IWF member profile

Yolanda Cuba

Yolanda Cuba

Vice President for the Southern & East Africa region of the MTN Group | Highly Experienced Executive in Telecommunications, Financial services, and diversified Services and Investments

Vice President for the Southern & East Africa region of the MTN Group | Highly Experienced Executive in Telecommunications, Financial services, and diversified Services and Investments.

Yolanda is a highly accomplished pan-African business executive with over two decades of experience across diverse industries. She currently serves as the Vice President for the Southern & East Africa region of the MTN Group, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Africa. Her diverse professional background, which encompasses the telecommunications, financial services, and diversified services and investment sectors, has equipped her with a unique skill set and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in these industries.

Her transformational leadership style is characterized by a strong focus on innovation, driving growth, customer-centricity, and operational excellence. She is passionate about unlocking the potential of people and organizations, and is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, collaboration and continuous improvement..

Professional Qualifications: CA(SA)

Professional Experience Summary

  • MTN Group (January 2020 – Present)
    • Group Vice President – Southern and East Africa
    • Group Chief Digital and Fintech Officer
    • Led the development of MTN’s digital strategy, growing digital revenue by 40% and expanding fintech services.
  • Vodacom Group (November 2014 – December 2019)
    • CEO, Vodafone Ghana (April 2016 – March 2019)
    • Group Strategy, M&A and Acceleration Unit
    • Oversaw the growth of Vodafone Cash, led network expansion, and drove customer experience excellence.
  • South African Breweries (September 2011 – October 2014)
    • Executive Director: Strategy and Business Support
    • Formulated and executed tactical strategies to drive growth and profitability, including excise strategies and market insights.
  • Mvelaphanda Group (January 2003 – December 2010)
    • Group Chief Executive Officer
    • Responsible for all group strategies, overseeing organic and acquisitive growth, and managing a portfolio of investments.

Past Non-Executive Roles

  • Absa Group (12 years from 2006)
  • Reunert Group
  • Vodacom Group (initially non-executive)
  • Nelson Mandela Foundation (Trustee)
  • Life Healthcare
  • Avusa Media
  • Steinhoff Group
  • South African Breweries.

Recognition & Achievements

  • Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
  • Businesswoman of the Year, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
  • CEO and also Business Personality of the Year (Ghana)

Education

  • Mcom (Financial Managemtnt) – Univ of Pretoria ( 2016) 
  • BCom Honours (Accounting) – Univ of Natal (2002)
  • Certificate in Accounting – Univ of Natal 1999
  • Bcom (Statistics) – Univ of Cape Town (1998)