GSMA research shows that women micro-entrepreneurs in Ghana are less likely than their male counterparts to use a mobile phone for business, limiting their ability to reach customers, grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods. Even though nearly all men and women micro-entrepreneurs in Ghana own at least a basic mobile phone that they use in their personal life, women micro-entrepreneurs are still 14% less likely than their male counterparts to use mobile phones for business and 17% less likely to use them across three or more business use cases.
Key barriers include affordability of mobile data and services, limited awareness of the ways mobile phones can support business activities and low perceived value of doing so, a lack of digital skills and confidence, and limited access to internet-enabled handsets that can support a broader range of mobile-for-business use cases. Recognising these barriers, MTN Ghana launched Adwumapa in April 2025, an offering designed specifically for women business owners.
The Adwumapa offering and its reach
At its core, Adwumapa is built around affordable connectivity, with additional services and benefits offered after 3 months of consistent usage, to support women-owned businesses.
Affordable connectivity:
- Heavily discounted weekly and monthly airtime bundles (including voice, data, SMS), accessed via the MTN short code *5060# or through the MyMTN app
- Bonus data (150MB) with every bundle purchase
- Free MTN-to-MTN calls on Mondays
- Social media data bundle for prioritised services (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok)
After purchasing Adwumapa bundles for 3 consecutive months with a minimum cumulative spend of GHS 150 (around $14) over the 3 month period, customers unlock the following additional benefits, including access to relevant services and opportunities to build their skills and networks:
Free or discounted access to relevant services to increase perceived value:
- Insurance cover including life and business risks (e.g. fire and losses), up to GHS 8,250 (around $720 USD)
- SME Toolkit (products which can be provided at a discount depending on customer needs):
- Business messenger (bulk SMS tool for customer communication)
- MTN Yello Biz package (4G+ internet router, 10GB bonus data, 1-year custom website subscription, 1 year Microsoft 365 license and 3-months fixed voice service), for a subsidised rate of GHS 1,181 (around $102 USD)
- Free access to MTN’s Doctor-on-Call service (launched December 2025), enabling women to call a licensed medical doctor regarding health issues, with prescriptions or follow ups shared via WhatsApp (at customers’ own cost)
Access to training, networking and events to boost mobile use and business growth:
- In person SME clinics and online webinars led by female business experts, on business topics such as entrepreneurship and accessing credit
- Networking and market events (e.g. prioritised showcasing at MTN Fairs and pop ups)
After launching in April 2025 (aiming to reach 20,000 women by 2028), Adwumapa has already demonstrated strong early momentum and reached over 54,000 female subscribers by May 2026, surpassing the target within the first year. GSMA supported MTN Ghana by sharing consumer insights and providing practical recommendations that informed the product proposition, design and marketing – including how to market Adwumapa in a way that resonates with women micro-entrepreneurs.
Key lessons:
The key lessons below have been drawn from MTN Ghana’s learnings (through customer engagement, surveys and data), the GSMA’s discussions with MTN and informal interviews with a handful of Adwumapa customers.
1. Design affordable, easily accessible connectivity bundles tailored to the needs of women micro-entrepreneurs, enabling greater adoption of mobile phones and services for business activities
Female business owners can significantly benefit from using mobile internet to meet a range of business needs, but high data costs can limit their ability to do so. According to MTN and reinforced by the customer interviews conducted by GSMA, Adwumapa adoption has primarily been driven by the affordable airtime bundle which is considered better value compared to other MTN bundles. The Adwumapa data airtime bundle starts at 15 GHS (around $1.31 USD) for 702MB of general-purpose data and 203MB of social media (“lifestyle”) data which offers better value for money than the alternative ‘SME Plus’ bundle, which starts at 10 GHS (around $0.87 USD) for 152MB. Customers report enjoying the larger Adwumapa data bundle size as well as the free MTN-to-MTN calls on a Monday, enabling them to make calls to customers and suppliers without worrying about airtime running out. Some Adwumapa customers, like Nana (a fruit and juice seller in Accra), have expressed satisfaction with the ease of accessing Adwumapa bundles, and suggested even larger bundles to better meet her business needs.
