MTN and SEL sponsors Young Heroes with E300 000

MTN Foundation and Swaziland Empowerment Limited (SEL) have donated E300 000 to enable Young Heroes to support vocational skills training of 59 young people from different parts of the country. 

MTN Foundation provided E200 000 and SEL contributed E100 000. The 59 beneficiaries of this funding under the Young Heroes Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP) are vulnerable young people between 19-26 years old who do not qualify for tertiary admission. This funding will cover their tuition fees, protective clothing, and grade testing costs.  They will train in different vocational training centres around the country. 

MTN Foundation Board Chairperson Busisiwe Simelane and SEL Board Chairman Langalakhe Dlamini presented this cash contribution to Young Heroes at Esibayeni Lodge in Matsapha yesterday.  

MTN Foundation Board Chairperson Busisiwe Simelane congratulated Young Heroes for sticking to their mission of empowering the country’s youth with vocational skills, so that they may achieve their full potential.  

“This is one of the most effective ways to address the high youth unemployment rate in the country by giving them skills that enable them to either get decent jobs or to start their own businesses. We thank Young Heroes for giving us a platform to change the lives of young people,” she said.  

Simelane said they decided to fund the programme once again because they have seen good results from their initial investment. MTN started funding the project from its inception in 2013. In 2018, the company contributed E350 000 to the programme. 

“We also thank Young Heroes for the solid structure to identify young people who are in need and also for putting up a solid structure of accountability,” she said.  

Simelane pleaded with companies to open their doors when the internship time for the programme beneficiaries comes. 

“We know this is a difficult time, be that as it may, may we please afford these young people the opportunity to formally practice what they have learned so that they fully complete their learning cycle,” she said. 

Simelane invited other companies to come on board, sponsor the programme, and empower more young people. 

“If we empower young people, the future of the country will be in safe hands,” she said.

SEL Corporate Social Responsibility Chairman Shaka Ndlangamandla said they hope the number of sponsored young people would increase from the current 59 beneficiaries to at least 200.  

“We have also noticed that most of the beneficiaries need assistance with rental and food allowances. We hope we would also be able to assist them with those needs going forward,” he said.  

SEL was participating for the second year in the Young Heroes Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP). 

From 2013 to date, at least 495 young people have been benefited from this programme and were certified in their fields. Young Heroes Executive Director Khulekani Magongo thanked the MTN and SEL for their contribution.  

“We will make sure that the money goes to its intended purpose to enable these young people to be employable, or start their own businesses, and turn around their lives,” he said. 

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MTN-SEDCO Cija Ngebhizinisi third season finalists graduate

The MTN-Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO) Cija Ngebhizinisi 2021 top 20 finalists have graduated after completing their one-week physical training programme. 

The training was conducted by SEDCO in harmony with the current COVID-19 regulations at the SEDCO Manzini Estate. It began on Monday last week and ended on Friday. 

The aim of the training was to equip the top 20 finalists with practical skills and to provide a networking platform for the finalists to share ideas, information, and solutions. 

The physical training came after the first phase of the programme that ran on Eswatini Broadcasting Information Services (EBIS 1) for 18 weeks. Its objective is to enhance start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) understanding on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. After the 18 weeks, followers of the radio programme on EBIS 1 were then invited to fill in application forms to get rigorous business training and stand a chance to win seed capital worth E10 000. 

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, the programme received 64 applications. The top 20 was drawn from entrants that were found to be implementing the key topics that were covered by the radio programme. 

After the training that ended last week, five start-ups from the top 20 finalists stand a chance to win seed capital worth E10 000 each. The winners of the seed capital will be selected based on their site visit scores by the judges and the training assessment. 

Speaking on behalf of the top 20 finalists, Bayanda Mabila (27) from Mbuluzi said ‘no money can buy what they have learned during the training.’  

Mabila started his motor spares business towards the end of last year and this was his first formal business training. 

“The life skills we learned during the one-week training were incredible. We learned a lot of critical things that we never paid attention to before, because we were so much concerned about making money,” he said.  

Some of the topics that were covered during the training include costing, survival budgeting, break-even point, marketing, and cash-flow projection.

He dearly thanked MTN and SEDCO for investing in them, “the beautiful thing about learning something is that no one can take it away from you.” 

MTN Foundation Coordinator Evidence Ntshalintshali congratulated the graduates and further wished them luck ahead of the awards to be held soon.

“We congratulate those that will get seed capital. Please make sure that the money you will get will be put into good use,” she said.

MTN Smagamaga saves vendor from micro lenders

Faced with financial challenges, Thuli Mhlanga (46) tried to borrow money from shylocks to boost her Mobile Money business funds, with no success. On the verge of giving up, she won E1, 000 through MTN Smagamaga weekly promotion.

Mhlanga, a Mobile Money Vendor from Msunduza in Mbabane, is part of the 40 customers that have won one of many E1 000 weekly prizes from the MTN Smagamaga promotion since its inception to date.  

She started her business in 2018 and it has steadily grown until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Thereafter, she said her funds have been gradually decreasing due to the record decline of customers because of the effects of the ongoing health crisis.   

“In this overwhelming time of crisis, I found myself in a difficult position and my only option at that point was to get a loan from micro lenders. I desperately needed working capital to keep my business afloat. While I was worried about prohibitive interest charges, simultaneously, I needed to save my businesses. Nonetheless, I believe that God sent MTN to save me from my difficulty and gave me money that I do not need to repay. For this, I am grateful to both God and MTN Eswatini as an agent of God,” she said. Mhlanga said she joined the promotion just to try her luck, as she had never won anything before.  

“I did not expect to win anything from the promotion. That is why I was surprised to hear that I had won E1 000,” she said.

“I thank MTN for saving me,” she further stated.

The E1 000 weekly cash prize also helped Nitho Mamba (34), a prophet from Nsangwini, who joined the promotion out of curiosity after receiving an SMS from MTN. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit us hard. I was left with literally nothing after using all the money I had when children went back to school. We desperately needed cash for groceries and that is why I was hoping to win from day one after entering the competition,” he said. 

He has four dependents, his wife, and three children. 

“When I received the call informing me that I have won, I had E10 only in my pocket. That was the last money I had with me. However, I trusted God that he will never desert me, and he did not,” he said. 

Mamba said he would use the money to buy groceries for his family. 

“My wish was to win so that I can be able to buy groceries and I will do just that,” said Mamba. 

The E1 000 weekly prize was a bonus for Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT) second-year Mechanical Engineering student, Phumlani Nxumalo (25) from Ndlalambi. His money came in just after receiving his study allowance.  

Nxumalo said he would use it to do something nice for his parents who are both unemployed but have been doing everything they could to ensure that he gets everything he needs. 

“I want to show them how much I appreciate everything they have done for me,” he said.

Nxumalo said he also enjoyed answering the daily quizzes and they have helped him to learn many new things he did not know even about the country.   

“I thank MTN for this initiative. I hope more people will benefit from it,” he said.

Through this promotion, MTN is giving back to customers prizes worth up to E100 000 to enable them to #DoTheMost.  

The company is giving away daily food vouchers worth E250 to three customers and 1GB of data to 10 customers; E1 000 weekly MoMo cash prizes; E5 000 monthly MoMo cash prizes and a whopping E100 000 grand prize!  

To win a share of these prizes, all that customers are expected to do is, SMS join to 7080 at 99 cents per day and answer daily questions to earn points.  

MTN Monthly Masters 2021

Results from the April edition of the MTN Monthly Masters golf tournament

PositionGolfer/sPoints
1Mduduzi Maphalala40
2Dumisani Msibi40
3Llyod Mberi40
4Mukelwa Maziya39
5Valentine Maziya39
6Kenneth Nkambule39
7Siboniso Simelane
8Rasheed Mohhammed38
9John Mngometulu38
10Nosmiilo Ngomo37
11Sandile Chongo36
12Clement Dlamini35
13Siphesihle Vilakati35
14Mpendulo Shongwe35
15Cleopas Dlamini35
16Nkosingingphile Mabuuza35
17Muzi Shongwe35
18Vusi F. Dlamini35
19Meshack Zwane34
Results in full

Novelties

Title/awardReciepient
Nearest Pins 2/11Mpendulo Shongwe
Nearest Pins 8/17Cusi Manana
Nearest Pins 9/18Mdu Maphalala
Longest drive (ladies)Nosmilo Kgomo
Longest drive (men)Mdu Maphalala
Novelties

MTN Smagamaga rewards customers with cash prizes worth E123 000

At least 222 MTN Eswatini customers have won prizes worth E123 000 in total from the MTN Smagamaga promotion since it started on February 1, 2021. 

