Utilize Digital platforms to compete with Foreign Businesses – MTN to SME’s

MTN Ghana’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Mrs Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe has challenged micro and small scale enterprises to take advantage of digitalization to compete with foreign businesses.

According to her, the digital experience enabled companies to market their products without a physical presence.

“With the advent of the digital space, you can compete with businesses in the Western world. You can sell on momo market place to get access to millions of MTN customers”, she emphasized.

Mrs Wiafe was speaking at an MTN Ghana Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Support programme in Cape Coast.

The SME Support falls under the economic empowerment programme of the MTN Ghana Foundation and it’s intended to support micro and small businesses.

The Support, a five year programme, which commenced last year (2023) is to empower local businesses to achieve success in their respective fields.

The programme seeks to address challenges in the business sector, such as access to Finance, due to the high interest rates at the banks.

The SME support is being done in collaboration with Innohub, facilitators of the programme.

Over a hundred businesses were said to have benefited from the programme last year (2023).

And about a hundred and fifty businesses, including fifty businesses from the Central Region are expected to benefit this year (2024).

“Last year, we committed GHC 1,000,000 to it. This year, we’ve doubled the amount and so we are committing GHC 2,000,000 to the programme. We have selected a hundred and fifty beneficiary businesses across the country, with fifty businessesfrom the Central Region”, Mrs Wiafe disclosed.

According to the Chief Corporate Officer, “the programme was also to empower the beneficiaries to adopt new business practices that would help them improve upon their businesses”.

Mrs Wiafe indicated that MTN was disbursing up to GHC 20,000 to the beneficiary businesses.

The beneficiaries are mainly the marginalized in society, comprising, women groups, youth led groups and differently abled persons.

Mrs Wiafe urged the beneficiaries to prioritize customer care, adding, beneficiaries would as well benefit from SME training as part of the programme.

“Officials of MTN will visit your businesses from time to time to see how the money is being utilized and whether the training is impacting positively on your businesses”, she explained.

The Executive Director of Innohub, Mr Nelson Amo applauded MTN Ghana Foundation for the collaboration.

He was optimistic MTN would be able to support the project to its completion.

“Innohub believes that supporting businesses is the surest way to ensure a boost.

Mr Amo emphasized that “the programme also creates a platform where businesses can trade effectively and as such get more buyers”.

He encouraged beneficiaries to put the money received to good use.

The Advisor in charge of Education at MTN Ghana Foundation, Mr Ebenezer Tekper encouraged beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity to network and learn from each other to enhance their businesses.

The Economic Empowerment Advisor, MTN Ghana Foundation, Madam Cynthia Mills hoped beneficiaries of the SME support programme would use the financial resources efficiently to enhance their businesses.