“I don’t have to stress about [buying] bundles or anything. It’s always available…For people like us, we’re always on the go. As soon as you need it, you just dial and you have it… I buy the highest bundle and it doesn’t last me through the month. There should be higher options.” – Nana (fruit and juice seller, Accra)
2. Benefits that provide clear and immediate financial savings can increase the perceived value of mobile services among women micro-entrepreneurs and drive greater uptake
Adwumapa offerings that translate into visible and tangible savings for customers, such as free MTN-to-MTN calls on Mondays and the additional social media data bundle included at no extra cost, are highly valued and cited as key drivers of adoption and continued use. Women micro-entrepreneurs intuitively understand that such benefits save their businesses money. By offering benefits with a simple and intuitive value proposition, and communicating them clearly, customers can directly see and experience the savings.
3. Use agents and digital channels to improve women micro-entrepreneurs’ understanding of less familiar bundled services to increase their perceived value
MTN Ghana found that customers had limited awareness of less intuitive offerings, such as the insurance and doctor-on-call services, including their benefits, how they work, and when to access them. Simplifying messaging and educating customers on the relevance of these services—by highlighting benefits and use cases that directly address their needs—as well as how to access them, is critical. To address misconceptions and perceived barriers to access, MTN continues to strengthen customer education through sales agents. For example, agents demonstrate to women micro-entrepreneurs in-person how easy it is to submit an insurance claim via WhatsApp and explain situations in which women may benefit from the doctor-on-call service. MTN also equips frontline agents through quarterly training sessions with clear, practical explanations of these offerings, which has increased interest in the doctor-on-call service to date. In addition, MTN reinforces awareness through ongoing Adwumapa customer communications (CVM messages) rather than relying solely on one-off promotions at the point of onboarding.
4. Use marketing that reflects the diversity of women-owned micro-businesses and clearly communicates the relevance of the proposition
MTN Ghana’s Adwumapa campaign uses simple and concise messaging – more accessible to women who have lower literacy levels – with clear instructions on how to access the offering, while visually showcasing women entrepreneurs from different target sectors, such as market traders and dressmakers. The campaign also incorporates aspirational messaging, such as “From her hustle to her big business,” positioning Adwumapa as a tool that supports women in growing their businesses. Keeping messaging simple, targeted, and immediately relevant can help women micro-entrepreneurs quickly understand the proposition, identify whether it is intended for them, and recognise how it can benefit their businesses.
5. Leverage a variety of trusted female networks and in-person channels to reach women micro-entrepreneurs
MTN incentivised and supported frontline sales agents to drive Adwumapa onboarding and, according to the company, these agents have been the most effective channel for sustaining uptake. MTN also engaged trusted female community leaders and ambassadors, such as ‘Market Queens’—well-known and respected women within market communities—to build product awareness and trust among women micro-entrepreneurs, particularly during the early stages of the programme. Through partnerships with women’s trade associations and business networks, such as hairdressers’ associations, MTN was able to reach women through established association meetings. These forums provided opportunities for women micro-entrepreneurs to learn about Adwumapa directly from their female peers in a face-to-face setting, helping to build trust, encourage peer learning, and drive adoption.
6. Support women micro-entrepreneurs beyond adoption through an ongoing engagement journey that strengthens their businesses and enhances their value as consumers
MTN continues to engage Adwumapa customers beyond the initial bundle purchase through relevant value-added services, skills development support, and access to broader business opportunities. Through business pitch competitions, MTN Ghana supports women-led SMEs with business funding, a mini-MBA programme and the Yello Biz package to help strengthen and scale their businesses. Beyond the competitions, MTN Ghana continues to support women micro-entrepreneurs through its SME Clinics, offering digital and financial skills training alongside connectivity. According to MTN, this holistic approach not only helps women micro-entrepreneurs grow their skills and businesses but also contributes to higher average revenue per user (ARPU), increased long-term customer value, and stronger brand loyalty.
MTN Ghana continues to gather customer feedback and insights to strengthen the Adwumapa offering. Access to capital through loans from financial institutions is planned as a new feature in 2026. To further drive uptake, particularly in rural areas, MTN is also exploring ways to improve access to affordable internet-enabled handsets, enabling women micro-entrepreneurs to make greater use of Adwumapa and mobile phones for their business.
This blog was prepared as part of a research initiative funded by the Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the Gates Foundation.
The Connected Women programme is currently funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through its Global Research and Technology Development portfolio, and by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and is supported by the GSMA and its members.