by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SEVERAL former employees of the mobile network operator are now fully-fledged MTN store owners as the company’s retail channel continues to drive inclusion, gender diversity and transformation across South Africa.
Among the store owners are two former female employees.
The beneficiaries follow successful applications through MTN’s transformative Branded Retail Channel programme, which was initiated in 2019.
“At MTN, we believe that gender diversity is crucial to transformation and growth in our Branded Retail Channel and we are committed to help drive change. We are proud of our employees who have embraced the opportunity to become owners, helping us brighten more lives in the communities we serve,” Jacqui O’Sullivan: MTN SA’s Executive of Corporate Affairs, said.
In 2020, 29 stores in total were transferred to MTN dealers.
One of the female owners, Mandisa Mavuya, joins seven other former employees who recently made the move to being store owners.
She left MTN in 2017 and applied in 2020 as an external candidate.
Mavuya was head of the Core Middle Market Segment at a leading national financial institution and previously held a Senior Manager role within the MTN Consumer Business Unit team.
She will now be at the helm of three stores in Rosebank and Sandton.
Another dealer, Conecta Mobile – owned by Simphiwe Mdlalose, joined the network in 2021 with ownership of two stores in the Northern region in and around Polokwane with another two to follow later this year.
Mdlalose served as a CEO and Director in the companies he has owned over the years.
He is a self-starter, communicator, leader and marketer of note who has been in the media, marketing and communications space for over 23 years.
Other former MTN employees to own shops are Larry Padayachee, Mukesh Dookie, Lance George, Sibongile Mtshali and Gaba Majola.
O’Sullivan said MTN continued the journey of repositioning and creating more opportunities to transform its retail channel this year.
“We kicked off 2021 with a selection of stores that were identified for sale and are looking forward to continuing the relationships we have with some of the existing dealers that will take over some of these stores.”
O’Sullivan said as part of MTN’s phased transformation strategy, this process was intended to transform the channel by driving empowerment in the telecommunications industry through lowering the barrier to entry and placing more stores in the hands of black owners and women.
“Economic opportunity and digital transformation are key to our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of the modern, connected life and our retail store transformation programme achieves this by not only driving inclusion but also enhancing and regionalising our national store footprint,” O’ Sullivan explained.
– CAJ News