Fibre infrastructure operators Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa parent company Maziv has appointed Phila Dube as group chief commercial officer, further strengthening the group’s leadership team.

Dube, who will focus on shaping the overall commercial strategy, joins Maziv from telecommunications company Telkom, where he held various senior roles over the past 26 years, culminating in his position as chief commercial officer at Openserve.

Dube holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science degree from the University of South Africa (Unisa), a Master of Business Leadership from Unisa’s Graduate School of Business Leadership, a certificate in Executive Leadership Development from the Institute for Management Development in Switzerland and the Senior Executive Programme for Africa from Harvard Business School in the US.

“Phila’s extensive experience in the sector and deep understanding of customer needs align perfectly with our vision for the future. Phila is the ideal candidate to drive our commercial strategies forward across our consumer, enterprise and carrier brands,” said Maziv Group CEO Dietlof Mare.

According to a statement released by Maziv on Wednesday, Dube was at the forefront of several groundbreaking initiatives in his previous position, including a major managed dark fibre agreement of significant commercial value to the company.

He also played a critical role in doubling the company’s fibre broadband subscriber base and expanding its channel partner ecosystem.

“My priority is on deeply understanding our enterprise, carrier and mass market customers, and identifying ways to help them succeed in their strategic goals. By aligning our offerings and engagement models to their evolving needs, I believe we can unlock tremendous value and also have a meaningful impact on communities,” said Dube.

He added that being in the commercial role affords him the best opportunity to help drive adoption and make a meaningful impact on ordinary people’s lives.

“Creating a more enabling environment is crucial to driving innovation, increasing accessibility and fostering equitable growth across the sector. These are the opportunities I am excited to pursue in my new role.”

Emphasising the importance of network providers in advancing digital literacy in South Africa, he said that people can only consume what they understand and unless fibre is seen as a basic necessity, like bread, rather than a luxury or technical concept, widespread adoption will remain a challenge.

“From a broader perspective, I believe Maziv and I share the same belief in the power of human connection and the purpose of positively impacting lives and shaping a better future for all South Africans. And that was a significant motivator in taking up this role,” he concluded.