MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita has been re-elected to the GSMA Board of Directors for the 2027-2028 term, extending his leadership role at the global mobile industry body as operators confront the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and persistent gaps in digital access across Africa and other emerging markets.

The new term will run from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2028. Mupita joined the board for the 2025-2026 term and has served as deputy chair since April 2025, giving MTN a continuing voice in the GSMA’s strategic discussions on investment, connectivity, affordability and the wider digital economy.

The 26-member board includes senior executives from multinational and independent mobile operators and sets the strategic direction of the GSMA. Mupita’s re-election keeps an African operator at the table as the industry weighs how to extend network coverage, increase usage and ensure that advances in AI do not widen existing digital divides.

AI reshapes mobile priorities

Mupita said his second term comes as AI begins to reshape the mobile industry while millions of people across Africa and the Global South remain offline. He said mobile connectivity remains a critical channel for expanding access to opportunity and argued that the benefits of both connectivity and AI should reach people regardless of geography or income.

He also pointed to the GSMA’s role in bringing operators, policymakers and the broader mobile ecosystem together. In his view, that cooperation is central to sustaining investment and improving affordability, particularly in markets where operators must balance the cost of network expansion with pressure to make digital services accessible to a wider population.

“It is a privilege to continue serving on the GSMA Board, and I am grateful for the confidence placed in me,” Mupita said. “Mobile remains the most powerful means we have of widening access to opportunity, and our task is to ensure that its benefits, and those of AI, reach everyone.”

MTN’s African agenda

During the new term, Mupita is expected to continue focusing on Africa’s connectivity and investment challenges, including closing usage and coverage gaps and supporting a more climate-conscious approach to network development. His board role comes as MTN pursues its Ambition 2030 strategy of expanding digital solutions across its African markets.

Mupita has led MTN Group as president and CEO since September 2020, after serving as group chief financial officer from April 2017. Before joining MTN’s top leadership, he led Old Mutual Emerging Markets, overseeing operations across 19 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

MTN has also grown significantly during Mupita’s tenure. The Johannesburg-listed telecommunications group, valued at about $20.75 billion based on its market capitalization, crossed 300 million subscribers in 2025, underscoring the scale of the platform he now represents in global industry discussions.

Lessons from India

Reflecting on recent GSMA board and leadership meetings in New Delhi, Mupita said the group met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss how technology and the digital economy can transform nations. He said Modi shared the view that technology should be democratized to support more equitable and sustainable societies.

Mupita highlighted India’s progress over the past decade, citing the development of digital public infrastructure, affordable spectrum frameworks, rapid deployment of 4G and 5G networks, the retirement of 3G and the continued expansion of India Stack. He described the country’s experience as relevant to MTN’s broader push for wider digital inclusion.

He also praised Indian officials and industry leaders for sharing their perspectives during the meetings, including Minister for Railways, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Jyotiraditya M. Scindia. Mupita thanked GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath and Bharti Airtel leaders Gopal Vittal and Sunil Mittal for hosting the delegation in New Delhi.