Telecommunications group MTN Business has been awarded a three-year contract to enhance the digitisation – through the implementation of smart electricity and water technology – across South Africa’s 257 municipalities.

The RT29 transversal contract, awarded by National Treasury, will see MTN Business, starting from this month, supply, deliver, install, manage and maintain end-to-end smart metering solutions across the country.

“Digital technologies have become fundamental to everyday life, and our ambition is to ensure that these technologies touch the lives of our government, customers and businesses in various ways,” said MTN South Africa CEO Charles Molapisi.

The solution will bring value and impact to municipalities as well as unlock the benefits of a modern connected life for households and businesses, he continued, noting that this is in line with international trends.

Worldwide, countries are addressing similar issues by replacing outdated infrastructure with new digital smart technology, enhancing efficiency for both businesses and homes, and conserving precious resources.

He cites an example in the UK, where the Carbon Trust estimates that businesses may be wasting up to 20% of the energy they are billed for owing to outdated or faulty metering units.

In South Africa, MTN Business smart meters offer numerous benefits to various stakeholders within the supply chain, enhancing efficiency, accuracy and security, while, for municipal customers, they provide better data access for managing electricity use, leading to more accurate billing, improved outage restoration and power quality data.

National Treasury was seeking a cost-effective solution that would also meet very high technical requirements, including query resolutions and training for municipal staff, added MTN South Africa chief enterprise business officer Tumi Sekhukhune-Chamayou.

“We are pleased to have been selected as a preferred service provider. We aim to provide a high level of expertise to ensure households and businesses across South Africa benefit from digital solutions that matter.”

The integration of smart electricity and water technology across these municipalities will further solidify financial sustainability for municipalities by eliminating bypasses and ghost vending to ensure transparent and financially viable utility management.

It will also bring the country closer to ensuring people's right to sufficient water and inherent dignity, as laid out in the Constitution, Sekhukhune-Chamayou continued.

This contract demonstrates the significant role played by MTN Business within the public sector, with the company highlighting the 2021 award of the RT15 contract by National Treasury to MTN Business to digitise government entities and connect thousands of employees.

This new partnership will further enable MTN Business to assist municipalities in effectively managing their clients’ electricity and water consumption through smart technology.

“It is clear that this partnership will bring about significant benefits that will take South Africa one step further towards achieving a technologically advanced and economically developed electricity and water systems that will ensure South Africa's use remains sustainable for future generations. This is of utmost importance because while the water crisis may not be as apparent as the energy crisis, it remains a looming risk which we collectively need to address,” Molapisi concluded.