MTN Business says it will launch a new partner programme on 15 September 2016 to attract partners to its ICT and mobile products and solutions ecosystem.

The mobile operator says the new programme offers funding, discounts, incentives, referral fees and IP revenues structured within a tiered partner model "which gives partners a range of benefits and added credibility in line with their MTN Foundation Partner, Premier Partner or Elite Partner status."

"MTN, having expanded beyond telecoms and mobile with aspirations to become the ICT partner of choice, is now broadening its global ecosystem to include a wide range of partners under the new MTN Partner Programme. These selected partners include wholesalers, retailers, WASPs, OEMs, MVNOs, solutions partners, carriers and strategic alliances," says Johannes Kanis, GM for Partnerships at MTN Business South Africa. "This gives our partners a rare opportunity to leverage the MTN brand to expand their reach and deliver a broader range of high value integrated ICT products and solutions."

The mobile operator says it aims to partner with a broad range of industry players who will receive access to sales support, training, incentives and co-marketing opportunities, as well as guidance from a partner advisory council.

"Our valued partners play a critical role in our growth and we believe the new Partner Programme is a win-win proposition. By developing a thriving ICT products and solutions ecosystem under the MTN banner, we will be in a strong position to jointly target lucrative opportunities and grow our businesses together," says Kanis.

The new partner programme is relevant to MTN's Africa market and while the initial launch is focused specifically on MTN Business partnerships, there are plans to incorporate consumer partners onto a single integrated platform.

"Although the initial focus is on South Africa, we are already working with various other MTN operations across the continent as part of our roadmap and rollout plans. We want to encourage our top tier partners to collaborate with MTN in order to take innovation and solutions to other markets where MTN operates," the company has confirmed.

In terms of Africa there is a drive to add more partners to what MTN describes as a 'several hundred-strong' ecosystem.

"The short term goal is to establish a working model across the group which will also allow partners to work more closely with MTN to drive innovation across the continent in key growth priority areas," the operator explains.