MTN Eswatini Manager Digital and Value-Added Services (VAS) Alex Lushaba disclosed this during the handover of last month’s monthly and weekly prizes to winners at the MTN head office in Ezulwini on Friday.  

These prizes are made of eight winning customers who walked away with E5 000 monthly cash prize in February and March. In addition, 40 MTN customers have won the E1 000 weekly cash prize, while 174 customers won E250 OK Food vouchers. Daily, MTN has rewarded  406 customers with daily data worth 1GB from February 1 to date. 

In March only, four customers won E5 000 each, 20 customers won E1 000 each, 90 customers won E250 food vouchers, and 210 customers won data worth 1GB.  

Lushaba congratulated all the winners. He said the campaign aims to spread excitement by rewarding as many loyal customers as possible. 

“We are pleased to be part of this initiative, and what a better way to heighten excitement, especially during this time, by rewarding our loyal customers who contribute to the growth and success of the company. We look forward to rewarding more customers before the promotion ends,” he said.

The promotion ends at midnight on April 30, 2021. 

Lushaba said the target is to have 400 customers who will win by using 99 cents only per day by the end date.

The four customers who won the E5 000 monthly prizes in February maintained the lead and won an extra E5 000 each last month. This means that they have now pocketed E10 000 each in total from the campaign. 

These were Menelisi Mngometulu (22), a second-year University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Environmental Health Science student from Dvokolwako; Khanyisile Maseko (52), a civil servant under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport from Maliyaduma; Nicole Moore (74), a retiree from Malkerns, and Mbuluzi Farms Human Resources Raymond Themba (59) from Mafutseni. 

Lushaba said the reason they all won for the second time was that the E5 000 monthly winners are selected based on accumulated points over each month, “only the weekly and daily winners are drawn randomly.” 

Menelisi Mngometulu said that after using the first E5 000 cash prize to buy a good smartphone and a router for a sustainable internet connection for his classes, he would use the second E5 000 prize money to start a small poultry business to create multiple income streams. 

“This is very important for me because my father is unemployed and it could go a long way to lift the burden off my mother’s shoulders,” he said. Her mother is a nursing assistant at Dvokolwako Health Centre.  

He said he did not believe it when he was informed that he has won again.

“I do not have enough words to thank MTN for changing my life. This money will go a long way to assist me with my studies. Therefore, I will owe my success to MTN,” he said. 

Khanyisile Maseko said she was also left speechless when she was informed that she had won again. 

Maseko who lost her husband in 2008 is currently building a home in Hhelehhele. 

She used the first E5 000 cash prize to pay school fees for her grandchild to enroll in Form 1 at St. Theresa High School in Manzini.

She said she would use the latest cash prize to buy roofing for her house, which is now near completion. 

“Amid the ongoing health crisis, God has stood up for me in a way I have never seen before this year. I will now be able to roof my house after being stuck for some time because I did not have enough money,” she said. 

She said she stayed on the promotion to increase her chances of winning the E100 000 grand prize and she enjoys learning new things through the quiz. 

“The quiz has helped me to learn a lot of new things that I did not know,” she said. 

‘Prize money filled up my heart after losing my brother’

Just a moment after receiving a sad phone call that informed her that she has lost her brother, Nicole Moore (74) shortly received another call informing her that she had won E5 000 and that filled up her heart. 

“I am not in any way implying that the money made me forget the loss of my dear brother, but that call came just in time to brighten my moment of dullness and my heart was filled up,” she said. 

Moore said she stayed on the promotion because she enjoyed the interesting facts that she learns through the daily quiz. 

She said she will not drop the ball on this because she has set her heart on the E100 000 grand prize. 

“My daughter works at Zanzibar and we have never visited her. If I can win the E100 000 grand prize, I would take my husband and daughter to Zanzibar to visit my daughter,” she said.

Through this promotion, MTN is giving back to customers prizes worth up to E100 000 to enable them to #DoTheMost.  

The company is giving away daily food vouchers worth E250 to three customers and 1GB of data to 10 customers; E1 000 weekly MoMo cash prizes; E5 000 monthly MoMo cash prizes and a whopping E100 000 grand prize!  

To win a share of these prizes, all that customers are expected to do is, SMS join to 7080 at 99 cents per day and answer daily questions to earn points.  

