By: Cornelia van Heerden - MTN SA Executive: Customer Experience and Services

MTN is moving beyond connectivity to become a leader in digital trust with the rollout of a biometric digital ID system.

This isn’t just about customer onboarding and upgrades for postpaid customers in-store. It’s about harnessing the benefits of the customer’s digital identity layer in an increasingly connected world. As digital lives become increasingly complex, customers demand security, speed, and convenience—and businesses must deliver trust at scale.

Why Now? The Fraud Surge No One Can Ignore

Identity fraud has exploded in South Africa and across Africa:

·429% increase in false name and ID fraud between April 2023 and April 2024 (Southern African Fraud Prevention Service).

·Cybercrime now accounts for up to 30% of all reported crimes in parts of Africa, according to INTERPOL’s 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report.

·Online scams, phishing, ransomware, and business email compromise are rising exponentially—eroding trust and costing businesses and consumers alike.

Traditional question-based authentication is no longer sufficient. Fraudsters can easily gather personal details from social media to bypass legacy checks. The result? Billions lost, operational costs climbing, and trust at risk.

MTN’s biometric system flips this equation: your face becomes your key, ensuring you are you—no guesswork, no paperwork, no loopholes.

How Biometric Digital ID Transforms Customer Experience

The six-month pilot across select MTN stores showed remarkable results, and now this technology is live nationwide:

1. Stronger Security & Fraud Prevention

Facial biometrics authenticate customers instantly and accurately, protecting both existing customers and new sign-ups. By eliminating paper-based records and storing data securely, MTN closes one of the biggest gaps fraudsters exploit.

2. Faster, Frictionless Onboarding

Onboarding times have dropped dramatically. No more copying IDs or filling out stacks of forms—customers verify in real time, transact immediately, and leave with services activated.

3. Compliance Meets Convenience

With tighter regulatory expectations around KYC (Know Your Customer) and POPIA, biometric verification ensures MTN stays ahead of compliance without burdening customers.

4. Unlocking Additional Services

Once digital identity is secured, MTN can seamlessly unlock additional services for customers, from individuals to businesses, without the need for repeated documentation.

5. Enhancing Digital Services

Biometric ID unlocks next-generation services. These could include exciting innovations like enabling secure remote verification for telesales and courier deliveries, setting up parental controls, or activating multi-city SIM cards.

6. Positioning for the AI & IoT Future

In a world where AI-powered services and connected devices dominate, digital identity is the new currency. MTN’s system lays the foundation for secure, scalable innovation.

Partnership Power

MTN’s biometric system was developed in partnership with Vigilate AI, a global leader in biometric identity technology. Vigilate AI ensures accuracy, scalability, and security. Biometric digital ID isn’t just about reducing fraud or removing paperwork. It’s a gateway technology that will:

·Streamline every customer interaction.

·Personalise services with verified trust.

·Enable cross-industry integration with banks, fintechs, and digital marketplaces.

·Position MTN at the centre of Africa’s digital identity ecosystem.

For customers, it means less friction. For MTN, it’s a leap forward—from being a connectivity provider to becoming a digital trust leader.

Security. Speed. Trust. Opportunity.

MTN South Africa’s biometric digital ID rollout marks the beginning of a new era of customer experience. It’s about more than safer SIM cards—it’s about building Africa’s digital trust infrastructure.

With biometric authentication, we now know you are you—and that simple truth opens up a world of possibilities.