'Life beyond Vodacom'

ADSL South Africa (Broadband South Africa), 24 June 2007

“There has to be life beyond Vodacom,” these are the words of a man that’s ready to step down as CEO of the Vodacom Group. Alan Knott-Craig has made his desire to leave Vodacom clear in an interview with Financial Mail.

Any other reason why Knott-Craig might want to step down as CEO of Vodacom?

Yes.

Knott-Craig ‘…has suffered a number of heart attacks in the past few years’ (Knott-Craig to step down as Vodacom CE, FMTech, Duncan McLeod).

In other words, while Knott-Craig’s private life is none of our business, the state of his health might be one of the factors he considered before making the decision to step down as Vodacom CEO.

Can Vodacom run without Knott-Craig?

Yes, according to him.

Knott-Craig said: “We have strong first- and second-tier management in this company” (Knott-Craig to step down as Vodacom CE, FMTech, Duncan McLeod. Also: “Whether I’m here or not, it doesn’t matter a damn. The company is in good shape to run without me” (Knott-Craig to step down as Vodacom CE, FMTech, Duncan McLeod).

In other words, Knott-Craig is confident that the management team at Vodacom can run the company without him.

When will he step down?

Well, it’s probably best to ask the shareholders this question because…

“It’s just a matter of shareholders saying it’s time you take a break and it would be really nice to take a break” (Knott-Craig to step down as Vodacom CE, FMTech, Duncan McLeod). Knott-Craig ‘…intimates that he would like the company’s shareholders, the UK’s Vodafone and SA fixed-line operator Telkom, to give him the go-ahead to leave before his contract expires in 2009’ (Knott-Craig to step down as Vodacom CE, FMTech, Duncan McLeod).

In other words, he will leave Vodacom before his contract expires in 2009 only if Vodafone and Telkom give him the go-ahead before then.

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