Siphiwe Dlamini
Raymond Sifiso Dabengwa, a Zimbabwean-born South African corporate executive who once held the prestigious position of president and CEO of MTN Group, has passed away at the age of 66. Dabengwa, a prominent figure in both the corporate and public sectors, leaves behind a legacy that extends across borders, industries, and communities.
Dabengwa was deeply rooted in a family of notable figures. He was the brother of the late Dumiso Dabengwa, a Zimbabwean liberation hero and former Zipra intelligence chief. His wife, Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, is a distinguished corporate leader in South Africa, currently serving as the CEO of Naspers South Africa. Her career includes co-founding Sigma Capital and leading Shanduka Group as its CEO.
Raymond Dabengwa’s career was closely intertwined with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who served as MTN’s board chair during Dabengwa’s tenure. Ramaphosa, who also established Shanduka Group where Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa once worked, had a professional relationship with Dabengwa that spanned years. This connection was emblematic of Dabengwa’s ability to network and collaborate with some of South Africa’s most influential leaders.
“Sifiso Dabengwa’s connections to influential figures in South Africa, including ANC leaders such as Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, as well as uMkhonto weSizwe commanders, helped him navigate the post-apartheid era.”
Born in Zimbabwe on April 5, 1958, Dabengwa spent his early years in Bulawayo before relocating to South Africa in the late 1970s. His academic journey began in Zimbabwe, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe. His pursuit of knowledge continued in South Africa, where he obtained an MBA from Wits Business School in Johannesburg. Dabengwa also engaged in Extended Degree Programmes that were designed to enhance equity and foster student success.
Dabengwa’s professional career started with British Rail and Rhodesia Railways, which is now known as the National Railways of Zimbabwe. His engineering expertise soon took him to South Africa, where he worked with a consulting firm in Pretoria. During this time, he contributed to various projects across Botswana, Swaziland (now Eswatini), and the former apartheid bantustan of Bophuthatswana.
His significant contributions to South Africa began with his role at Eskom, the national power utility. At Eskom, Dabengwa was instrumental in the national electrification programme, a key element of the Reconstruction and Development Plan (RDP). This programme remarkably increased electricity access in South African households from 35% in 1990 to 84% by 2011. His responsibilities at Eskom included managing a division that handled a multibillion-rand budget, employed 17,000 people, and generated over R20 billion in annual revenue.
After a successful tenure at Eskom, Dabengwa transitioned to MTN, Africa’s largest telecommunications company. He joined MTN in various capacities before eventually becoming its President and CEO on March 31, 2011. However, his time at MTN was not without challenges. In 2015, the company faced a significant setback when Nigerian regulators imposed a US$5.2 billion fine for failing to disconnect over five million unregistered SIM cards. Though the fine was later reduced to US$3.9 billion, the event marked the end of Dabengwa’s leadership at MTN. He received a severance package of R23.7 million upon his resignation.
Throughout his career, Dabengwa served on multiple corporate boards, including those of Impala Platinum Holdings, Dawn Suite Hotel Group, Peermont Global, and Gijima Group Limited. His contributions to both the corporate and public sectors are substantial, particularly his role in advancing South Africa’s electrification efforts and his impact on the telecommunications industry.
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