Ralph Mupita, MTN Group CEO.

MTN Group has rebranded its digital wholesale and infrastructure services firm MTN GlobalConnect (MTN GC) to Bayobab.

The new name is inspired by the Baobab tree – which MTN Group says is recognised as the ‘tree of life’.

Similalrly, it says, Bayobab is the enabler of the digital connectivity value chain across the African continent.

With the fresh look, MTN GC has now morphed into two distinct businesses, Bayobab Fibre and Bayobab Communication Platforms.

“The rebrand is the first step in the business transformation journey since announcing MTN Group’s Ambition 2025 strategy to structurally separate its fibre business, targeted for completion by 2024,” says Africa’s largest mobile operator.

This, MTN Group says, will enable Bayobab to unlock value within the business, attract strategic partners, and comply with local regulations across its key markets.

MTN Group president and CEO Ralph Mupita, comments: “Building the largest and most valuable platforms is part of our Ambition 2025 strategic priorities.

“The brand change from MTN GlobalConnect to Bayobab reflects the change underway to position the business as a world class, Africa-focused open-access digital infrastructure platform serving not just MTN, but other third parties as customers.

“We will also bring strategic partners into the business over time who will provide skills and capital to support and accelerate the growth of this business.”

Commenting on the new look, Frédéric Schepens, Bayobab Group CEO, says: “As a young entrepreneurial business delivering value through open next-gen digital solutions, we believe Bayobab best encompasses our vision of connecting Africa and ensures we add meaningful value across the continent.

“Our strategy has borne much fruit, as evidenced by our performance and delivery. We are well-positioned to open a significant digital doorway that bridges Africa’s digital divide to connect communities.”

The rebranding of MTN GC comes a few days after the company reported strong first quarter 2023 performance, which saw it rolling out over 2 000 km of new fibre bringing its total inventory of proprietary fibre to over 107 000km.

In the quarter, it grew external revenue by 17% year-on-year to US$83.6 million, with mobility revenue up by 15.5%. The company also signed fixed connectivity infrastructure deals, valued at US$2.8 million.