Vodacom’s R1-billion investment in expanded connectivity in KwaZulu-Natal represents a much-needed boost for the regional economy and a boon for the network’s clients. KZN INVEST spoke to the company’s KZN managing executive, Imran Khan.
Q: In a nutshell, what does this investment mean?
A: It will improve our coverage, especially in rural areas, and our capacity and network resilience. We are building an inclusive, digital society. The capital expenditure will be on radio access, network capacity and upgrades, and expanding LTE capacity to 704 base station sites in the province. We are rolling out 27 new urban sites and 43 new deep rural sites.
Q: How are you dealing with load shedding issues and the impact on your business?
A: Load shedding, battery theft and vandalism at base stations, and the floods had an enormous effect on our network infrastructure. We have invested R70-million into back-up energy projects and increased site power standby time from four to eight hours. We have also deployed over 180 generators and are buying 75 more.
Q: When you announced this investment you made much of connecting the unconnected to online resources like education, healthcare and financial services. How does this transform lives?
A: Connectivity supports more widespread use of technologies like the Internet of Things, and 5G (speeds of 250/mbs) has the potential to unlock data-driven productivity that will fuel our economy. We have gained 300 000 more active data users in the last financial year. People want connectivity, whether it’s for school, work or play. We have no-cost educational platforms. We replaced network routers free of charge to businesses after the July 2021 riots, and we have partnered with Facebook and Google to train small businesses in financial health and social media marketing. In an increasingly digitalised post-Covid landscape, we want to make sure no one is left behind.
Q: With a background in finance you have been with Vodacom in various roles for 24 years. What has prepared you for your current role and why?
A: I have grown up in the company and Vodacom has afforded me the opportunity to operate in different areas of the business. It is part of the company’s commitment to training and development. With these experiences, I get to understand and appreciate how customers at various levels engage with the brand. Whether it is a corporate organisation or a rural youth customer, they each have varying expectations from us. Through these various roles I have learnt how to find synergy between business operations and our company purpose of connecting for good. When our purpose meets customer expectations, that is when we are delivering real value.
Q: How would you describe your leadership ethos?
A: I’m big on earning trust. It is the responsibility of every leader to earn the trust of their teams and not feel entitled to it because of your title. The workforce today is highly educated and have access to tons of information, so you have to be transparent and genuine on all decisions and thought processes. That means you must be on top of your game, at all times, as the captain of the ship. It is only with that trust will they then follow you on the path you set and give 110% of their effort. And if you hit rough seas, fail fast and move on. A team built on trust will always be resilient.
Q: Where do you see the biggest growth in the KZN economy in the next year, and how are you gearing to take advantage of that?
A: From an economical perspective, high unemployment will drive small and micro entrepreneurs. Also, some people have returned to their traditional homes during Covid and did not return to the metros. Considering these factors, economic growth will take place in the smaller towns, where we are already seeing an explosion of demand for fixed and fixed wireless products. We are going to ensure that the infrastructure is in place for this growth. The recent floods in KZN highlighted the need for cloud storage. Many companies lost their equipment and data because of traditional practices of hosting physical assets on their premises. In addition, they did not have diversity to protect them from such disasters. I see scalable cloud storage solutions as being one of the biggest areas of demand in the SMME and corporate space. Vodacom has world-class data centres in Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape that offer services to fit any budget. Since April we have seen a massive uptake of space in these locations, and the demand will grow exponentially.
Q: You hail from Pietermaritzburg. Tell us what your parents did and describe your family.
A: My parents were serial entrepreneurs whose sole focus was survival. Their sacrifices to ensure that the next generation had better opportunities is a lesson I hold dear today. I try to teach my three sons the importance of being grateful every day because they reap the benefits of those sacrifices. My wife is a super-mom and takes a very active role in their school and sports, and I try to fit in where I can. That typically means a very busy home life.
Q: When you are not at work what do you love doing in KZN?
A: We are a soccer-mad family, anything “soccer” takes top priority. The kids absolutely love the beach, so enjoy the sun and fun every weekend in summer. The Drakensberg is probably the next favourite spot and we always have to take the long route through the Midlands Meander to get there. As a family we love to travel.