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Phuthuma Nhleko

Business executive and company chairman

By South African Index Editorial Desk · Published · Last reviewed

Phuthuma Nhleko in a formal corporate portrait
Phuthuma Nhleko. Official IHS Towers corporate portrait.: IHS Towers · Source. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.

Phuthuma Nhleko was MTN Group chief executive from July 2002 until April 2011. He led the group through major international expansion. [2][3]

He later returned as MTN chairman from 2013 to 2019. At the review date, he chaired Phembani and the JSE. [5][7][8]

Biography

Nhleko was born on 7 April 1960. He studied civil engineering at Ohio State University and completed an MBA at Atlanta University. [6]

Before MTN, he worked in engineering, corporate finance and investment. He also helped build the private investment business that became Phembani. [6][7]

He served as MTN chairman from July 2001 and became group chief executive on 1 July 2002. [2]

His chief executive tenure covered the rapid development of MTN Nigeria and the 2006 Investcom acquisition. [1][2]

He left the chief executive office in April 2011. He returned as non-executive chairman from 2013 to 2019. [3][5]

At 27 October 2026, he was Phembani chairman and the JSE’s independent non-executive chairman. [7][8]

Key contributions

Led MTN’s main African and Middle Eastern expansion phase from 2002 to 2011. [3]

Oversaw the US$5.5 billion Investcom acquisition, which expanded MTN from 11 countries to 21. [2][4]

Returned to provide non-executive leadership as MTN chairman from 2013 to 2019. [5]

Life and career timeline

  1. Born on 7 April. [6]

  2. Became MTN chairman in July. [2]

  3. Became MTN Group chief executive on 1 July. [2]

  4. Led MTN through the Investcom acquisition. [2]

  5. Left the group chief executive role in April. [3]

  6. Served as MTN’s non-executive chairman. [5]

  7. Became JSE chairman in May. [8]

Frequently asked questions

Did Phuthuma Nhleko found MTN?

No reviewed primary source names him as MTN’s sole founder. He became group chief executive in July 2002. [1][2]

Did he launch MTN Nigeria?

No. MTN Nigeria launched in August 2001, before he became group chief executive. [1][2]

What does he chair now?

At the review date, he chaired Phembani Group and the JSE. [7][8]

Related people

  • Ralph Mupita — South African engineer and business executive who became MTN Group president and chief executive in September 2020.

Associated organisations

Related research

Sources

  1. MTN Group, Sustainability Report 2003, 2003-03-31. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩
  2. MTN Group, Integrated business report for the year ended 31 December 2006, 2006-12-31. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩
  3. MTN Group, Integrated business report 2010, 2010-12-31. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩
  4. MTN Group, Who we are and where we come from: 30 years of value creation, 2024-06-01. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩
  5. IHS Towers, Phuthuma Nhleko: Independent Non-Executive Director. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩
  6. Nelson Mandela University, Honorary doctoral recipient: Phuthuma Freedom Nhleko, 2020-04-01. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩
  7. Phembani Group, Meet the team: Phuthuma Nhleko. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩
  8. JSE Limited, JSE board, leadership and executive team. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-27. ↩