Some 13 000km of new roads could be built with the R52.7 billion of total tax contributed (TTC) by MTN Group to the revenue authorities across the continent in 2024. Of this, MTN contributed R11.7 billion in Ghana, R9.1 billion in Nigeria, R6.4 billion in Uganda and R5.4 billion in South Africa.
These funds include the direct corporate taxes we pay, indirect taxes, operating licence fees, payroll taxes, property rates, dividend taxes and withholding taxes to these governments, as well as those to the revenue authorities across our other 12 markets.
“Using a ballpark figure of around R4 million as the cost to build one kilometre of road, our total tax contribution in the year is the equivalent of building more than 13 000km of roads,” said MTN Group Chief Financial Officer Tsholo Molefe.
Of course, governments could use the taxes we contribute for a wide range of purposes besides investing in infrastructure. This could include employing doctors, nurses and teachers; providing welfare support to the elderly and very young; buying medicines for rural clinics as well as food and learning materials for pre-schools, not to mention various other public services.
“Our tax contribution is key to our licence to operate, as well as to our reputation as a responsible, compliant corporate citizen,” said Molefe, adding that MTN’s pledge to pay its fair share of taxes supports the strong relationships it has with customers, communities and governments.
It also helps its host countries attract foreign direct investment by supporting greater business environment predictability, in turn creating jobs and stimulating economic activity.
MTN’s Tax Transparency Report is released every year as part of the Group’s suite of annual reports. It details MTN’s overall economic contribution beyond the corporate taxes it pays. It also outlines the evolving tax environment across the world and in Africa and discusses MTN’s approach to tax and its tax governance. It gives MTN’s TTC by market, as well as its effective tax rates.
The numbers show that MTN’s West and Central Africa (WECA#) region accounted for 52.8% of the independently assured TTC number in 2024. Nigeria made up 17.3%; the Southern and East Africa (SEA^) region accounted for 17.1%; and MTN’s contribution in South Africa was 10.2% of the TTC.
“We are humbled that the taxes we pay contribute to accelerating Africa’s digital future and to giving Africans hope, dignity and opportunity,” said Molefe. “We invite stakeholders to read our Tax Transparency Report for information on one of the ways we do this, in addition to our primary activity of providing Africans with the essential services required to communicate.”
For our 2024 Tax Transparency Report, please see MTN Group’s 2024 suite of reports
#WECA region – Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Congo-Brazzaville and Liberia.
^SEA region – Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, South Sudan, Botswana (joint venture, equity accounted) and eSwatini (joint venture, equity accounted)