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Zahir Khan steps up as Project Isizwe leader

Paula Gilbert
By Paula Gilbert, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 04 Nov 2015
Incoming Project Isizwe CEO Zahir Khan says his new role is "simply the next step in the chain of command".
Incoming Project Isizwe CEO Zahir Khan says his new role is "simply the next step in the chain of command".

Zahir Khan will take over as CEO of free WiFi initiative Project Isizwe in the new year. Khan is currently the non-profit's COO but will take over the leading role from current CEO Alan Knott-Craig Jnr on 1 January.

"It is simply the next step in the chain of command and I have been successfully driving the organisation for some time now," Khan told ITWeb.

"Isizwe is no longer a start-up. It is a serious organisation with over 100 employees. Zahir is a safe pair of hands for such a big venture, whereas Alan will now focus his energies on Hero Telecoms," Project Isizwe told ITWeb.

Knott-Craig will remain on the Project Isizwe board and has a new title of founder and non-executive director. His focus shifts to his newest venture, wireless Internet service provider, HeroTel, which he unveiled in August.

When asked whether the two organisations plan to work together in future, Khan said "as the entities mature, I am certain that synergies will be found".

Khan has over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and has been COO of Project Isizwe since August 2013. He spent a number of years at iBurst working in a number of roles, including head of business development, head of product and network financial manager. Before that, he spent eight years as a senior project accountant at Vodacom.

As far as the running of the current Project Isizwe business goes, Khan says as a non-profit company its core focus and mandate will always remain but it "may simply change approach to achieve the objectives".

Board changes

Project Isizwe has also announced other changes to its board of directors, including the appointment of Nape Maepa, who was founding chairman of the telecommunications regulator of South Africa (now ICASA). Also joining as a director is former DG of the National Treasury, Estian Calitz, and former CEO of the South African Bureau of Standards, Martin Kuscus.

Knott-Craig Jnr says the new additions will "enhance our board structure and hopefully speed up the deployment of free WiFi in SA".

The new directors join chairman John Volmink along with directors Sibs Moodley-Moore, Knott-Craig and Khan on the board. They "bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise in various fields, particularly in the fields of corporate governance, government procurement, compliance and telecoms regulations".

"Project Isizwe has made great strides in bridging the digital divide since launching Tshwane Free WiFi in November 2013, having connected over one million users. Project Isizwe hopes to assist the government in ensuring all citizens are within walking distance of free WiFi by 2025."

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