MTC to increase POP dealers

WINDHOEK, Sept. 19 – MTC’s existing strategic outline to support both micro and macro entrepreneurship through its Point of Presence Dealers program has led to it’s expansion in retail presence in underserviced areas through a network of small and medium enterprises entities as part of the program.

Essentially, a POP Dealer is a MTC accredited service provider, operating in an area where there are little or no retail outlets providing MTC services. However, a POP can also exist in an underserviced area within an urban setting, such as an informal settlement and proclaimed areas which are situated far from the nearest MTC retail outlet.

Tim Ekandjo, Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer said: “We acknowledge SMEs as the next economic growth of the future. Their business designs are digital in nature, blurring the line between the digital and physical worlds. We promise to usher these businesses in an unprecedented convergence of people, business and things that disrupts and challenges the status quo of business models. In order to boost this sustainable growth, through our integrated business development programme with one mission; to help your business grow through expert guidance and beneficial partnerships.”

He added that the country’s current economic challenges require creating opportunities that will encourage self-employment for the people, hence this is a consideration “which we urge both public and private sectors/companies need to embrace.”

The business trade support which forms part of a commercial partnership presented to the dealers will allow them to serve as traders of MTC’s diverse products and services. This strategic business support initiative will inevitably empower and propel many aspiring dealers to grow and operate as fully-fledged operating business men and women.

“We regard our business relationship with the dealership as killing two birds with one stone as this does not merely extend our distribution network and provision of MTC services and products to areas where we do not have mobile homes, but most importantly, also creates employment for the dealers,” said Helmut Shipale, MTC’s Distribution Manager.

“MTC Dealers are basically categorised into two. We have Point of Purchase (POP) dealers who are specifically post-paid services carriers, as well as Tango dealers who handles the provision of pre-paid services to consumers,” concluded Shipale.

Currently MTC supports to a total of twenty-five (25) main dealerships with over 550 retail outlets and close to (1000) small informal retailers across the country, with the intention to support more. – NDN Staffer