The incident came to light after a social media post alleged that a customer was denied the use of MoMo at an MTN outlet. In response, the telecom giant launched an internal investigation, which confirmed the report and traced the issue to a third-party vendor operating within MTN premises.
In a statement released on Thursday, MTN South Sudan apologised to the affected customer and said it had taken corrective action against the vendor.
“MoMo is accepted at all MTN touchpoints nationwide. We remain committed to ensuring this does not happen again,” the company said.
MTN explained that the clarification was necessary to address public concern, maintain customer trust, and reaffirm the company’s commitment to expanding digital financial services across South Sudan.
MoMo, MTN’s flagship mobile money platform, allows users to send and receive money, pay bills, buy airtime and data, and make various transactions using their phones.
The service has become an essential tool for people without access to traditional banking systems despite persistent cash accessibility challenges.
According to MTN, MoMo currently serves over one million active users in South Sudan, facilitating daily transactions worth more than SSP 9 billion. This makes it one of the country’s most widely used and trusted digital financial systems.
To encourage broader adoption, MTN is offering MoMo users a 25% bonus on airtime and data purchases and double entries into its ongoing “Shukran Junubin” promotion, which features prizes valued at over SSP 400 million through December.
The company urged customers to report any similar incidents through its call centre, WhatsApp, or social media platforms, emphasizing that customer feedback remains vital to improving service delivery.
In July this year, the Central Bank of South Sudan declared mobile money a fully recognised and legal form of payment to ease business transactions as the country battles a protracted cash crisis.
The bank said the move was a key step in its 2023-2027 strategic plan to increase mobile money usage among adults to 30% by 2027, an initiative which aims to make digital financial services more accessible and affordable, particularly for underserved communities.
But adoption remains a challenge, with many businesses, including some telecoms agents, rejecting digital payments.