E5 000-prize money comes to the rescue for UNESWA student

The recently won prize money came to rescue for University of Eswatini (UNESWA) student Menelisi Mngometulu (22) from Dvokolwako who will now be able to fully participate in online classes after winning the E5 000 monthly cash prize from the MTN Smagamaga competition.

Mngometulu (22) is a second-year Environmental Health Science student at UNESWA.

He said he would use the cash prize to buy a smartphone and a router for sustainable internet connection.  

“We now use Zoom Video Conferencing for our classes due to the ongoing health crisis. Before winning this prize, I had connection challenges. I did not have a good smartphone and struggled to raise enough money for the data I needed. So, I am extremely delighted that I will now be able to fully benefit from my lectures and realize my dream,” he said.  

His father is unemployed, and his mother is a nursing assistant at Dvokolwako Health Centre.

“Under these circumstances, it was difficult for them to support me. That is why I thank MTN for coming to my rescue,” he said.

Mngometulu said he decided to join the competition after he saw the E100 000 grand prize that is dangled by the promotion.

“This money could change my life for the better,” he said.

Through this promotion, MTN is giving back to customers prizes worth up to E100 000 to enable them to #DoTheMost. The company is giving away daily food vouchers worth E250 to three customers and 1GB of data to 10 customers; E1 000 weekly MoMo cash prizes; E5 000 monthly MoMo cash prizes and a whopping E100 000 grand prize! 

To win a share of these prizes, all that customers are expected to do is, SMS join to 7080 at 99 cents per day and answer daily questions to earn points. 

Four customers win E20 000 in MTN Smagamaga monthly draw

Four lucky customers have won E5 000 each, making a total of E20 000 from the MTN Smagamaga competition monthly draw.  

These are Menelisi Mngometulu from Dvokolwako, Khanyisile Maseko from Maliyaduma, Nicole Moore from Malkerns, and Raymond Themba from Mafutseni.   Khanyisile Maseko (52), a civil servant under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said the Lord answered her prayers through this promotion.

“The money came right on time. I was worried sick because I was expected to pay E6 500 the following day for my grandchild to enroll in Form 1 at St. Theresa High School in Manzini. I had nothing and I was beginning to lose hope, but the good Lord answered my prayers through MTN Eswatini,” she said.

Kunene has been the bread winner, having lost her husband in 2008. She has two immediate dependents: one child and one grandchild. She is currently building a home in Hhelehhele.

“With the current situation we are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things got worse as I had to shoulder additional caregiving responsibilities. Therefore, through this cash prize, MTN lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. For that, I am extremely grateful,” she said.

Mbuluzi Farms Human Resources Raymond Themba (59) who is at the edge of retirement, said the money he won from the promotion provide a huge relief. He heads a family of six and has countless extended family dependents.  

“COVID-19 has affected us in a way I have never imagined. Much as am still employed, some of my close relatives have lost their jobs. As you grow old, your dependents also widen, and you become a shade for those who are facing different shades of difficulties. Through this prize, I got temporary relief from this heavy burden that weighed heavily on me,” he said.

Themba has been an MTN customer for as long as he could remember. He said he enjoyed participating in the competition’s daily quizzes.

“They are informative. And, I have learnt a lot of things through them. I now have an appreciation of what is happening around me in the country,” he said.  

Nicole Moore (74) who is a retiree said when she joined the competition; she did not expect to win anything after joining the competition as she religiously does for several  MTN competitions.

“I decided to try it out and not opt-out because I enjoyed answering the daily quizzes to add on my general knowledge,” she said.

“That is why I was really surprised when I was informed that I have won. At first, I thought it was a scam and I was even more ecstatic when I eventually realized that it was not a scam,” she added.

She disclosed that she would share her cash prize with her husband and their helper.

“My husband is my partner in these quizzes. At some point, there was a question on soccer and since we do not know much about soccer, we asked our helper who gave us the correct answer. That is why he will also get a share of the prize,” she said.

Moore thanked MTN for adding a ray of sunshine to her life.

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Do The Most

The bright side has you covered in ensuring that 2021 is yours for the taking, with services and products tailored to enable you to get the most out of it through access to a bold new digital world within the new normal.

Doing the most is having access to smagamaga prizes worth E300 000 up for grabs and mara phones as well as vouchers to be won by you and your bestie. Bringing your favourite local content to your handset with the Eswatini TV app as well as connecting your household and business with MTN Home. Whilst also ensuring financial inclusion and convenience with MTN MoMo quick loans and stokvel services.