Pay-television operator MultiChoice has appointed a new CEO of its South African operation. Calvo Mawela will take the reins from Mark Rayner, who is being shifted into the role of chief operating officer.
Mawela will be responsible for looking after both MultiChoice and DStv Media Sales in South Africa.
“Mawela will focus on strategic developments in the pay-TV industry, while Rayner will focus on ensuring product and operational excellence that will give DStv customers the best entertainment experience,” the company said in a statement.
At the same time, Yolisa Phahle, CEO of MultiChoice subsidiary M-Net, will step into the role of CEO of general entertainment, while Fahmeeda Cassim Surtee has been appointed as CEO of DStv Media Sales in South Africa. Chris Hitchings will continue as overall CEO of DStv Media Sales.
“Calvo and Mark are an impressive team who will steer MultiChoice South Africa into the future. Their combination of strategic and operational skill and experience complement each other. Calvo is well-positioned to drive strategy and growth in our South African operations. He has a rich and varied experience in broadcasting and a proven track record in managing complex issues in South Africa and the rest of the continent,” said Naspers video entertainment CEO Imtiaz Patel in the statement.
Mawela, currently executive in charge of regulatory affairs and policy for the Naspers video entertainment unit, began his career at Sentech where he was responsible for commissioning transmitter sites. He has held senior positions at communications regulator Icasa, where he was responsible for technical regulations relating to the broadcasting industry, Orbicom and MWeb.
He led the planning team on the digital broadcasting plan for South Africa and served as a planning expert to the International Telecommunication Union. He also served as a councillor on the communications minister’s advisory body for digital migration and is a registered professional engineer and a member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers. — (c) 2017 NewsCentral Media
