Vodacom SA MD Shameel Joosub is poised to take a top position at Vodafone España, TechCentral has established from two sources close to the SA cellular network operator.

TechCentral reported on Monday that Joosub would leave Vodacom soon to take up a senior position at Vodafone in Europe. Vodafone holds 65% of Vodacom’s equity.

This publication has now established that Joosub has been offered a senior job at Vodafone’s crucial Spanish subsidiary. It’s understood he is to be appointed as CEO of Vodafone España.

In the financial year to March 2010, Vodafone España contributed £5,7bn to Vodafone’s revenue line. It generated £1,3bn in operating profit.

The move is a blow to Vodacom. Joosub has been running Vodacom’s critical SA operation for the past five years and is well respected in the telecommunications industry. Before taking the reins at Vodacom SA he was MD of the Vodacom Service Provider Company between 2000 and 2005.

He joined Vodacom in March 1994, the same year the operator launched its first commercial services.

It’s not yet clear who will replace Joosub as MD of Vodacom SA.

Joosub is the second top official to leave the Vodacom group this year. Bob Collymore, its chief officer for corporate affairs, resigned recently to take the reins at Kenya’s Safaricom, in which Vodafone holds a 40% stake.

Joosub had not returned messages left on his mobile phone by the time of publication. — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral