesale, and API services. MTN's purpose is to lead digital solutions for Africa's progress, supported by investments in networks, platforms, digital infrastructure, financial inclusion, and connectivity services across its markets.
About SAMENA Telecommunications Council: The SAMENA Telecommunications Council is an industry association for the SA-ME-NA region, representing telecommunications operators, service providers, technology providers, and digital ecosystem participants. The Council collaborates with regulators, policymakers, international bodies, and industry stakeholders to support industry development, investment, policy coordination, regional cooperation, and digital ecosystem growth in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
