Former MTN Group CEO Raymond Sifiso Dabengwa has died this morning after a battle with cancer, his family has confirmed.
Dabengwa served as CEO of MTN until his departure due to challenges in Nigeria, the company’s largest market.
He resigned from MTN in early November 2015, two weeks after the company disclosed that it was facing a $5.2 billion fines in Nigeria for failing to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered subscribers.
Before joining the MTN Group, he was an executive director at Eskom. Dabengwa held a BSc in Electrical Engineering and an MBA.
“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Raymond Sifiso Dabengwa, who succumbed to cancer this morning. Dabengwa was a titan in the telecommunications industry and an astute businessman. His tenure as CEO of MTN Group from 2011 to 2015 was marked by visionary leadership, integrity, and dedication that drove significant advancements in the industry,” his family said in a statement.
Details about funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
Dabengwa made the list of South Africa’s 200 richest individuals based on the value of disclosed directors’ holdings in JSE-listed companies covering the period from December 2015 to November 30 2016.
Born in Zimbabwe, Dabengwa has been group CEO of MTN since March 2011, when he took the leadership role from Nkosinathi Nhleko. He first joined MTN in 2004 as CEO of MTN Nigeria.
