Leaders of African Mobile Operators Head GSMA Council

The GSMA Board of Directors has re-elected Gopal Vitthal, Executive Vice President of Bharti Airtel, to the position of Chairman for a second term, extending his leadership of the global telecommunications body until December 2028.

Vitthal, who has been part of the GSMA Board for ten years, including his chairmanship since 2025, will lead the organization during its 2027–2028 Board term. GSMA represents mobile network operators and companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.

Additionally, the Board elected Margareta Della Valle, CEO of Vodafone Group, as Co-Chair, and Ralph Mupitu, President and CEO of MTN Group, who was re-elected to this role.

Telecom Security, AI, and Advanced Networks in Focus

Following his re-election, Vitthal noted that the telecommunications industry is entering a new phase driven by advanced networks, artificial intelligence (AI), and open digital platforms, with security becoming a key priority.

Vitthal stated: 'I am honored to have been re-elected as Chairman of the GSMA Board for a second time. As an industry, we are entering a new era where advanced networks, AI, and open digital platforms can create significant economic and social value.'

He defined security as the industry's main challenge, emphasizing the need to protect countries from growing threats, ensure customer safety from fraud, and maintain the financial stability of telecom operators to support further investment in technology and infrastructure.

He added: 'Our top priority is security. Ensuring the security of nations amid increased threats today, ensuring customer safety amidst rising fraud risks, and ensuring industry resilience so it can continue to make forward-looking investments in technology and build better infrastructure across the globe.'

Vitthal also welcomed the appointments of Mupitu and Della Valle, noting that their experience, geographical reach, and understanding will strengthen the organization's efforts.

He concluded: 'I look forward to continuing this important work with the GSMA team and my fellow Board members. I also look forward to working alongside our Co-Chairs, Ralph Mupitu and Margareta Della Valle. Their experience, geographical reach, and insight will be a great strength as we move this agenda forward.'

Gopal Vitthal's Role at Bharti Airtel

As Executive Vice President of Bharti Airtel, Vitthal oversees the company and its subsidiaries, guiding group strategy and synergy in digital technologies, network strategy, procurement, and talent.

He also serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Airtel Africa and Airtel Payments Bank, in addition to being a Non-Executive Director on the board of BT Group.

Under his leadership, Airtel has expanded its portfolio of mobile, home broadband, business-to-business (B2B), and digital services, achieving the highest market share by revenue in India's competitive telecom market, according to the company.

Ralph Mupitu and Margareta Della Valle Appointed as Co-Chairs

Mupitu has held the position of President and CEO of MTN Group since September 2020, previously serving as the group's Chief Financial Officer. He was a GSMA Vice-Chairman starting in April 2025.

He is also a member of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development and the founder of the Global AI Commission for the World Telecommunication Union.

At MTN, Mupitu leads the company's Ambition 2030 strategy, which focuses on expanding connectivity, financial technology, and digital infrastructure across Africa.

Della Valle has been the CEO of Vodafone Group since January 2023, after serving as the group's CFO from 2018. She led the transformation of the telecom operator aimed at simplifying and strengthening its business.

Vodacom believes that South Africa may be ready to switch off its 3G networks within a period of 12 to 24 months. However, the group's CTO, Deian Kastelitz, stated that no operator would want to carry out this process alone.

Kastelitz told TechCentral on Wednesday that the company would be very interested in switching off 3G in all markets, not just in South Africa. He noted that South Africa is potentially in a good position to conduct such a switch-off in the next 12–24 months, but this requires agreement with other involved parties.

He specified that 3G devices that do not support the more modern 4G system account for 'just under 10%' of devices on the Vodacom network in South Africa, which he said is a good indicator.

The reason for the transition is spectrum. Switching off 3G will free up frequencies that Vodacom can reallocate for 4G, which provides higher traffic at the same bandwidth.

Besides the remaining phones, there is a competitive obstacle. Kastelitz warned that the operator that switches off first risks passing its remaining 3G customers to a competitor. He explained that the second operator would wait, attract these customers to its 3G network, subsidize them, and only then proceed with the switch-off.

