MTN Group Limited — Ethics Grade D

MTN Group Limited receives an overall ethics grade of D (32/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Telecommunications. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 40
• privacy: 30
• consumer: 45
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 20

Documented incidents (3)

• Substantial Fine for Unregistered SIMs (high, 2015) — The Nigerian Communications Commission imposed a massive fine on MTN for failing to disconnect over 5 million unregistered SIM cards, which were cited as security risks. The company eventually agreed to pay approximately $1.7 billion as part of a settlement.
• Alleged Terrorism Financing in Afghanistan (high, 2019) — A lawsuit filed in a US federal court alleged that MTN paid bribes to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to protect its infrastructure in Afghanistan. The company was accused of supporting terrorism by providing 'protection money' to insurgent groups.
• Tax Evasion Allegations in Ghana (medium, 2023) — Ghanian authorities issued a back-tax assessment of approximately $773 million, alleging that the company under-declared its revenue by 30% between 2014 and 2018. The company denied the charges and engaged in a legal dispute with the revenue authority.

Documented good deeds

• AU COVID-19 Vaccine Support — MTN donated $25 million to the African Union to support the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers across the continent.

Ethical alternatives

• Safaricom PLC — Stronger emphasis on financial inclusion through M-Pesa and better local governance transparency.