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30 July 2009

Telkom appoints Pierre Marais as acting-MD of Data Centre Operations

Pierre Marais, Telkom's current Group Executive for Network Core Operations, has been appointed as the acting Managing Director of the Group's Data Centre Operations business unit with immediate effect.

In April this year, the Telkom Group's new organisational structure comprising of three major business units - Telkom SA, Telkom International and Telkom Data Centre Operations - became operational. Thami Msimango and Nombulelo Moholi were subsequently appointed to head the Telkom International and Telkom SA business units respectively.

"With Telkom already being a major player in the connectivity and managed network space as indicated by our management of over R2.5 billion of IT assets and currently being in the process of expanding our 7 500 square metres of data centre space by a further 2 200 square metres, it became imperative for us to appoint the most suitable candidate to lead this business unit, albeit in a caretaking role for now," said Telkom Group CEO, Reuben September.

"In appointing Pierre as the acting MD of our Data Centre Operations, we not only have a leader with the requisite skills and experience, but also a loyal and distinguished 32-year track record in the telecommunications industry," added September.

Commencing his career as a Pupil Technician with the former Department of Posts & Telecommunications in 1977, Marais was promoted several times until he became Telkom's Managing Executive for Core Network Operations in 2003. He assumed the responsibilities for Network Infrastructure Provisioning as that division's Managing Executive from 2006 to 2007, before becoming Group Executive for Network Core Operations last year.

Academically, Marais obtained his Honours in B. Eng (Electronics) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) qualification from the University of Pretoria.

Emphasising the key role Marais would play with regard to the Telkom Group's Data Centre Operations strategy, September stated: "An analysis of the IT services sector indicates that it is both attractive and fast-growing. In Europe, data services demand is six times higher than the supply. In South Africa, the IT services market was R21 billion in 2007 and was forecast to grow (by BMI-TechKnowledge) at a compound annual rate of 10%."

Concluded September: "Our Group organisational structure is aligned to our refocused business imperatives as encapsulated in our ‘defend and grow' strategy. This, in essence, aims to maintain our leadership position in SA while expanding our footprint across the African continent. In welcoming Pierre to his new role at Telkom, I wish him every success in helping the Telkom Group realise its strategic intent with regard to the lucrative opportunities that the data centre space provides."

For further enquiries, please contact:

Pynee Chetty

Senior Specialist: Media Relations

Group Communication

Tel:+27 12 642 1716

Mobile: +27 81 389 7874

Email: chettpr2@telkom.co.za

 OR

Leigh-Ann Francis

Specialist: Media Relations

Group Communication

Tel: +27 12 642 1728

Mobile: +27 81 391 4780

Email: francilm@telkom.co.za

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ABOUT TELKOM:

Telkom is a leading communications services provider in South Africa. We had consolidated operating revenue of R16.8 billion and normalised profit after tax of R1, 683 million for the period ended 30 September 2015. Total assets amounted to R41.9 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R23.5 billion as of 30 September 2015. The group generated normalised free cash flow of R1.4 billion for the period ended 30 September 2015.

As of 30 September 2015, we had approximately 3.3 million telephone access lines in service and 1,030,441 ports connected via MSAN access. We offer business, residential and payphone customers a wide range of services and products, including:

  • fixed-line retail voice services using PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines, including ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines, and the sale of subscription based value-added voice services and calling plans;
  • fixed-line customer premises equipment rental and sales services both voice and data needs and these include PABX, Computers, Routers, Modems, Telephone handsets and other ancillary equipment;
  • interconnection services, including terminating and transiting traffic from South African mobile operators, as well as from international operators and transiting traffic from mobile to international destinations;
  • fixed-line data services, including domestic and international data transmission services, such as point-to-point leased lines, ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) services, packet-based services, managed data networking services and internet access and related information technology services;
  • Data Centre Operations includes e-commerce, application service provider, hosting, data storage, e-mail and security services;
  • W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), a 3G next generation network, including fixed voice services, data services and nomadic voice services;
  • mobile communication services, including voice services, data services and handset sales through our mobile navbar-brand called Telkom Mobile;
  •  information and communication services including cloud services, infrastructure services, workspace services, global service integration management and hardware and network equipment sales locally, in seven African countries, the UK and Dubai through Business Connexion Group; and
  • other services including directory services, through Trudon (Pty) Ltd, wireless data services, through Swiftnet (Pty) Ltd.

Convergence is one of our key strategic initiatives in building a sustainable future for Telkom.  We will lead the provision of converged services in South Africa in support of our mission statement: Seamlessly connecting people to a better life.