Google Appoints new Country Director in South Africa

Johannesburg, 05 December 2024 – Google has appointed experienced business leader, Kabelo Makwane, as its new Country Director for South Africa. Makwane will take up his new role early in the new year.

The well respected leader has 20+ years of experience in the technology sector and joins Google from Vodacom Business where he currently serves as Managing Executive for the Cloud, Hosting, and Security business. 

Solid Background In Tech Leadership

Prior to Vodacom, he was Managing Director for the Africa Global Unit at Accenture Operations, and also held the role of Managing Director for Cloud and Technology Consulting. 

He also spent eight years at Microsoft in various roles including as Country Managing Director for Nigeria and the Public Sector Director in South Africa. He also served as Cisco’s Regional Manager for Public Sector in South Africa for five years.

“Google is an impactful, AI-first company whose innovative products and services continue to accelerate personal and economic development in Africa. I’m excited to join the team in South Africa and to help more people and businesses get more out of AI, the internet, and technology in general,” said Makwane. 

Makwane, a Boost to Leadership Team

Managing Director of Google Africa, Alex Okosi, welcomed Makwane’s appointment: “We are thrilled to welcome Kabelo as he joins us at an incredibly exciting time for both Africa and Google”. “With digital transformation accelerating across the continent, we are poised to leverage the power of AI to deliver innovative solutions that enable our users, partners and advertisers to thrive in this dynamic era. We’re thrilled to have Kabelo join our leadership team.” 

Makwane,who holds an MBA from Wits Business School [WBS] and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal [UKZN], will start at Google on 06 January 2025.