As Mobile World Congress 2025 conclude yesterday in Barcelona, Spain, there was a bit of a South African flavour in the air, as MTN Group and Huawei reaffirmed their long-standing collaboration by signing a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation in advanced connectivity solutions, cloud-based technologies, and digital infrastructure development, aiming to accelerate sustainable digital transformation across Africa.

Huawei believes the MoU marks a new phase in MTN and Huawei's strategic. Both companies are set to explore innovative solutions to accelerate Africa's digital transformation and drive long-term digital economic growth.

The MoU comes as an opportune time, with Huawei recently announcing a number of new products at MWC 2025. This includes the industry's first AI Core Network, an autonomous generative network capable of self-optimisation and self-O&M, and also an AI WAN Solution and AI-Ready Data Storage.

This latest agreement builds on history of collaboration between MTN and Huawei, underscoring the company’s shared vision for leveraging innovation across Africa’s digital ecosystem.

Huawei's member of its Supervisory Board and president of ICT Sales & Service, Li Peng noted the importance of the collaboration's transformative potential. "Our joint initiatives in 5G-Advanced networks and AI-powered cloud platforms will create a robust foundation for Africa's digital economy. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to developing localised solutions that bridge both technological and skills gaps across the continent,” Peng stated.

“At MTN, our focus is on delivering seamless, intelligent, and inclusive digital experiences for our customers across Africa. Through this collaboration with Huawei, we are exploring innovative solutions to enhance network reliability, improve service quality, and expand digital access for underserved communities,” said Mazen Mroué, group chief Technology and information officer of MTN. “By leveraging advanced connectivity and cloud technologies, we aim to empower businesses, enrich customer experiences, and accelerate Africa's digital future," concluded.

Huawei noted that during 2025, commercial 5G-Advanced deployment will pick up speed, while AI will help carriers reshape business, infrastructure and O&M. Huawei is actively working with carriers and partners around the world to “accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world.”