Uys takes over as Vodacom CEO
Pieter Uys takes over as CEO of Vodacom from Alan Knott-Craig today. Uys was widely seen as a logical choice to replace Knott-Craig and has on many occasions acted as CEO in the absence of Knott-Craig.
Knott-Craig was highly regarded in the cellular industry, receiving international accolades including being inducted as one of the eight Gold Members of the GSM Association’s 2001 inaugural "Roll of Honor".
According to the ex-Vodacom CEO he will spend time on his hobbies like wildlife photography, ornithology, philately and genealogy.
Knott-Craig will however not be completely lost to the business world. He plans to write a book on his business experiences, teach at business schools and continue to serve on some boards as a non-executive director.
Uys is known for his excellent operational skills and an in-depth knowledge of the cellular industry.
Under Uys Vodacom will have to explore new opportunities to ensure sustained revenue growth, especially with an increasingly competitive telecoms environment and mounting pressure on voice revenues.
On the local front Vodacom faces very stiff competition from a particularly aggressive MTN South Africa.
Under the excellent leadership of MTN SA’s Tim Lowry, backed up by an experienced and competent team with the likes of Chief Marketing Officer Pieter Verkade, CTO Sameer Dave, Chief Sales and Services Officer Brian Goldie and Regulatory GM Graham de Vries, it will not be easy to keep the yellow giant at bay.
MTN is investing billions of Rands into its South African network – both mobile and fixed line – and Lowry has clear plans to become the preferred telecoms provider locally.
Vodacom is also investing heavily in its local operations with the launch of Vodacom Business, increasing its HSDPA footprint and building its own fixed line network.
Vodacom was asked for comment on what consumers and businesses can expect under Uys, but the company is mum on the future direction it will take. It is not clear if this is a communications failure or a company strategy not to discuss such matters with the media.
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