Alan Knott-Craig bows out

By Candice Jones, ITWeb online telecoms editor

Johannesburg, 30 Sep 2008

Vodacom CEO Alan Knott-Craig will spend his last day at his Vodacom office today, after 15 years at the helm of the cellular operator.

Knott-Craig has led Vodacom - SA's first cellular operator - since its inception in 1993. Prior to this, Knott-Craig held several roles within Vodacom co-parent Telkom. While his last official day is today, Knott-Craig says he will stay on as a consultant until March next year.

His long tenure at the head of the business has created many highlights for Knott-Craig; however, his top achievement was driving an industry that many thought would be a non-starter.

“A highlight for me was managing to position cellphones as a fast-moving consumer good distributed through the biggest retailers in SA,” he says. Another was the creation of Vodaworld, completed in 1998.

Under Knott-Craig's leadership, the company achieved double-digit growth for 14 consecutive years.

However, Knott-Craig's leadership has not been all roses. “One of the toughest things I faced at the company was having to exit Nigeria after our shareholders lost their appetite for investing in that country.”

The future for Knott-Craig is far tamer than the telecoms industry. He says he is looking forward to spending time on his hobbies, which include photography, ornithology, philately and genealogy. “I am also planning on writing a book on my experience in business and plan to do some teaching on business at school level.”

The legacy that he hopes to leave behind at Vodacom is: “Providing access to a telephone for every person in SA and leaving a respected company with a world-class management team.”

Pieter Uys, who has been part of the company since 1993 and moves from being its chief operating officer, will take over from Knott-Craig.

“Pieter Uys has a huge knowledge of the entire ICT industry. He is exceptionally intelligent and is enthusiastic, incredibly hard-working and a natural leader. He knows where we came from, the company culture and he knows the people. Pieter has a clear vision of where to take the company,” says Knott-Craig.

Industry waves goodbye

* Reuben September, CEO of Telkom:"Alan is a captain of industry in the true sense of the word. I have come to know and respect him for his uncompromising vision, his leadership and his professional conduct. His courage to act swiftly and decisively has proven invaluable in making Vodacom a market leader. 'Architect of SA's cellphone industry' is a fitting title, but Alan will also be remembered as philosopher, strategist, negotiator, marketer and engineer. These qualities have proven decisive in shaping the cellular landscape as we have come to know it. It is a great privilege to have worked with him, to have learned from him, and to have witnessed his dynamism and energy first hand. I wish him only the very best in the years to come."

* Neotel MD and CEO Ajay Pandey:“Alan Knott-Craig has been instrumental in revolutionising the South African telecoms industry to the way we see it today. I have a great deal of respect for him and truly admire his candidness and straight talk when it comes to dealing with issues. We at Neotel wish him all the best for the future, and we would like to welcome Pieter Uys and look forward to working together well into the future shifting paradigms and enabling telecommunications in SA.”

* MTN Group CEO Phuthuma Nhleko:"Alan is certainly one of the pioneers of mobile telephony sector in SA. He is a very feisty competitor at every level and in all aspects of the business. As a result, the word 'cosy' is completely nondescript in this industry, notwithstanding many insinuations to that effect by observers of the industry over the years. South African customers eventually become the beneficiaries of competitive product development and pricing. Given the impact of Vodacom in many aspects of South African life, including sport, CSR, etc, beyond its core business, I am sure his efforts and contribution will outlive him as the short history of this industry is reflected upon. None of this could have come to pass without leadership, which attributes he has plenty of."

* Industry analyst Richard Hurst:“Alan Knott-Craig has been an asset to the telecoms industry and the country as a whole. While he was in the right place at the right time, he took advantage of the opportunities presented to him. Knott-Craig has been instrumental in steering Vodacom to where it is today.”