MTN Ghana calls for collaboration amongst SMEs and key players

MTN Ghana, in partnership with Keynote Africa, organised the 2024 Africa Business Innovation Forum, which brought together small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to discuss innovation, funding, resilience, and growth in a dynamic economy. The theme for the forum was "Guiding Through Uncertainties: Fostering SME Success in a Dynamic Economy."

Angela Mensah-Poku, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Ghana, welcomed the attendees and highlighted that the forum is not just an event, but also a platform for collaboration, learning, and networking. She emphasized that it is an opportunity to share experiences, gain new insights, and explore partnerships that can take businesses to the next level.

During a panel discussion, Abdul Razak Ali, Head of Commercial Operations at MobileMoney Ltd, discussed how SMEs could utilize emerging technologies to grow their businesses. Mr. Ali mentioned that cash management, particularly access and payment, was a major source of worry for SMEs. He highlighted the QR payment initiative from GHIPPS as a tool that could help address this concern.

Mr. Ali also mentioned that cross-border payments pose a challenge for SMEs, but work is being done to eliminate payment barriers across African countries when it comes to exporting and importing of goods. He emphasized that SMEs should look beyond their traditional borders and explore intra-African opportunities to achieve value and efficiency.

Mr. Ali further stated that the Super App will be a one-stop shop that will change the face of e-commerce and the value it brings. The Super App evolution will enable businesses and merchants to source suppliers, manage returns on investment, compare prices, handle profit and losses, and manage stock with just a click of a button. He added that this will be enabled by a technological environment, and MTN will lead in that space.

Pearl Anakwah, Manager of Technology Operations at MTN Business, spoke about significant challenges in adopting new technologies, including accessing funding, information security, identifying suitable solutions, effectively utilizing platforms due to limited know-how, and job security. She suggested conducting a needs assessment of business processes, seeking advice from experts, and hiring the right people as solutions to these challenges.

Mrs Jemima Kotei Walsh, the Chief Customer Relations Officer for MTN, in her remarks emphasized the need for SMEs to embed customer experience into their business culture.

The forum brought together key players from across the continent to discuss and develop solutions to address developmental challenges such as poverty, health, energy, water, and food security.