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Turkish mobile operator Turkcell secured a ruling from South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) that will allow its USD 4.2 billion (approximately R78 billion) lawsuit against MTN Group to move forward in South African courts.
Turkcell and its subsidiary, East Asian Consortium (EAC), first launched legal action against MTN and several of its subsidiaries in 2013. They allege misconduct in the awarding of Iran’s first private mobile license in 2005. Although MTN formed an independent committee in 2012 that cleared it of any wrongdoing, Turkcell claims MTN used bribery, political influence, and diplomatic channels to win the deal.
The SCA’s judgment, delivered on April 29, 2025, overturned an earlier High Court ruling that dismissed the case due to jurisdictional issues. While the SCA confirmed that South African courts have jurisdiction to hear the case, it also ruled that Iranian law would govern significant aspects of the dispute.
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MTN, which operates in 16 African markets, plans to appeal the SCA decision. The company emphasised that the ruling does not assess the validity of Turkcell’s allegations, which remain unproven in court. MTN continues to assert that Turkcell’s claims lack merit and that it is confident in its defense.
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