MTN Ghana Chairman urges restraint following xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Dr. Ishmael Yamson, the Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, has called for restraint following xenophobic attacks against African migrants, including Ghanaians, in South Africa. Yamson urged Ghanaians to avoid retaliatory actions against South African-linked businesses operating in Ghana, warning that such reprisals would harm the Ghanaian economy, workers, and shareholders.

Yamson emphasized that MTN Ghana is a “corporate citizen of Ghana” rather than an extension of MTN South Africa. He noted that the company has over 120,000 Ghanaian shareholders, is the country’s largest taxpayer, and employs a workforce that is approximately 98% Ghanaian.

Criticizing the political climate, Yamson stated that South African politicians cannot promote continental integration and investment while allowing hostility toward other Africans. While acknowledging that MTN Ghana should have issued a formal condemnation of the violence sooner, he noted that the wider South African corporate sector and the MTN Group chairman had already spoken out against the attacks.