Johannesburg – Gender equality has evolved from being a mere policy aspiration to a critical business imperative.
South Africa’s major telecommunications companies are leading by example, placing their financial trust in the capable hands of highly accomplished female leaders.
This Women’s Month we celebrate South Africa’s telco’s top Chief Financial Officers.
Vodacom, the country’s largest mobile operator, relies on Raisibe Morathi to oversee its finances.
Morathi joined the Vodafone-owned company in 2020, bringing a wealth of experience from the financial services sector.
Her expertise is particularly valuable in navigating the booming mobile money space.
With over 20 years of board experience across various sectors and sizes of companies, Morathi has held prominent positions on Audit Committees and served as a non-executive board member for numerous listed and unlisted companies, including Santam, Strate, WBS, Incwala Resources, and Foskor.
Beyond her corporate roles, Morathi is actively involved in non-profit organisations, such as the Thuthuka Education Fund, part of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).
She champions women’s empowerment, serving as an ambassador for Women Forums at both Nedbank and Vodacom.
In December 2020, MTN Group appointed Tsholofelo Molefe as its CFO, recruiting her from Telkom.
Molefe’s extensive telecommunications industry experience is complemented by her tenure in the banking and financial services sector, as well as nine years at Eskom Holdings, where she held various roles, including Finance Director.
Molefe’s strong background in financial strategy, management, accounting, enterprise risk management, and financial controls has garnered her several accolades.
She was named the 2009 Executive of the Year among Eskom’s top 400 managers, a finalist for the 2014 Standard Bank Top Women Awards in the Top Female Public Sector Leader category, and received the High-Performance Team Award and Finance Transformation Award at the 2019 CFO Awards.
For her work at MTN Group, Molefe was nominated for the 2023 CFO Awards.
Telkom appointed Nonkululeko Dlamini as its new group CFO starting 1 December 2023, succeeding Dirk Reyneke, who transitioned to chief capital projects officer.
Dlamini joins Telkom from Transnet, where she served as group CFO and played a significant role in revitalising its finance function.
Her previous roles include CFO of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, earning her the Public Sector CFO of the Year Award at the 2015 CFO Awards.
Dlamini has also held various management positions within Eskom and served as a non-executive director on the boards of Kumba Iron Ore and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA).
Cell C recently appointed El Kope as its permanent chief financial officer. Kope had been acting CFO since August last year following Lerato Pule’s resignation to join Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
Kope brings a wealth of experience from multinational corporations such as DHL, Coca-Cola Africa, and SA Breweries.
At Tsebo International, she played a pivotal role in driving the company’s $150 million turnover.
Cell C noted that her swift actions as acting CFO significantly improved governance, stabilised the finance department, and strengthened relationships with critical stakeholders, placing the company in a more favorable position.
Liquid Intelligent Technologies last December announced the appointment of Lerato Dipuo Phueginia Pule as the new chief financial officer for its South African operations, effective from 1 February 2024.
“As a results-driven leader, she will be instrumental in overseeing Liquid South Africa’s financial strategy as the organisation continues to build on its vision of a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind while enhancing shareholder value,” said Deon Geyser, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa.
She is a qualified chartered accountant (CA(SA)) with a BCom Honours in Accounting, and brings over 16 years of experience in financial-business management at both operational and strategic levels.
Her most recent role was as CFO for Cell C, where she also served as a non-independent director on the board of Directors.
Conclusion
These appointments reflect a broader trend in South Africa’s telecommunications sector, where female leaders are trusted to manage the financial health of major companies.
Their diverse backgrounds and proven track records highlight the importance of gender equality in achieving business success and underscore the critical role that women play in leading the industry toward greater heights.
*The article first appeared in our sister publication: techfinancials.co.za
