MTN Group has emerged as Africa’s leading company in cloud certification by training over 1,250 employees through the Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI) in 2025.
This accomplishment places MTN ahead of all other Microsoft customers on the continent in cloud expertise, reflecting the telecom giant’s strong dedication to digital workforce development and cloud adoption.
Cloud certification push boosts MTN’s workforce capabilities
MTN’s training program was delivered as part of its ambitious cloud strategy, launched in 2022, called Project Nephos, announced on Monday. The program included various Microsoft Azure certifications spanning foundational knowledge, apps and infrastructure, data and AI, security, DevSecOps, and data management.
MTN’s Cloud Centre of Excellence fully supported this curriculum to equip employees with vital skills to enhance operational efficiency and innovation across multiple markets.
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Nikos Angelopoulos, MTN Group Chief Information Officer, emphasised the rapid scale and effectiveness of the certification process: “The scale and pace of certification across the Group have been remarkable, led by MTN South Africa and MTN Nigeria, with strong engagement from our other operating companies. The Microsoft ESI programme has provided a structured learning path that enables employees to build meaningful technical depth and apply these skills in their roles”.
Collaboration drives Africa’s digital transformation
MTN’s partnership with Microsoft, part of a five-year agreement that started in 2022, aims to transform the telecom landscape by migrating key business applications to Microsoft Azure cloud.
This move will provide operational benefits and lower costs while enabling MTN to leverage advanced technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The partnership also involves Accenture to support technology implementation and cloud operations.
Besides technical training, the ESI program encourages a culture of continuous learning and professional growth within MTN.
Microsoft’s Alkis Flemetakis, Account Director, highlighted the strategic importance: “Our collaboration with MTN Group through the ESI programme has been instrumental in supporting their digital transformation. By equipping their workforce with advanced cloud skills, MTN is well-positioned to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to their customers”.
This excellence in cloud certification strengthens MTN’s position as a technology-driven platform business and demonstrates a clear commitment to building digital capabilities that benefit both the company and the African digital economy.