MTN is planning to rebrand MTN Business into MTN Internet of Things (IoT) and is in a process to finalise the appointment of industry veteran Deon Liebenberg to lead the enterprise business into new markets, TechFinancials has established reliably from industry sources. By Gugu Lourie
Africa’s largest mobile phone group is competing aggressively for additional revenues in the enterprise space in the continent. For more read: Will Telkom’s move to gun for corporate clients pockets lead to price war for enterprise solutions?
TechFinancials has been informed by sources that MTN is in advance talks with Liebenberg to leave Vodafone, where he is the executive vice president: Africa, Vodafone Global Enterprise (VGE).
Liebenberg will be task with steering the enterprise business of MTN into new markets and bringing new, innovative solutions to the market.
MTN Group Executive for Corporate Affairs Chris Maroleng told TechFinancials in an emailed response that MTN Business has no plans to rename its business.
“MTN Business is however, evaluating its brand positioning in the various markets where we operate,” he explains.
Regarding the appointment of the new head for the enterprise business, Maroleng said: “The search for a permanent Group Executive to lead the Group Enterprise Business Unit is underway, and no appointment has been made yet.”
The possible rebranding of MTN Business come just days after Telkom Business informed the markets of its new products launched in conjunction with its standalone subsidiary Business Connexion (BCX).
Read: Will Telkom’s move to gun for corporate clients pockets lead to price war for enterprise solutions?
TechFinancials approached Vodafone on Thursday for comment about whether Liebenberg is leaving the British-mobile giant to join Africa and Middle East biggest mobile phone company as head of the ‘rebranded MTN IoT’ subsidiary.
The British mobile giant, which owns Vodacom, didn’t respond to our questions sent via their online media query.
Who is Liebenberg?
He is an ex-Samsung South Africa MD and joined Vodacom in 1 February 2013 after less than four months at Telkom, South Africa’s biggest fixed-line telephone group.
In his current role at Vodafone, Liebenberg manages the Vodafone Global Enterprise (VGE) portfolio that services the British mobile giant’s largest multinational customers across Vodacom’s operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
VGE operates as a single integrated business worldwide and is responsible for the sales and service relationship with more than 1 500 global customers.
Liebenberg is regarded as a real people person, something that’s served him well in his career in the ICT sector. For more read: A charming man.
