156/68 Monday, April 28, 2025
MTN Group, the South African multinational telecommunications giant, has confirmed a data breach that resulted in unauthorized access to the personal information of some customers in certain countries. However, the company stated that its core network, billing systems, and financial services infrastructure were not affected and remain secure and fully operational. MTN has reported the incident to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks or DPCI) and is in the process of notifying affected customers.
MTN Group Limited, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the leading telecom provider in Africa, serving over 290 million customers across 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East. MTN offers a wide range of services including voice, data, digital, fintech, and enterprise solutions, and has expanded into mobile money and digital entertainment. The company is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) under the ticker MTN, generating over $11 billion USD annually from its services.
In a related incident, Cell C, another major South African telecom provider, confirmed in April 2025 that it had suffered a data breach following a ransomware attack by the RansomHouse group, dating back to 2024. Over 2 TB of stolen data was leaked on the dark web, including sensitive customer information such as full names, contact details, national ID numbers, bank account information, driver’s licenses, medical records, and passport data.
