MTN Group named Karl Toriola, chief executive of its Nigerian unit, as vice president for Francophone Africa starting November 1, 2025, part of a wider leadership shakeup aimed at boosting growth.
Toriola, who has led MTN Nigeria since 2021, will oversee some of the group’s key Francophone markets, including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Congo Brazzaville. His appointment marks a return to familiar terrain: Toriola previously held leadership roles across Francophone West Africa before rising to head Nigeria’s operations, MTN’s largest and most profitable subsidiary.
The leadership reshuffle comes as MTN reviews its Ambition 2025 strategy against shifting geopolitical, macroeconomic, and technological landscapes. While the Group board concluded the core priorities remain “relevant and appropriate,” MTN will sharpen its focus on three core platforms: connectivity, fintech, and digital infrastructure.
“These leadership changes illustrate the depth of talent and experience we have across the Group,” MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said in a statement on Monday. “The changes will support the accelerated execution of our strategy beyond 2025 as well as greater value creation for stakeholders over the medium term.”
Other key role changes come in the company’s finance department. The Group Chief Financial Officer, Tsholofelo Molefe, will now oversee mergers and acquisitions (M&A), consolidating capital allocation and ensuring that investment decisions are aligned with the Group’s long-term growth priorities. This move brings M&A squarely under the finance portfolio, tightening discipline around capital deployment.
On the markets front, Ebenezer Asante, previously Senior Vice President of Markets, will assume responsibility for Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, South Sudan, Sudan, Liberia, and joint ventures in Eswatini and Botswana. He takes on this revised role as Vice President of Ghana and Southern & East Africa, focusing on accelerating growth and deepening contributions from these operations.
In South Africa, Ferdi Moolman, currently Group Chief Risk Officer and a former CEO of MTN Nigeria, has been appointed CEO of MTN South Africa. He succeeds Charles Molapisi, who guided the company through a challenging period marked by power outages and network resilience issues. Supporting Moolman will be Yolanda Cuba, who steps into the role of Deputy CEO and Executive Director of MTN SA, ensuring continuity and leadership depth.
Molapisi will return to his former position as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer (GCTIO), with a mandate to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across MTN’s operations.
Mazen Mroué will focus exclusively on the Digital Infrastructure portfolio, spearheading fibre expansion, data centre growth, and partnerships with low-earth-orbit satellite operators to strengthen MTN’s connectivity backbone.
Selorm Adadevoh, currently Group Chief Commercial Officer, will expand his remit to include Strategy and Transformation, bringing these critical functions under one leadership umbrella. As part of this restructuring, Chika Ekeji, the current Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, will step away from the executive committee to focus on scaling some of MTN’s emerging businesses aligned with the Group’s platform strategy.
Beyond management changes, MTN is preparing for board-level transitions. Sindisiwe (Sindi) Mabaso-Koyana will succeed Mike Harper as Chairperson of MTN South Africa in the first quarter of 2026, following Harper’s retirement. Paul Norman, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, will retire at the end of 2026, with a successor to be named by mid-2026.
MTN said these leadership changes reflect the depth of its talent pool and will ensure smoother execution of its strategy beyond 2025.
With Ambition 2025 nearing its next phase, Karl Toriola’s dual role as CEO of MTN Nigeria and VP of Francophone Africa places him at the heart of MTN’s continental growth playbook.
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