Xenophobia: MTN Group CEO warns against anti-African business backlash

MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, has cautioned against growing calls across parts of Africa to boycott pan-African businesses, warning that such actions could undermine youth employment, digital transformation, and the continent’s broader economic integration agenda.

Mupita issued the warning while speaking to Bloomberg on the wider corporate impact of the recent protest against some businesses.

His comments come amid rising social media campaigns in Nigeria and other African countries calling for the expulsion of foreign-owned African businesses following renewed incidents of anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa, often described as xenophobia.

What the MTN CEO is saying

Mupita acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding recent developments but said the company had not experienced any direct impact on its operations.

• “We have not seen impacts specifically to our business, but we’re very sensitive in markets such as Nigeria and Ghana,” he said.

The MTN chief executive also stressed the importance of protecting businesses that operate across multiple African markets, arguing that they are essential to the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

According to Mupita, multinational companies operating across African borders have become deeply embedded in the economies they serve and should not be viewed solely through the lens of their country of origin.

Highlighting MTN’s geographic earnings profile, he noted that the company generates the majority of its revenue outside South Africa.

• “MTN makes less than 20% in South Africa and makes 80% of our earnings elsewhere,” he said.

Mupita urged governments, businesses, and citizens to pursue constructive engagement rather than retaliatory measures, emphasizing that migration challenges and unemployment cannot be solved through economic isolation.

More insights

Mupita said Africa’s focus should be on leveraging its youthful population to drive economic growth through the digital economy, noting that Africa’s demographic profile presents both an opportunity and a challenge.

• “MTN also believes that embracing the benefits of the digital economy is vital to turning the youth bulge we have in Africa into a youth dividend,” Mupita stated.

Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, with the United Nations estimating that about 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population is under the age of 30.

Analysts have consistently highlighted the need for sustained investment in technology, innovation, and digital infrastructure to create jobs for this rapidly expanding workforce.

What you should know

Mupita’s comments add to the growing concerns over the impact of the ongoing anti-immigrant campaigns against other Africans in South Africa.

• Earlier this week, South Africa’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, admitted that the country’s ongoing anti-migrant crisis is triggering real economic consequences for its citizens beyond its borders.
• According to her, some South African artists are currently losing performance bookings across the continent as a direct result of the backlash the country has been receiving around the world over the crisis.
• She said the government is, however, working to contain the damage to South Africa’s image and business interests abroad.

She acknowledged that the international backlash over the country’s handling of migration issues is now visible and cannot be denied.

Meanwhile, following the renewed xenophobic attacks, the Nigerian government last week evacuated the first batch of 262 Nigerians from the country.