Cornelia van Heerden, executive of customer operations at MTN South Africa.
MTN South Africa has announced the full-scale deployment of a digital ID system, with real-time biometrics, on any device across all MTN stores nationwide.
In a statement, the mobile operator says the rollout follows a successful six-month pilot across 20% of its stores, where the biometric identification system significantly improved onboarding efficiency and reduced identity fraud.
Building on this momentum, MTN claims it is now the first mobile operator in South Africa to implement this technology at scale.
“The deployment of this biometric system is part of our ongoing investment in innovation that makes our customers’ lives easier, safer and more connected,” says Cornelia van Heerden, executive of customer operations at MTN South Africa.
“We’ve reimagined the customer journey to be faster, more secure and more intuitive, without compromising convenience.”
MTN explains that the new system allows for real-time fingerprint and facial recognition during customer onboarding or re-identification, enabling faster processing of contract applications and reducing the risk of identity-related fraud. This is particularly crucial in an era where SIM swap and identity fraud remain widespread threats.
While typically faced with SIM swap fraud and network infrastructure vandalism, South Africa’s telecoms sector is now grappling with complex, layered threats that include cyber crime targeting mobile and data infrastructure.
These threats were calculated at an estimated cost of R5.3 billion annually in 2024, based on insights from the Communications Risk Information Centre (COMRiC).
In a recent report, COMRiC said SIM swap fraud accounts for 60% of mobile banking breaches. In addition, the telecoms industry must contend with subscription fraud and SIM box fraud, which accounts for 40% of the crimes affecting the sector, it states.
“Our objective was simple,” notes Van Heerden. “We wanted a customer-first solution that streamlines processes, while addressing the growing challenge of fraud in the telecoms space. This biometric system not only simplifies onboarding – but it also assists in fraud prevention in telecoms.”
The solution was implemented in partnership with Vigilate AI, a biometric identity technology and provider of fingerprint, facial and iris recognition solutions.
Vigilate AI’s biometric infrastructure ensures the system’s accuracy, scalability and security, says the telco.
“Our collaboration with MTN on this pioneering initiative is a landmark moment for customer identity verification in South Africa,” says Daniel Hartwright, CEO of Vigilate AI. “By combining MTN’s customer insight and reach with our biometric technology, we’re redefining what secure, customer-centric onboarding can look like.”
