MTN outages and problems
In the past 24 hours, 141 user reports came in for MTN. Counting only the 15-minute windows with a spike big enough to count as an outage, that comes to 100.00% uptime for the day.
The busiest 15-minute window had 8 reports, about 22 hours ago. That stays below our outage threshold, so it doesn't count as downtime.
MTN in October 2026
- Problem reports in October (since 28 October)
- 156
Monthly report for October 2026
What went wrong
What people said was wrong in recent problem reports for MTN.
Share of 63 recent reports that said what was wrong.
Where MTN problem reports come from
The map shows where recent problem reports for MTN came from in South Africa. Big cities always send the most, so dots in many places point to a widespread problem, and one area far ahead of the rest can mean a regional one.
- Outage now
- Problems now
- Normal
Map outlines: Natural Earth.
MTN problem spikes, last 30 days
Since 28 October, MTN had no outage spikes or periods of elevated reports.
A spike is a sharp rise in problem reports from users, kept exactly as this page showed it at the time. This history starts on 28 October 2026. Monthly reports for all services
How to fix MTN not working
MTN is up on our end, so if it won't work for you, the problem is most likely on your side. Work through these in order:
Your browser tries to reach mtn.co.za over your own connection, right now. Nothing is sent to us or stored.
Re-register with MTN
Turn airplane mode on for about 10 seconds, then turn it off. This makes the phone register with the MTN network again and clears a stuck data or call session without changing your account.
Check the MTN SIM and signal
On iPhone, open Settings > Cellular. On Android, open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs or Settings > Connections > SIM Manager, depending on the maker, and confirm the MTN SIM is the active line for your mobile data and calls. Move near a window or outside if the phone shows No Service or Emergency Calls Only, since a weak indoor signal can drop data while calls fail.
Re-seat the MTN SIM
Power off your phone and take out the SIM tray. Wipe the gold contacts and put the SIM back in the same slot. Power on and check for the carrier name and signal bars; a loose card can cause failed calls while data still works.
Test the SIM in another phone
Move the MTN SIM to a second unlocked phone and test a call and data there. If the same symptom follows the card, the trouble is with the SIM or the line; if the second phone works, reset network settings on the first phone using Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings on iPhone or Settings > System > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth on stock Android.
While MTN is down: what to use instead
- Second SIM A SIM from another network keeps calls and texts moving when the MTN signal drops or your line will not register.
- Wi-Fi A Wi-Fi connection lets you use messaging apps, email, and the web when mobile data will not load.
- Cash or bank card Cash or a bank card covers a purchase or transfer when Mobile Money is not responding.
- MTN website The MTN website can handle account checks and top-ups when the app stalls, as long as you have another connection.
When people report MTN problems
The busiest hour for reports about MTN is 08:00 to 09:00 Central European time, and the busiest day is Wednesday.
By hour of the day
- 00:00 to 01:00: 0 reports on an average day
- 01:00 to 02:00: 0 reports on an average day
- 02:00 to 03:00: 0.04 reports on an average day
- 03:00 to 04:00: 0 reports on an average day
- 04:00 to 05:00: 0.09 reports on an average day
- 05:00 to 06:00: 0.12 reports on an average day
- 06:00 to 07:00: 0.2 reports on an average day
- 07:00 to 08:00: 0.41 reports on an average day
- 08:00 to 09:00: 0.79 reports on an average day
- 09:00 to 10:00: 0.58 reports on an average day
- 10:00 to 11:00: 0.31 reports on an average day
- 11:00 to 12:00: 0.41 reports on an average day
- 12:00 to 13:00: 0.63 reports on an average day
- 13:00 to 14:00: 0.41 reports on an average day
- 14:00 to 15:00: 0.54 reports on an average day
- 15:00 to 16:00: 0.36 reports on an average day
- 16:00 to 17:00: 0.27 reports on an average day
- 17:00 to 18:00: 0.47 reports on an average day
- 18:00 to 19:00: 0.42 reports on an average day
- 19:00 to 20:00: 0.32 reports on an average day
- 20:00 to 21:00: 0.2 reports on an average day
- 21:00 to 22:00: 0.39 reports on an average day
- 22:00 to 23:00: 0.19 reports on an average day
- 23:00 to 00:00: 0 reports on an average day
By day of the week
- Monday: 0 reports on an average Monday
- Tuesday: 0 reports on an average Tuesday
- Wednesday: 40 reports on an average Wednesday
- Thursday: 14 reports on an average Thursday
- Friday: 0 reports on an average Friday
- Saturday: 0 reports on an average Saturday
- Sunday: 0 reports on an average Sunday
Each bar is the average number of user reports in that hour, or on that day of the week, from 22 days of reports since 5 October 2026. The busiest bar is highlighted. Spikes in reports are left out, so one outage does not set the pattern.
What happens when MTN goes down
MTN is a mobile network operator with voice, SMS, data and mobile money services across several countries. Subscribers and small businesses rely on it, and mobile money users get stuck when payments fail, so an outage interrupts calls, texts, internet access and payments.
On a bad day, mobile data stalls first: pages time out, apps fail to refresh, maps stop loading and hotspot sessions drop. Calls may fail at setup or cut out mid-conversation, and SMS can arrive late or not at all. Mobile money is its own pain point because payments and balance checks fail even when the phone shows signal. Problems often stay regional or partial; one neighbourhood can struggle while another stays online.
MTN IP address, servers and network
Checking mtn.co.za from our server…
MTN FAQ
Is MTN down right now?
Why does the MyMTN app say session expired when I try to log in?
Why did my MTN data bundle not activate after payment?
Why does MTN MoMo show a failed transaction but still take the money?
Why can I use MTN data but calls fail?
Service updates from @MTNza
No posts about problems from @MTNza in the last 14 days. The latest is from .
Put the MTN status badge on your site
Paste one of these into a web page, a blog post or a README. The badge shows the same status as this page, based on user problem reports. Browsers can keep a copy for up to 4 hours. It links back here.
<a href="https://isitdownrightnow.app/services/mtn/"><img src="https://isitdownrightnow.app/badge/mtn.svg" alt="MTN status" height="20"></a>[](https://isitdownrightnow.app/services/mtn/)The badge is a plain image: no scripts, no cookies. People who see it on your page load it from our server.
How we track MTN
The status on this page comes from user-submitted problem reports for MTN, counted in 15-minute windows over the last 24 hours. Each window is compared with the normal level for MTN, so a few complaints on a quiet day don't trigger anything, but a sudden jump well above normal does.
When reports climb well above normal, the status here changes to partial outage or major outage and the chart moves with it. MTN doesn't publish a public status page that we know of, so user reports are often the quickest sign that something is wrong on their side.