Kastelitz insists that operators agree on a common date and announce it a year in advance. Until then, they can run promotions to encourage customers to exchange old phones so that 'by the time the date arrives, we are all in the same situation.'

Longevity of 2G Networks

As he mentioned, operators usually cooperate with regulators and the government on measures such as banning the import of 3G devices and providing tax incentives for 4G phones. South Africa has already taken one such step: the treasury abolished a 9% luxury excise duty on smartphones costing less than 2500 South African Rand starting from April 2025.

Currently, there are no government deadlines for operators to switch off outdated mobile technologies. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi stated in November 2024 that the transition should be market-driven, warning that a set date could leave 'millions and millions of South Africans—most of whom are poor.' His department officially removed the deadline of December 31, 2027, in July 2025, leaving the timing up to the operators.

Vodacom reported in May that it expects 3G to be switched off sooner than 2G, and Kastelitz predicts that 2G, which continues to serve feature phones and 'machine-to-machine' communication devices, will last significantly longer than 3G. He stated: 'Let's resolve the 3G issue first.' After 3G is switched off, most 3G phones will move to 2G. Kastelitz expects users to need six to twelve months to transition directly from 2G to 4G. Only after that will Vodacom consider the remaining users: machines or people still using feature phones, and decide what investments and subsidies are needed for their transition.

MTN has also adopted a similar approach to the accessibility issue. In 2025, it began distributing 4G smartphones worth 99 Rands among long-standing prepaid customers who could not afford an upgrade.

The first Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K race promises to be an exciting event with the participation of elite male and female athletes in the City of Roses. As is customary in this popular series organized by Stillwater Sports, the country's top runners will face competition from invited East African participants.

Among the South African representatives are expected to be athletes such as Kabelo Mulaudzi and Steven Mokoka, who should carry the flag of South Africa amidst fierce competition from Kenyan runners, such as Felix Kibet Masai.

Arthur Jantjes, winner of the first Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town, intends to demonstrate his effectiveness over shorter distances, having been the champion of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon.

Women's Race

In the women's race, Glenrose Haba will once again represent South Africa, aiming to prevent Deborah Chemutai and Jacqueline Rotich from winning for Kenya.

Haba may be targeting the World Athletics Half Marathon Championship next year, but she showed her speed by winning the Boxer Durban 5k race last week, despite intensive preparation for the 21.1 km distance.

Another runner arriving in Mangaung with high confidence is Neheng Katala from Lesotho, who also won last week. The Hollywood Athletics Club star won the Hollywoodbets Joburg 10k on Sunday, although it remains unclear if she can participate in the race competitively given the challenging route in Soweto.

There is also local runner and favorite of South African road running, Gerda Stein, who eagerly awaits participation in the race in her home province.

Gerda Stein stated: 'When October 25th comes, I hope to perform well at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K. I hope the crowd and strong competition around me will motivate me. My goal is to squeeze out the maximum from myself on race day that I can expect.'

Focus on Mulaudzi

However, most attention will be focused on Mulaudzi. The runner from Boxer Athletics Club finally won this year at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K race exactly one month ago.

After an impressive run where he finished in 28:48, he stated: 'I fought this year, so I wanted to defend my title because everyone forgot about me. I am happy to be back. This is my first win this year and in this series. I am very happy.'

He aims to become the first winner of the Mangaung race and solidify his status as the king of the Absa series, having won four out of five races last year.

However, Mulaudzi will not be alone in the fight; Kibet has made it clear that he accepts nothing but victory. The Two Oceans half marathon winner, Kibet, participated in the debut Absa RUN YOUR CITY race in Durban, where he placed ninth, and decided to return to experience these well-organized events once more.

He returned in significantly improved condition, lowering his personal record to an impressive 27:19 in Prague last month. Kibet noted: 'I am very satisfied with my results in Prague. After that personal record, I knew I would focus on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY series. I look forward to a good performance and taking a spot on the podium.'