Telecommunications firm MTN Business has secured a three-year contract to implement smart electricity and water technology across South Africa’s 257 municipalities.

The RT29 transversal contract, awarded by the National Treasury, will result in MTN Business, starting from this month, supplying, delivering, installing, managing and maintaining the end-to-end smart metering solutions.

“Digital technologies have become fundamental to everyday life, and our ambition is to ensure that these technologies touch the lives of our government, customers and businesses in various ways,” says MTN South Africa CEO Charles Molapisi.

The solution will bring value and impact to municipalities, while unlocking the benefits of a modern connected life for households and businesses, he continues, noting that this is in line with international trends.

Worldwide, countries are replacing outdated infrastructure with new digital smart technology, enhancing efficiency for both businesses and homes, and conserving precious resources.

He cites an example in the UK, where the Carbon Trust estimates that businesses may be wasting up to 20% of the energy they are billed for, owing to outdated or faulty metering units.

In South Africa, MTN Business smart meters offer numerous benefits to various stakeholders within the supply chain, including enhancing efficiency, accuracy and security, while, for municipal customers, they provide better data access for managing electricity use, leading to more accurate billing, improved outage restoration and power quality data.

The National Treasury was seeking a cost- effective solution that would also meet very high technical requirements, including query resolutions and training for municipal staff, adds MTN South Africa chief enterprise business officer Tumi Sekhukhune-Chamayou.

“We are pleased to have been selected as a preferred service provider. We aim to provide a high level of expertise to ensure households and businesses across South Africa benefit from digital solutions that matter.”

The integration of smart electricity and water technology across these municipalities will further solidify financial sustainability for municipalities by eliminating bypasses and ghost vending to ensure transparent and financially viable utility management.