(Facebook, MTN)
  • MTN clients who had their data and airtime wiped out on Friday morning, will receive R100 of airtime and 100MB of data. 
  • MTN said a "technical error" impacted customer accounts.  
  • It said the service should return to normal by the end of the day. 

MTN clients who had their data and airtime wiped out by a “technical glitch” on Friday morning will receive R100 worth of airtime, and 100MB data for free, the cellular network said. 

Jacqui O’Sullivan, MTN corporate affairs executive, said all customers will also be fully refunded as soon as possible. 

“This is an absolute priority and we’ll get all balances restored as a priority, to avoid any further concern and frustration to our valued customers,” O’Sullivan said in a statement. 

“The resolution of this glitch is a priority and all balances and services will be restored in the course of today.” 

Read: Here’s why MTN actually capped free Twitter: a loophole that landed some customers R18,000 worth of free data per day

Business Insider South Africa earlier reported that some MTN users woke up to empty airtime balances on Friday. 

The cellular network, the second largest in South Africa, said the glitch affected "a small percentage of customers". 

The fault may impact recharging, current balances and customer minutes currently being reflected. 

“We apologise for any inconvenience and are working to resolve this as quickly as possible,” O’Sullivan said. 

READ: This is SA's slowest 4G cellphone service – its top rival is 50% faster 

Users took to social media to voice their outrage with MTN. 

“Rt if MTN stole your data and airtime at midnight,” @Diegochuene tweeted. Her tweet has been retweeted over 7,00 times. 

MTN has 31 million clients in South Africa and operates in over 20 African countries, including Nigeria, which delivers a third of its revenue. 

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