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Mokgwatsane leaves Ogilvy, heads to Vodacom

Kgaogelo Letsebe
By Kgaogelo Letsebe, Portals journalist
Johannesburg, 11 Jul 2017
Outgoing CEO of Ogilvy & Mather SA Abey Mokgwatsane.
Outgoing CEO of Ogilvy & Mather SA Abey Mokgwatsane.

Vodacom has announced Abey Mokgwatsane, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, will take the post of Vodacom managing executive for brand marketing and communications as of the end of September.

Mokgwatsane has been CEO of Ogilvy South Africa since January 2012 and oversaw the acquisition of Gloo Digital, a Johannesburg-based digital media agency.

According to the advertising agency, Mokgwatsane has driven the development of its digital capabilities and innovated in areas like cellphones, Web sites and fully integrated campaigns.

"While his departure is unfortunate, he leaves behind a strong agency, good leadership and cutting-edge modern marketing capabilities. Ogilvy's loss is Vodacom's gain and we wish him all the very best for his new challenge," says Paul O'Donnell, Ogilvy EMEA CEO.

His responsibilities in his new position include accelerating brand relevance, managing the brand communication team, as well as increasing the return on brand investment.

The telco says Mokgwatsane is expected to bring a "broad skills set, honed over a career that spans over a decade in brand marketing and communications".

Matimba Mbungela, chief human resource officer for Vodacom Group, says it is a pleasure to welcome Mokgwatsane to the group.

"He is no stranger to Vodacom and is acquainted with the brand's rich history and inner workings. He brings with him the sort of ingenuity that the company needs at this time.

"This year, we revised our strategy to ensure we are best positioned to seize opportunities, and manage the risks, of a rapidly changing marketplace, characterised by significant levels of digitalisation. We're confident he will do well in positioning our brand as we seek to position ourselves as a leading digital company that empowers a connected society."

The advertising executive has also been linked to South African Breweries, now known as ABInBev, as brand manager and brand group manager for numerous brands, particularly Miller Genuine Draft, for which he was credited with successfully launching in the local market.

Mokgwatsane was nominated as one of Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young Leaders of the Year in 2011.

He will be taking over from Mzamo Masito, who joined Vodacom in May 2013.

In June, Vodacom announced the appointment of Jabu Moleketi, current independent non-executive director, to the role of chairman of the company and Saki Macozoma as lead independent director of the company, both effective from 19 July.

Moleketi was deputy minister of finance from 2004 to 2008, while Macozoma is a known political figure and prominent businessman.

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