South African MTN customers can now use fingerprint or facial recognition for identity verification.
MTN South Africa and Vigilate AI, a global leader in biometric technology, have partnered to set a new benchmark in the telecoms industry. This partnership, which has been hailed as a significant stride forward for secure customer verification, has seen the implementation of a digital identity system using fingerprint and facial recognition technology across all MTN stores.
The digital identity system, which was initially piloted in 20% of MTN stores, has shown promising results. The feedback from these pilot stores has been overwhelmingly positive, with customers praising the faster sign-up, error-free verification, and convenience of the new system.
The system, which has been rolled out across all MTN stores, aims to streamline sign-ups and reduce fraud. It has been successful in reducing identity theft and SIM swap fraud, which, according to a July 2025 report by the Communication Risk Information Centre (Comric), contributed to approximately R5.3 billion ($300 million) in telecom-related fraud in 2024.
The digital identity system offers a secure, future-ready service. It enables real-time customer verification during SIM card registration or re-identification, making onboarding faster and more secure while drastically curbing fraudulent activities.
The customer journey has been reimagined to be faster, more secure, and more intuitive without compromising convenience. Cornelia van Heerden, Executive: Customer Operations at MTN South Africa, stated that the deployment of this biometric system is part of their ongoing investment in innovation.
Daniel Hartwright, CEO of Vigilate AI, considers the partnership with MTN a big step forward for secure customer verification in South Africa. He said, "This partnership is redefining secure, customer-centric onboarding in the telecoms industry."
This rollout is part of MTN's "MTN's Ambition 2025 strategy" to lead digital innovation in Africa. By implementing this digital identity system at scale, MTN South Africa has become the first mobile operator in South Africa to offer such advanced biometric verification. This move is a critical step in combating identity theft and SIM swap scams, which pose significant threats to the South African telecom sector.
In conclusion, MTN’s biometric authentication system has made a measurable impact on reducing telecom fraud while enhancing operational efficiency and customer security nationwide. The partnership between MTN and Vigilate AI is not just a step towards a more secure future but a leap into a new era of customer-centric, secure, and efficient onboarding in the telecoms industry.
- The digital identity system, a result of the partnership between MTN South Africa and Vigilate AI, is aimed at streamlining sign-ups and reducing fraud, particularly identity theft and SIM swap fraud, which collectively contributed to approximately R5.3 billion ($300 million) in telecom-related fraud in 2024.
- This biometric system, initially piloted in 20% of MTN stores, has shown promising results, with customers praising its faster sign-up, error-free verification, and convenience.
- The deployment of this biometric system is part of MTN's "MTN's Ambition 2025 strategy" to lead digital innovation in Africa, making MTN South Africa the first mobile operator in South Africa to offer such advanced biometric verification.
- Daniel Hartwright, CEO of Vigilate AI, considers the partnership with MTN a significant step forward for secure customer verification in South Africa, redefining secure, customer-centric onboarding in the telecoms industry.
