Vuyani Jarana to head South African Airways

August 04, 2017: Vodacom Business CEO Vuyani Jarana is set to take over as the chief executive officer of the state owned carrier South African Airways (SAA). The Airlines is getting a permanent person as CEO since November 2015.

South Africa’s National Treasury confirmed the appointment of Vodacom Group executive’s appointment at SAA. Jarana will take the helm at South African Airways when Vodacom releases him of his duties, the Treasury said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

The airline has been bleeding since 2011 and was handed a bailout package last month with a ‘strict’ turnaround strategy. The new appointment is also part of the said bailout.

The national airline is one of several key state companies, and agencies that are in disarray as a high turnover of senior management hobbles their ability to take decisions, and massive losses threaten their financial viability. SAA will brief lawmakers in Cape Town on Friday on its quarterly report.

Jarana was previously the chief operating officer of the Johannesburg-based wireless carrier and has been the head of its enterprise division since 2012. Musa Zwane, SAA’s chief technical officer, has been the airline’s interim leader and is the seventh permanent or acting CEO since 2010.

Vodacom is the market leader in South Africa with 37 million subscribers in the country. It is 65 percent owned by Vodafone Group Plc and has customers in Tanzania, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.