Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi, a Zambian, was recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of MTN in the ‘Singapore of Africa’ Rwanda. Having been in the telecom industry for over a decade, she expanded her horizons to West Africa, where she has lived and worked for the last five years. Steadily, her progression points her to jurisdictions closer to Africa’s copper hotspot, Zambia. Gravity seems to be pulling her closer to home.
She penetrated the West African market serving in the C-suite, firstly in Benin as Chief Marketing Officer for MTN, later landing herself in the top seat at Tigo in Senegal. Her most recent posting was with AirtelTigo, where as CEO she led the merger of the two brands, Airtel and Tigo. The merger was chalked as a first of its kind in the industry and has received a number of accolades for its success.
Ng’ambi was bred in MTN were she defied the odds by ascending to Chief Marketing Officer in Benin despite her technology background. She holds a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Computer Science. She makes a remarkable comeback into the Group as Chief Executive which the MTN Group this week announced her appointment as the new CEO of MTN Rwanda.
We borrow a caption from MTN from a recently published article:
“The mobile network company said Ng’ambi is a seasoned leader with a career spanning more than 10 years in telecoms and returns to MTN where she previously held the role of Chief Marketing Officer at MTN Benin and several other roles at MTN Zambia.”
“She has a strong background in commercial and technology with a track record of driving business strategy for growth, as well as developing high-performing teams. She also has the unique experience of leading mergers and acquisitions in the telecom industry,” they said in a statement.
Rwanda is one of Africa’s fastest growing hotspots. The East African power hub has taken very drastic and radical steps in embracing technological innovation to not only better lives but yield efficiencies across the industry landscape. Ng’ambi is a perfect fit for this market as she has a unique combination of technology and business acumen. Digital transformation is her DNA.
In one line we believe this decision is the best the MTN Group has made for the ‘Switzerland of Africa.’ Our Analysts believe Ng’ambi will bounce back to Zambia before ascending to a regional role.
Written by a Mutisunge Zulu an Economist and Finance Strategist.