Smangele Nkosi is the Country Lead for South Africa at Cisco, a role she has held since 2022. In this capacity, she is responsible for enhancing the Cisco brand at the local level and driving growth and revenue.

With over 28 years of experience as a business leader, Smangele brings extensive expertise in P&L management, sales, and business strategy. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Johannesburg and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from Henley Business School.

Before joining Cisco, Smangele served as Acting Chief Commercial Officer at Openserve, where she developed and implemented the company's commercial strategy. She also held the position of Managing Director at ECI Telecom Africa.

Smangele offers direct and comprehensive insight into the Cisco ecosystem, addressing the ICT and telecommunication needs of businesses and showcasing how new technologies are transforming traditional practices. Under her leadership, Cisco South Africa has seen double-digit growth, an increase in company logos, and expanded industry presence. She has also led the company’s transformation from a BBEE level five to level one. Additionally Cisco the certification of a Great Place to Work in 2023.

In recognition of her leadership, Smangele was named the 2024 Business Executive Leader of the Year and honoured as one of the influential women at the ITWeb Wired4Women Awards. This accolade underscores her commitment to advancing gender equality in the tech industry, alongside many other powerful women and male allies.

Outside of work, Smangele enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.