Vodacom’s Vuyani Jarana appointed as new SAA boss
Vodacom executive director of regional operations, Vuyani Jarana has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of South African Airways (SAA), confirming rumours from June, pegging him for the role.
He is the failing airline’s first permanent CEO since 2015, and will face the mammoth task of trying to turn the business around.
The airline was recently bailed out with a R2.2 billion payout from South Africa’s emergency fund, following a loan recall from Standard Chartered in July.
Reports on Thursday said the airline is effectively bankrupt, having run out of cash, and may struggle to pay salaries in the coming months.
It was reported that SAA would need as much as R1.8 billion to stay operational – even before looking at around R6.8 billion needed to pay debts.
Bloomberg reported in late June that SAA was looking for an experienced executive from the private sector to help turn the loss-making carrier around, and Jarana’s name reportedly came up as the executive of choice among a number of board members.
Jarana declined to comment on the speculation at the time.
Jarana was at Vodacom since 2005, where he first served as a managing executive. He has served as chief operating officer and as a director of Vodacom Lesotho. He is leaving the role of ED of regional operations.
SAA has been without a permanent chief executive since Monwabisi Kalawe resigned in September 2015 following disciplinary issues with the then board and a Labour Court dispute.
Finance minister Malusi Gigaba, said: “given that Mr Jarana has turned around a loss-making subsidiary of the Vodacom Group, Vodacom Business Africa,
into profitable and growth business, we believe he will be key in turning around SAA.”
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