Mbabane, Eswatini – MTN Eswatini has been named the Overall Winner of the 2026 MTN Group 21 Days of Y’ello Care Campaign, earning the Group’s highest accolade for its impactful implementation of community health initiatives under this year’s theme, “Equitable Health for Every Community.”
The announcement was made during the MTN Group Ambassadors’ Appreciation Dinner held in Sandton, South Africa, where ambassadors, high commissioners, representatives of development institutions, international organisations and government leaders gathered to celebrate the impact achieved across MTN’s markets. The event was attended by South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi.
The recognition marks MTN Eswatini’s fifth Overall Winner title, affirming the organisation’s long-standing commitment to creating meaningful and sustainable social impact in the communities it serves. Throughout the 2026 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign, MTN Eswatini and its employees implemented a series of transformative interventions designed to improve access to healthcare, strengthen health systems and inspire the next generation of innovators in health technology.
Among the flagship initiatives was the expansion of The Luke Commission’s medical drone network extending services from 30 to 31 health facilities through the addition of Musi Clinic in Mankayane. The initiative serves approximately 6 000 people and is supported by 280 sponsored drone flights over 12 months. By leveraging drone technology, the delivery time of essential medicines to remote communities has been reduced from journeys that could take up to four hours by road to as little as 30 minutes.
The campaign also supported access to the NotsA Digital Health Platform through connectivity sponsorships to two healthcare facilities serving more than 25 000 people, in partnership with the Georgetown Global Health Eswatini. This initiative is helping to improve access to digital healthcare services while enabling health professionals to provide more efficient care to underserved communities.
In a large-scale community outreach programme hosted at Hosea Inkhundla, Yello Care in collaboration with their campaign partners and various clinical partners delivered health services and information to close to 2 000 residents, bringing critical healthcare support closer to communities that often face barriers to access.
Recognising the importance of developing future healthcare innovators, Yello Care in partnership with Enactus Eswatini hosted the Next STEM Generation Digital Health Fair, engaging 75 young people and exposing them to opportunities at the intersection of healthcare, technology and innovation.
Further demonstrating their commitment to compassionate healthcare, the campaign refurbished Hospice at Home, upgrading the water system in their in-care facility, donating eight new palliative care beds and providing critical medication to enhance the quality of care provided to patients and their families.
The campaign also strengthened voluntary blood donation efforts nationwide, including the donation of essential equipment to the Eswatini National Blood Transfusion Service, supporting the country’s ongoing need for safe and reliable blood supplies.
This Years’ campaign was a collative success, valued to over 2 million, achieved through partnerships with a number of corporate organisations including 8Bet, Oracle Group Eswatini, Magagula & Hlophe Attorneys, SC Zondi Attorneys, Ezulwini Private Hospital, Eswatini TV, Times of Eswatini, Observer Eswatini, EBIS, Destiny Music, Talent Factory, KRTC of HipHop and several other clinical partners.
Commenting on the achievement, MTN Eswatini Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Sibusiso Nhleko,said:
“Being named the Overall Winner of the 2026 21 Days of Y’ello Care Campaign is an honour that belongs to every MTN employee, partner and community member who joined us on this journey. This recognition is not just an award. It is a celebration of every life touched, every community reached and every act of kindness that helped improve access to healthcare for emaswati. While we are proud of this achievement, the true reward lies in the meaningful and lasting impact created within our communities.”
He added: “Our sincere gratitude goes to our implementing partners, including the Ministry of Health, Young Heroes, The Luke Commission, the Georgetown Global Health Eswatini / NotsA health App, Enactus Eswatini, Hospice at Home, the National Blood Transfusion Service and all our partners who collaborated and supported this cause financially and in kind. Together, we have shown that when purpose, innovation and compassion come together, we can transform lives and create a healthier future for all.”
Welcoming guests at the awards ceremony, MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita highlighted the importance of collaboration in driving Africa’s development.
“A year ago, I said the time was now for Africa to take charge of its own socioeconomic progress. I believe that more firmly today. Progress is built through partnerships. For your partnership, we sincerely thank you.”
The 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign remains MTN’s flagship employee volunteerism programme, mobilising staff across the MTN markets to address pressing social challenges and create sustainable impact in communities across Africa.
