South Africa-based mobile telecoms company MTN Group has enlisted Out There Media (OTM), a mobile advertising and data monetisation firm, to build it a digital advertising hub.

The deal will see MTN, which operates in 21 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East, utilise OTM’s Mobucks mobile ad tech platform, which enables brands to connect and engage with consumers over their mobile phones in a targeted manner.

“Our mission is to become a driving force behind digital advertising across Africa and the Middle East,” said David Gilarranz, MTN Group CEO. “We want to empower advertisers to reach their target audience via mobile whilst simultaneously unlocking new revenue streams for our group. To achieve this, we are delighted to be partnering with the market leader in this space, Out There Media.”

The first mobile operator to launch digital advertising with OTM will be MTN South Africa. This will eventually be followed by Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda.

“This partnership with MTN will also bring to market a pan-African solution improving SME viability via more effective and engaging, real time advertising and kickstarting a digital revolution across the continent’s markets,” said Kerstin Trikalitis, CEO at Austria-headquartered Out There Media.