People buying devices from MTN running into delivery problems
MTN has denied that its biometric verification system, used to authenticate users taking delivery of devices, is failing to identify customers frequently enough to be a problem.
MyBroadband recently received a report from an MTN customer who upgraded their contract via MTN’s call centre on 22 December 2025.
He subsequently received an SMS from the courier company stating that it would contact him regarding the delivery of the device and that he had to have his RICA documents ready.
Another SMS explained that MTN would require the registered account holder to provide their fingerprint biometrics and a one-time PIN from their registered phone number to take delivery of the device.
The delivery was scheduled for 5 January 2026. However, the customer’s fingerprint was not accepted by the reader.
The courier told the customer that the system frequently failed to authenticate users and that they could not hand over the device in such cases.
The courier said MTN would contact the customer to arrange for another delivery attempt with manual identification using their ID document.
However, the customer received no further communication from either the courier company or MTN, despite calls to the courier and network’s call centres.
MyBroadband subsequently discovered several complaints on Facebook and Hellopeter from other MTN customers who had experienced the same issue.
In multiple cases, customers also reported not hearing back from the courier company or MTN and complained about the operator’s consultants sending them in transfer “loops”.
It was only after he reported the issue to MyBroadband and we raised it with the network that he received feedback.
On 3 February 2026, he received an SMS confirming his order was returned to a warehouse on 6 January 2026.
The operator subsequently contacted the customer and arranged for an alternative in-store upgrade process.
MTN South Africa told MyBroadband it was sorry to hear of the customer’s experience and that it never intended for any customer to be inconvenienced.
Vast majority of authentications not a problem
The company said that its secure, real-time biometric identity verification process was linked to Home Affairs’ national population database and aimed to safeguard customers against identity theft and fraud.
“This involves encrypted authentication conducted through the courier’s device, which compares the presented identity to the official records,” MTN said. “No biometric information is stored.”
“Given the rise in identity theft attempts in South Africa, biometric verification remains one of the most reliable safeguards for high‑value deliveries.”
According to MTN, the system has recorded an accuracy and success rate of approximately 95%, meaning that the biometric verification process is completed without any issues in most cases.
In the exceptional cases, authentication failures can occur due to:
- Temporary unavailability of national verification databases
- Fraud-prevention triggers that require additional checks
- Delays related to OTPs or mobile number mismatches
- Age-related fingerprint wear
- Other technical or environmental factors
MTN said the standard procedure when biometric verification failed was to re-attempt delivery using required controls.
“Should the verification still fail, a case‑by‑case assessment is conducted to rule out fraud before any alternative form of verification is authorised,” MTN said.
“Only once these checks are completed may supporting documentation be accepted, together with the necessary additional safeguards.”
MTN said that in this particular case, it acknowledged a lapse in the overall service experience and contacted the customer after our query to apologise and resolve the matter.
“A root‑cause analysis has been completed, and the required corrective actions have been communicated to the logistics team, including coaching and training measures to prevent recurrence,” it said.
MTN said delivery was prioritised and it would ensure close oversight of the process. It offered the customer one month’s free subscription as a gesture of goodwill.
MTN also rolled out real-time biometric authentication at its stores in August 2025 to improve customer onboarding efficiency while reducing identity fraud.
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