MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita has been appointed to the board of one of the most important global bodies in telecommunications, the GSMA, and will serve as the organisation’s deputy chairman.
MTN announced on Thursday that Mupita, who is also group president of MTN, will serve as deputy chair of the GSMA until the end of 2026.
He will support chairman Gopal Vittal, who was elected to the position last month after serving as deputy chair since 2023.
“This appointment is a great honour as it comes at a time of rapid developments in technology and increasing digital adoption across Africa,” Mupita said in a statement.
“Mobile technology will play a critical part in addressing the pressing challenges facing our communities and unlocking the full potential of Africa and the rest of the Global South, ensuring that no one is left behind in this journey toward a more connected future.”
The GSMA is a global industry body representing mobile sector role players, including telecoms operators and organisations in adjacent industries. Mupita will oversee the completion of the transition to 5G Standalone, driving new revenue models for the sector, and harnessing artificial intelligence and the GSMA’s “Open Gateway APIs” to drive the sector’s growth.
Open Gateway
According to the association, the Open Gateway initiative uses open network application programming interfaces and has participation of mobile operators accounting for almost 80% of mobile connections globally.
Mupita has been at the helm of MTN Group since September 2020, after previously serving as the group’s chief financial officer since April 2017.
Read: GigZone: MTN launches uncapped wireless internet for R5/day
Prior to joining MTN, he was CEO for Old Mutual Emerging Markets, a provider of financial service solutions to individuals and corporates across 19 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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