Sipho Maseko to step down as Telkom CEO

Sipho Maseko is stepping down as CEO of the partially state-owned telecommunications group Telkom after nine years in the job. He will depart on 30 June 2022.

“The process to appoint a successor is well under way and a group CEO-designate will be announced in the not-too-distant future. Sipho would, for the remainder of his tenure, ensure the incoming group CEO-designate’s orderly transition into the role.”

Maseko, who joined Telkom on 1 April 2013, is credited with turning around the company’s fortunes. At the time, Telkom was in dire straits. The share price has more than tripled on his watch as he set about restructuring and streamlining the organisation to better compete in a liberalised telecoms market.

“During his tenure, he turned the business around and evolved it from a traditional fixed business to a portfolio of businesses, which comprises the mobile, IT and wholesale infrastructure businesses, and the masts & towers portfolio,” Telkom said in a statement.

“Under his leadership, the group has had many remarkable strategic achievements in its execution of its broadband-led strategy, which are reflected in the group’s current healthy position.

“The mobile business grew to become the third-largest mobile business in South Africa with more than 15 million customers and generating R20 billion in revenue. The fibre footprint was expanded and the fixed customer base was migrated to new technologies (fibre and LTE). The number of homes connected with fibre now exceeds the number of homes connected with copper.”

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Duncan McLeod is Editor of Tech Central, on which this article was first published here.