June 18 (THEWILL) — MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Mupita, has warned against growing calls in parts of Africa to boycott pan-African businesses, saying such actions could harm youth employment, digital transformation, and the continent’s economic integration efforts.
Speaking to Bloomberg on the broader corporate impact of recent protests targeting some businesses, Mupita said companies operating across African borders should not become casualties of rising tensions linked to migration and xenophobia.
His remarks come amid increasing social media campaigns in Nigeria and other African countries calling for the expulsion of foreign-owned African businesses following renewed anti-immigrant incidents in South Africa.
While acknowledging the sensitivity of the situation, Mupita said MTN had not experienced any direct operational disruptions. However, he noted that the company remains vigilant in key markets such as Nigeria and Ghana.
“We have not seen impacts specifically to our business, but we’re very sensitive in markets such as Nigeria and Ghana”, he said.
Mupita stressed that multinational African companies play a critical role in advancing the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area and should not be judged solely by their country of origin. According to him, MTN earns less than 20 percent of its revenue in South Africa, with more than 80 percent generated from operations across the rest of the continent.
He urged governments, businesses, and citizens to pursue dialogue and cooperation rather than retaliatory measures, arguing that unemployment and migration challenges cannot be solved through economic isolation.
Mupita also highlighted Africa’s youthful population as a major economic opportunity, saying investment in the digital economy is essential to transforming the continent’s growing youth population into a productive workforce. His comments add to mounting concerns about the economic fallout from xenophobic incidents in South Africa, which officials say are already affecting business interests and cultural exchanges across the continent.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
