Telkom announces appointment of Mandla Ngcobo as CEO of Telkom Media

Issued by Telkom
Johannesburg, 02 May 2007

Reuben September, acting-CEO of Telkom, today announced the appointment of Mandla Ngcobo, Telkom's Chief of Corporate Affairs, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telkom Media with effect from 1 April 2007.

Telkom Media (Pty) Ltd is a subsidiary of Telkom South Africa and was created to explore various avenues in the information, communications and entertainment (ICE) environment; including cable and satellite subscription broadcast television, online and content services.

In August 2006, Telkom Media applied to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for a commercial satellite and cable subscription broadcast licence. A private company, Telkom Media (Pty) Ltd, which has a 41.5% black economic empowerment shareholding, will provide services through a wide range of digital platforms, thus positioning itself in new growth areas of the ICE industry.

Congratulating Ngcobo, September said Ngcobo's appointment emanates from his "solid, wide-ranging, experience at Telkom".

"Telkom has full confidence in Mr Ngcobo's ability to exercise decisive leadership in this extremely competitive environment," added September.

Prior to his appointment as Telkom's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer in 2005, Ngcobo - an admitted attorney of the High Court - was Telkom's Group Legal Executive. Before joining Telkom on 1 September 1998, he was in private practice in Durban and Johannesburg. Ngcobo qualified with an LLB degree from the then Natal University and graduated with an LLM in Company Law at Wits University. After Wits University he attended the UCT Graduate School of Business.

He is also a past General Secretary of the Black Lawyers Association, Gauteng Branch. Ngcobo has served as a non-executive director at Brait South Africa, and sits on Brait's Audit Committee. Ngcobo is a past member of the 2010 World Cup Bid Company and he is currently a member of the remuneration sub-committee of the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee. He is also a member of the Pretoria Country Club main committee.

"Through its intended provisioning of cutting-edge content and services over the Internet, satellite and a quality of service network (IPTV), Telkom Media ultimately envisions becoming Africa's digital media provider of choice. Mr Ngcobo has the requisite credentials to ably negotiate the challenges that lie ahead," stated September.

He added that Adv Ouma Rasethaba will, in the interim, fill Ngcobo's position of Chief of Corporate Affairs in an acting capacity.

Telkom

Telkom SA Limited is Africa's largest integrated communications company. Telkom provides public switched communication services in South Africa and offers fixed-line voice and data services, branded as Telkom. Telkom participates in the South African mobile communications market through its 50% shareholding in Vodacom, the largest mobile communications network operator in South Africa based on total estimated customers. Telkom's infrastructure is composed of terrestrial, undersea and satellite communications and pathways, broadband circuits and connections that enable voice, data and video communication services.

Telkom has approximately 4.7 million telephone access lines in service as of March 2006. Telkom had consolidated operating revenue of R47.6 billion for the year ended 31 March 2006. Telkom's subsidiaries include Telkom Directory Services (Pty) Ltd which provides complete yellow and white pages directory services as well as electronic services, and Swiftnet (Pty) Ltd. Swifnet trades under the name of FastNet Wireless Service and provides synchronous wireless access on Telkom's X25 network, Saponet-P, to its customers.

Telkom strongly believes in corporate social investment and has a dedicated wing, the Telkom Foundation, which focuses in investing and developing previously disadvantaged South African communities. The foundation spend R50.2 million in the year ended 31 March 2006 on projects relating to ICT planning and infrastructure roll-out; education and training; and, empowerment of women, children and people with disabilities.

Telkom has always viewed South Africa's effective transformation as imperative for its sustainable long-term growth. Empowerment and the transformation of the economy are central to Telkom's BEE strategy. During the year ended 31 March 2006, 67% of Telkom's procurement spend was on BEE companies. In addition, Telkom trained 18 black SMMEs and a total of 1 181 suppliers at an estimated cost of R7.1 million.

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