Home-grown business and technology consulting firm BSG has appointed Nokuthula “Nokky” Ndlovu as non-executive director, effective immediately.
Eskom chairman Mteto Nyati, who is former MTN South Africa and Altron CEO, bought a controlling 40% stake in BSG, for an undisclosed amount, in 2022.
In a statement, BSG says Ndlovu brings over two decades of experience as a technology executive, entrepreneur and advocate for digital transformation across Africa.
As managing director of Projectized Management, she specialises in edutech and digital upskilling.
According to the consultancy firm, her visionary leadership extends to her role as chairperson of South Africa’s Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum Chapter, where she champions international trade, investment, technology and research collaborations.
“We are honoured to welcome Nokky to the BSG board,” says Nyati, BSG chairman. “Her expertise in digital transformation, women’s leadership and social entrepreneurship aligns with our purpose of being a proactive force for positive change.”
Ndlovu holds advanced qualifications from GIBS, UNISA SBL and the London School of Economics.
“I am excited to join BSG at this pivotal moment for South Africa's digital economy,” she says.
“Together, we will harness technology to build resilient businesses driven by real-time insights, ensuring shortened time to value.”
Strategy execution
In an interview with ITWeb yesterday, Nyati said: “If you go back to when I bought shareholding in BSG, we were entitled to two members of the board linked to that investment. One member of the board is myself and I needed to appoint another non-executive director.”
He noted that in the past, the former non-executive director was Lillian Serobatse, who used to work for Microsoft. “When she moved from Microsoft to another entity, she asked to step down because of potential conflict of interest. So, we needed to replace her.”
Nyati added that Ndlovu’s appointment brings significant value to the company’s operations, particularly given her experience in managing large-scale projects within the financial services sector.
“Having someone like Nokky, who has spent a number of years in financial services as a programme director or a project manager looking after large projects, would add a lot of value to what we are doing within BSG.”
He added that BSG is responsible for delivering its clients’ large and complex digital transformation projects, and Ndlovu’s expertise will strengthen the company’s ability to execute these initiatives effectively.
According to Nyati, Ndlovu has a deep understanding of the industry and experience to sit on the BSG board, and to guide the team on the ground when and if required.
“She is also someone who is very strong in women leadership development, and this is something that connected with us because it is something that we are promoting and driving within the company. She has volunteered to connect with the staff and help our female colleagues, for them to be able to navigate the complex corporate world.”
Nyati also noted that Ndlovu’s entrepreneurial mindset aligns closely with BSG’s culture and values, emphasising the company’s desire to remain agile and innovative despite its growth.
“Nokky is also an entrepreneur, and we do not want to lose this entrepreneurial spirit within BSG,” he said.
“As much as we are becoming big – we are a medium-sized entity – we do not want to lose our roots of coming up with solutions that address our challenges. We also do not want to act big; we want to act small regardless of our size. So, this is someone that I know will always remind us when we are starting to act like a big corporate.
“Some people, when they are looking for leaders or directors, they look for directors that are always going to toe the line. We are looking for exactly the opposite – someone who is going to challenge us, someone who has got courage. She is someone who is sitting with the Black Business Council and she is chairing a number of key initiatives within the country.”
Business diversification
Since Nyati took control of the company, his strategy has been to take BSG to other industry verticals and not solely rely on financial services.
Providing an update on the progress, he said: “We have really done well. You now find us in some of the telecoms companies, driving a number of their projects, particularly in the data and artificial intelligence space.
“You now also find us in media and we are also now strong in the mining sector where we have a number of clients. We have also penetrated deeper into the insurance market.
“I am comfortable with the progress that we have made in diversifying the business, but we always want to make sure we do not take our eyes off our roots.”
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