This initiative is a testament to MTN’s unwavering commitment to empowering our youth and equipping them with the skills necessary to thrive in the digital economy.
At the MTN SA Foundation, we believe that providing opportunities for our youth to enhance their ICT skills and long-term career prospects is not just important, but essential. Our role extends beyond connectivity; we are enablers of innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation in the digital economy.
This programme is particularly focused on empowering women and youth at high school level. Our objectives are clear:
- To inspire and educate school-going learners about the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and innovation, highlighting the exciting opportunities that exist within our country.
- To develop new entrepreneurs capable of starting sustainable and profitable businesses, ultimately creating jobs and reducing unemployment.
- To expose 15 000 learners to entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital skills through the MTN Skills Academy.
- To contribute more broadly to the socio-economic development of youth in entrepreneurship and digital skills development.
2024 Rethink Rands and Sense Programme
The Rethink Rands and Sense programme is designed to provide financial literacy to South African youth in an engaging and innovative manner. By combining behavioural economics principles with edutainment, we aim to introduce a new narrative to money management from a uniquely South African perspective.
The project seeks to inspire, educate, and train school-going learners on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. We introduce them to the exciting opportunities within innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing their skills and encouraging them to start their own businesses in ICT or using ICT as an enabler.
Through storytelling, practical educational resources, social media engagement, hands-on money mentorship, and gamified challenges, we aim to reshape their attitudes and behaviours around earning, saving, spending, and investing. Our goal is to enable better money choices by building good habits and breaking bad ones before young people fall into destructive financial behaviours.
The Rethink Rands programme will lead a financial revolution where young people improve their money habits in their quest to earn big, spend better, and save best. Our unique financial education programme incorporates psychological and behavioural insights, addressing both the IQ and EQ of money.
Through this programme, we are introducing a first-of-its-kind initiative geared towards fostering real financial change by leveraging the transformative power of financial literacy and entrepreneurship. As a key partner, MTN has the unique opportunity to satisfy our corporate citizenship and commercial imperatives by equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to practice better money habits.
We are proud to announce a significant investment of R 2,000,000.00 into the programme. This investment will go towards ensuring that up to 15 thousand high school learners are reached through this initiative empowering them with financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills. The programme will be rolled out in partnership with the Department of Basic Education reaching over 80 schools across South Africa
The MTN SA Foundation is key to MTN’s goal of fostering impactful and quantifiable development in underserved and rural communities across South Africa. Our activities leverage technology to propel social progress, especially in education and entrepreneurship, ensuring that all South Africans enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life.
The MTN Skills Academy is designed to bridge the digital and financial skills gap, ensuring that young people have the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in the digital age. Through the academy, we empower the next generation of digital talent to participate fully in the digital economy, creating new opportunities and driving growth and innovation.
Through MTN Pulse, we offer a lifestyle proposition designed for under-25s, with youth-tailored data offers perfect for learning and social activities, including freebies for gaming, music, video, and lifestyle – all to keep our youth living it up with #YourPulseYourWay.
In conclusion, MTN remains committed to youth empowerment and innovation. The Rethink Rands and Sense programme is not just an educational initiative; it is a catalyst for change, designed to inspire and equip our youth to make informed decisions and pursue successful careers in the digital economy.
Thank you to all our partners, stakeholders, and everyone who has contributed to making this programme a reality. Your support and participation are invaluable.
