Ghana’s Foreign Ministry has declined a GH¢20 million relief offer from South African telecommunications giant MTN Ghana, opting instead to fully fund the evacuation and resettlement of Ghanaian victims caught in recent xenophobic attacks.
The decision underscores Accra’s strategy to handle the humanitarian crisis entirely through state channels while balancing public outrage against South African commercial interests in Ghana.
During an August 14 summit, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa informed MTN’s executive team that state resources were sufficient to manage the ongoing crisis without corporate intervention from South Africa-rooted entities.
“The Mahama Administration has made adequate provision for ongoing evacuations and reintegration of Ghanaians and is therefore unable to accept this offer,” the Ministry stated on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
The GH¢20 million pledge came as MTN faced growing pressure from local advocacy groups calling for boycotts of foreign brands following violence targeting African migrants across several South African townships. In defense of the brand, MTN Ghana Board Chairman Dr. Ishmael Yamson emphasized that corporate leadership in Johannesburg had firmly opposed the unrest.
“The corporate sector in South Africa has been very outspoken against it,” Dr. Yamson noted. “The MTN chairman spoke directly, and he condemned it in no uncertain terms.”
Rather than taking corporate contributions, government officials insist that managing the relief efforts independently ensures complete oversight and avoids potential conflicts of interest while diplomatic talks continue.
“The Ministry assures that it will present to the general public a comprehensive account of the total cost of evacuations as soon as the exercise is concluded,” the statement read, targeting public demands for transparency.
To prevent economic retaliation or hostility toward foreign businesses operating locally, the Ministry assured investors that international firms remain protected under Ghanaian law.
“Government will continue to create the best business ecosystem for all international brands operating in Ghana to succeed, irrespective of which country their businesses originated from,” the Ministry concluded.
State-led charter flights and reintegration programs remain fully operational as stranded citizens continue to arrive at Kotoka International Airport.