MTN has moved quickly to replace the CEO of its South African operation, Mteto Nyati, who is leaving the telecommunications group to take the reins from Robbie Venter as CEO of Altron.
Altron announced after markets closed on Tuesday that Nyati will take over from Venter by 1 July. It now appears he’ll be able to start sooner, given that MTN has said he will step down as CEO of the South African operation with effect from 13 March.
Former Vodacom executive Godfrey Motsa, who is currently vice-president of the South and East Africa region at MTN Group, will take over as CEO of South Africa from Nyati on that date.
“The company would like to thank Mteto for his role at MTN South Africa,” the group said in a statement to shareholders issued 40 minutes after the Altron statement.
Before joining MTN last year, Motsa was chief officer of the consumer business unit at Vodacom South Africa. When he left to join MTN, Vodacom successfully enforced a restraint of trade against him, which forced him to focus on markets outside the country for MTN until its expiry.
Motsa has also been CEO of Vodacom Lesotho and Vodacom DRC.
Incoming MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter said in a statement: “I am delighted that Godfrey will assume the position of CEO at MTN South Africa. We have worked well together in the past and I know he brings considerable experience and value to the position.”
MTN Group interim executive chairman Phuthuma Nhleko said: “The appointment of Godfrey hopefully brings to finality the seminal management changes that the group has had to undertake in the last 12 months. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Mteto for his contribution to MTN South Africa and wish him the best in his future endeavours.”
Karl Toriola, the current vice-president for MTN’s West and Central Africa region, will assume the additional responsibility of vice-president of the South and East Africa region in the interim. “The announcement of the new VP of the SEA region will be made in due course,” MTN said. — (c) 2017 NewsCentral Media
