MTN Group Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, has officially appointed Jerry Soko as the permanent Chief Executive Officer of its Eswatini subsidiary, effective July 1, 2026.
MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications provider, has officially finalized its leadership structure in Eswatini. The company announced that Jerry Soko will take over permanently as the chief executive officer of MTN Eswatini, effective July 1, 2026.
The appointment follows a successful seven-month tenure by Soko as the operating company’s acting CEO. He originally stepped into the interim role in November 2025, succeeding former chief executive Wandile Mtshali, who departed at the conclusion of his contract. According to reports, Soko’s time at the helm has already yielded highly positive results, successfully stabilizing the business, reinforcing operational discipline, and boosting overall customer engagement.
For more details on this leadership change, you can read the full report as MTN names Jerry Soko Eswatini CEO on TechCabal.
Soko’s permanent placement is not an isolated event but rather a clear reflection of MTN Group’s broader strategic playbook. The Johannesburg-headquartered telecom giant has increasingly leaned into promoting from within its existing executive bench, selecting experienced leaders who understand the unique dynamics of diverse African markets.
A qualified accountant boasting over two decades of robust experience in the telecommunications sector, Soko is a quintessential example of this internal leadership pipeline. Throughout his career with MTN, he has held pivotal executive roles including both Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer positions across several major operating markets such as Zambia, Botswana, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita lauded the appointment, noting that Soko’s proven track record and profound operational familiarity place him in an ideal position to usher MTN Eswatini into its next era of progress.
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This transition comes at a critical juncture for the telecom group. Under its overarching “Ambition 2030” initiative, MTN is actively working to transition from a legacy telecommunications operator into a fully integrated digital platform provider. This evolution spans connectivity, cloud computing, fintech, and digital infrastructure.
This permanent appointment underscores MTN’s broader corporate strategy of leveraging its deep bench of internal African talent to drive operational stability and spearhead its digital transformation across the continent.
Even though Eswatini represents one of MTN’s smaller geographical markets, it remains a vital component of this digital shift. As mobile financial services and enterprise solutions continue to scale across the continent, having a seasoned veteran like Soko steering the ship ensures that the Eswatini business can robustly execute these high-level corporate objectives.
