Vodacom names Khumo Shuenyane as next chairman as Safaricom governance changes continue
Vodacom has named Khumo Shuenyane as its next chairman, confirming a leadership transition that will take effect on 21 July 2027 after current chairman Saki Macozoma completes his ten-year board tenure.
The appointment comes as governance changes continue across the Vodacom-Safaricom group following the ownership restructuring that gave Vodacom greater influence over East Africa’s largest telecommunications company, making the succession relevant beyond South Africa.
Shuenyane, who currently serves as Vodacom’s lead independent director, will succeed Macozoma after the outgoing chairman reaches the company’s self-imposed ten-year limit for board service. Macozoma has chaired the company since 2017, and the long lead time before the handover reflects a planned transition rather than an unexpected change in leadership.
Why the appointment matters now
The timing places the appointment alongside one of the biggest governance reorganisations in Vodacom’s recent history. The company completed its ownership restructuring involving Safaricom in 2026, after a lengthy regulatory and legal process in Kenya, and has since begun implementing changes across board oversight and executive governance.
For Kenyan readers, the chairman’s role extends beyond ceremonial leadership. The board oversees long-term strategy, executive accountability and governance decisions that now carry greater weight because Safaricom sits more centrally within Vodacom’s regional portfolio.
The board is changing beyond the chairmanship
The succession announcement is part of a broader refresh of Vodacom’s board.
Former Airtel Africa chief executive Segun Ogunsanya will join as an independent non-executive director from October 2026, bringing experience from one of Africa’s largest multi-market telecom operators. His background spans network expansion, fintech growth and operations across several African markets, experience that becomes relevant as Vodacom manages businesses across South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and Safaricom’s expanding regional operations.
The board will also see the departure of Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, South Africa CEO of Naspers, who retires from the board in October.
Those changes are already extending into Safaricom itself. The Kenyan operator recently appointed Vodacom executives Mariam Cassim and Matimba Mbungela as non-executive directors, adding senior leadership from the parent company to Safaricom’s board.
How the Safaricom restructuring changed governance
The latest appointments fit into a series of governance changes introduced after the Safaricom ownership restructuring.
Previous shareholder approvals and regulatory decisions gave Vodacom greater influence over executive succession while preserving safeguards around strategic decisions affecting the Kenyan business. The framework also maintained government oversight in areas considered nationally significant, including certain expansion decisions beyond Ethiopia.
The restructuring followed months of legal challenges and regulatory reviews before shareholders approved the revised governance framework.
The backdrop also includes one of Safaricom’s strongest financial periods. The company recently delivered a record dividend, advanced its Ethiopian business towards break-even and completed the ownership transition that reshaped the group’s governance structure.
What comes next for Vodacom and Safaricom
Shuenyane will assume the chairmanship after another year of transition, giving Vodacom time to complete the current succession process while integrating its refreshed board.
By the time he takes over in July 2027, the company will have spent a full year operating with its expanded board, including Ogunsanya’s arrival and the newer governance arrangements linking Vodacom and Safaricom more closely than before.
The leadership transition therefore arrives as part of a wider corporate reorganisation that now spans board appointments, executive oversight and long-term governance across one of Africa’s largest telecommunications groups.
Download the FREE Kaspersky Next Enterprise Security Guide here to explore the complete framework for simplifying security operations and building cyber resilience.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
