South African telecom giant Telkom, in a statement today announce that its Group CEO Reuben September has vacated his position and that Jeffrey Hedberg – the head of its struggling Nigerian business Multi-Links– has taken over as acting Group CEO.
The statement said, “Having regard to the uncertainty which prevails during such transition periods, Reuben September has agreed with the Telkom Board to step down as GCEO and resign as a director from 7 July 2010. He will assume a consulting role until 1 November 2010.”
According to Telkom appointed Hedberg to maintain stability until a new GCEO is found. “In the interim, Jeffrey Hedberg has been appointed as Acting GCEO,” Telkom said. “The Telkom Board believes that these arrangements provide leadership, continuity and stability at an important time given a number of key strategic and operational deliverables.”
According to Reuters, Hedberg is regarded in the industry as a turnaround specialist and was brought into Telkom to fix its ailing Nigerian phone unit, Multi-Links, after he helped right Cell C, South Africa’s smallest mobile phone operator.
September, who had led the company since 2007, last year sold off Telkom’s stake in mobile phone operator Vodacom, its main profit driver, and then announced a 6 billion rand plan to push Telkom into South Africa’s overcrowded mobile market.
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South Africa’s Mobile networks overcrowded? You are crazy. With a population of nearly 45 million only 9million are on mobile phones. If anything Reuben September was right we need more than just the four price fixing morally corrupt players who seamlessly seem to charge the same rates and overcharge the business and consumer markets. IMHO South Africa needs at least 6 operators to help bring the cost of mobile services in South Africa down to what it is in the UK.USA etc. South Africa has some of the most expensive interconnect fees anywhere in the world. And the most expensive packages anywhere.
I have heard that T-Mobile is interested in joining the South African market and is aparently in the process of looking into getting a licence.
What Reuben September could have made a killing on is the data charges and local loop unbundling. For South Africa to be truly competitive we need more, more data and more speed at a lower over all cost.
Ist good that Telkom is divesting itself of non-cor businesses and it should be put back on track for pushing landline adoption. We need more of those not less.