Entrepreneurs in South Sudan are set to gain a crucial boost from the ongoing 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign, an ambitious initiative by MTN South Sudan that’s actively transforming grassroots entrepreneurship through digital and financial empowerment. Now in motion across the country under the powerful theme “Connecting at the Roots,” this campaign is not just a corporate tradition, it’s fast becoming a catalyst for real economic change, especially for entrepreneurs who’ve long operated on the margins of digital access and financial inclusion.
Running from June 1 to 21, 2025, the campaign is reshaping how small business owners, farmers, youth and informal traders interact with the digital economy. At its heart, Y’ello Care is an employee volunteer-driven movement targeting underserved communities and providing them with access to digital tools and knowledge. This year, the spotlight is firmly on equipping local entrepreneurs with the skills and technology they need to thrive in South Sudan’s rapidly changing market landscape.
Speaking at the kickoff event in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) settlement in the Juba suburbs, Deputy Minister of Information David Yau Yau underscored the importance of bridging the digital divide as a means of economic empowerment. He emphasized that the campaign is not just about connectivity, it’s about economic inclusion. By focusing on digital literacy and access to mobile financial services, the program is giving entrepreneurs the tools to reach new customers, manage their finances more efficiently and scale their businesses in ways that were previously unimaginable.
For many rural business owners, the lack of access to digital services has been a long-standing barrier. Without reliable connectivity or the skills to navigate digital platforms, they’ve been cut off from markets, capital and vital information. This initiative is directly tackling that challenge. With plans to engage over 3,000 people across various communities, MTN is not only providing short-term training but also creating a network of local digital champions, individuals trained to provide ongoing mentorship and technical support long after the campaign ends. This approach ensures that the impact isn’t fleeting. It embeds new capacities within the community, enabling entrepreneurs to adapt, innovate and grow.
The campaign is also pushing the envelope on financial inclusion. By introducing new users to mobile money services, MTN is empowering entrepreneurs to conduct secure transactions, manage savings and participate in the broader formal economy. In places where traditional banking is virtually nonexistent, mobile money becomes the backbone of small-scale enterprise. Entrepreneurs selling produce, crafts or basic services now have the potential to connect with customers beyond their immediate vicinity, with the confidence that comes from secure, trackable digital transactions.
Eng. Chol Joseph, Director for Research and Planning at the National Communication Authority, applauded the initiative as a meaningful form of corporate social responsibility, one that goes beyond surface-level branding to deliver genuine value to communities. He challenged other private sector players to rethink what it means to give back. According to him, too many companies limit their efforts to token gestures, whereas MTN’s approach stands out by directly targeting digital exclusion and building community-level resilience.
At a time when South Sudan’s economy is grappling with complex challenges, programs like Y’ello Care signal a much-needed shift in how development is approached. Entrepreneurs, particularly those operating at the grassroots level, are often overlooked in top-down economic strategies. But by meeting them where they are, both geographically and technologically, this campaign is unlocking new pathways for self-reliance, innovation and growth.
In practical terms, what this means for an entrepreneur in a remote village or IDP camp is access to information that can improve their product offerings, tools that can streamline their operations and platforms that can open them up to new markets. A farmer can learn how to price and market their produce more effectively. A crafts seller can receive payments instantly via mobile money. A youth with a startup idea can receive mentorship and support from trained digital champions in their community.
MTN South Sudan’s ongoing 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign is more than a corporate activity, it’s a lifeline to the entrepreneurial future of the nation. By investing in digital literacy and financial inclusion from the bottom up, it’s laying the groundwork for a more connected, innovative and inclusive economy. For South Sudanese entrepreneurs, it’s not just 21 days of care, it’s the beginning of new opportunities, new networks and a new era of possibility.
