Telecommunications giant MTN has introduced a new, flexible mobile price plan for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Made To Share solution enables small businesses to manage their data and airtime spend through a single, shareable wallet managed by a business owner or a designated administrator through the secure MyMTN App.

“For SMEs, being connected is important for business continuity and . . . customers expect greater online collaboration, whether it is through the cloud, chatbots for customer queries or video meetings,” says MTN Business chief enterprise officer Wanda Matandela.

“Made to Share relieves the business owner of the administrative hassle of managing multiple accounts, gives them full control of their information and communications technology expenditure and frees them up to focus on growing their business,” he continues.

The solution, which effectively bolsters SMEs’ ability to improve their operational and cost efficiencies, enables an SME to choose from a variety of tariff plans that are customised to suit its use and budget.

Under the different tariffs, the SME can distribute airtime and data bundles to 5, 10 or 20 employees.

Shareable data bundles range from 3 GB to 700 GB, while shareable airtime starts from 200 minutes of airtime, with the more extensive tariff plan offering 2 500 minutes a month, he explains.

Free SMSes daily, free limited SIM cards and contracts are available on a month-to-month basis or for a duration of 3, 6, 12 or 24 months.

The SME is able to add or remove additional users instantly, set consumption limits and remotely monitor consumption in real time.

“The introduction of Made To Share is testament to our commitment to support the growth of small and medium businesses, which are the engine of economic growth and generators of much-needed employment opportunities,” Matandela says.

Data connectivity and digitalisation are crucial to levelling the playing field for SMEs and, by increasing their online presence, SMEs can access larger markets and mitigate against some of the factors that lead to the high failure rate of startups.

“Connectivity enables emerging businesses to compete with larger, more established companies in their industries. Being the best network for business, MTN remains dedicated to introducing solutions that meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers and lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world,” he concludes.