MTN Group Hosts Africa’s Inaugural Open API Spec Jam to Advance Digital Standards

In a significant development for Africa’s digital landscape, MTN Group hosted the continent's inaugural TM Forum Open API Spec Jam from June 19 to June 22, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa. This pioneering event attracted 130 technical professionals from 21 companies across three continents, all united in the mission to create open API specifications tailored to the unique integration challenges faced by African markets.

The Open API Spec Jam is notable not only for its robust participation but also for its focus on practical applications. Attendees included architects, developers, platform specialists, and ecosystem leads from telecommunications, fintech, and digital service sectors. The collaborative effort yielded 11 Open API specifications designed with deployment in mind, addressing real-world scenarios such as fraud detection, customer onboarding, and data integrity.

According to Nikos Angelopoulos, Chief Information Officer at MTN Group, "Africa’s digital future will be shaped by the standards we define today. Hosting the first Open API Spec Jam on the continent is an important step in ensuring those standards reflect African realities and are built for scale. This Spec Jam has shown what becomes possible when regional expertise meets global collaboration."

The event underscored the importance of interoperability in digital services, particularly in areas such as digital identity, which can enhance secure access to financial services, and location data, crucial for improving responses in emergencies, logistics, and urban planning. Additionally, lightweight AI models were discussed to foster greater inclusion on basic mobile devices.

Collaboration was key, with contributions from MTN’s API marketplace, Chenosis, and its digital infrastructure business, Bayobab. Their insights into developer enablement and infrastructure scalability ensured that the specifications developed were deeply rooted in actual operating conditions. Nik Willetts, Chief Executive Officer of TM Forum, expressed gratitude for MTN's leadership, stating, "Thank you to MTN, and its teams from Bayobab and Chenosis for hosting the first-ever TM Forum Open API Spec Jam in Africa. We achieved record-breaking participation and shone a spotlight on African innovation. The contributions made here will influence global API standards for years to come."

The session highlighted the critical role of regional participation in shaping technical standards. By engaging directly in the specification process, African developers and ecosystem leaders are crafting tools that resonate with local market needs and practical implementation realities. This first Open API Spec Jam illustrates the potential outcomes of combining technical alignment with a contextual understanding of local challenges.

MTN Group’s commitment to fostering open and inclusive digital ecosystems positions the company as a leader in advancing Africa's technological infrastructure. The collaborative efforts at the Spec Jam are expected to pave the way for scalable and adaptable digital solutions that can evolve alongside emerging services, ultimately contributing to the continent's economic growth and digital maturity.

As Africa continues to navigate its path toward digital scale, the outcomes from this landmark event will play a pivotal role in defining the standards and frameworks necessary for successful integration across various industries, further solidifying the continent's position in the global digital economy.