MTN unveils platform to control water consumption, bills payment.

The technology was presented at the close of the 23rd International Congress and Exhibition of the African Water and Sanitation Association, AfWSA, which ended over the weekend in Yaounde.

The confab brought together over 400 stakeholders from over 40 African countries to discuss accelerating universal access to drinking water and sanitation.

According to MTN Cameroon team, following the successful rollout of smart electricity meters in Cameroon, the company is now extending its digital footprint into the water sector. 

The new Smart Water Meters, we gathered, allows subscribers to monitor water usage in real time and settle bills instantly through MTN Mobile Money.

The initiative, they said, aims to address long-standing challenges linked to estimated billing, delayed payments, and lack of transparency in water consumption.

Key features & innovation

According to officials, the smart meters bring a shift from manual to digital management of water services. 

With real-time monitoring, consumers gain what MTN describes as a “360-degree view” of their daily water usage, enabling households to better plan and regulate consumption.

The integration of the Mobile payment, we gathered, seeks to ensure a faster and more secure transactions, reducing the need for physical billing processes. 

Beyond technology, MTN’s proposal, officials said aligns with the AfWSA conference theme: “Water and Sanitation for All”. 

They said by introducing a prepaid model similar to electricity metering, the system encourages strict regulation of consumption based on daily budgets, promotes waste reduction, and enhances financial security through transparent digital transactions.

Officials said MTN sees the solution as a step toward what it terms water sovereignty, where consumers become active managers of their own resource usage rather than passive recipients of estimated bills.

Technology for sustainable dev’t

The General Manager of MTN Cameroon’s Enterprise Business Unit, Franck Gérard Kom, on his part said technology is vital in guaranteeing sustainable access to safe drinking water and quality sanitation. 

He described water as a fundamental right tied to health, dignity and development, especially in the face of urbanization, population growth and climate change.

Kom stressed that MTN’s connectivity infrastructure, Internet of Things solutions, and digital services can enhance transparency, improve user engagement and extend access to essential services even in remote areas.

He called for stronger collaboration between public institutions and private partners to build sustainable solutions for future generations. 

Kom expressed hope that the AfWSA congress will lead to concrete and impactful outcomes for Africa’s water sector.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3705 of Monday February 16, 2026