Chinese telecoms equipment and systems firm, ZTE has partnered with Africa's largest mobile operator, MTN, to launch an Internet of Things (IoT) platform on the continent.

South African headquartered MTN has more than 229 million subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and plans to provide next-generation services to customers across each of its markets.

According to a statement the IoT platform adopts cutting-edge technologies suited to developing markets, bringing flexible connectivity for devices in the region.

A ZTE official revealed that the new IoT platform will be able to connect and manage machines across MTN's African footprint, and provide a dedicated network to connect devices and systems.

The partnership will also see the launch of a global machine to machine (M2M) SIM card, providing customers with a blanket rate for M2M activity across MTN's African network.

"Working across such a wide range of vertical markets, from automotive and healthcare to construction and utilities requires a level of flexibility and scalability that only a cloud-based platform can deliver," said Zhao Peng, vice president of ZTE Corporation."

Commenting on the deal MTN's group chief enterprise officer, Mteto Nyati said, "At MTN, we are particularly excited by the opportunity that the IoT platform creates for African enterprises, entrepreneurs and developers, as they now have the means to enable and inspire growth in their markets.

"In addition to this, the platform and its associated integrated network environment will enable MTN to introduce application services with the potential to enhance the socio-economic environment in South Africa and throughout the rest of the continent."

According to networking firm Cisco the internet of things is expected to deliver $19 trillion of value to businesses and countries.

For Africa Cisco predicts that the public sector could generate some $128 billion of IoT value.

Meanwhile, South Africa's public sector could experience a value-added boost of $14.3 billion over the next decade if it utilises IoT, according to Cisco.