Former Johannesburg Stock Exchange CEO Leila Fourie has been appointed to Vodacom Group’s board of directors, adding an experienced payments and capital markets executive to the South African telecommunications company’s leadership.

Fourie will initially serve as an alternate director to Vodacom Chairman Saki Macozoma, who is due to retire from the board on July 21, 2027. She will become a full board member after Macozoma’s departure.

Vodacom announced the planned change in August, saying Macozoma would retire after about a decade on the board. He is expected to be succeeded as chairman by Khumo Shuenyane, the company’s lead independent director.

Fourie brings banking experience

From Oct. 9, 2026, Fourie will also serve on Vodacom’s Nomination and Remuneration committees.

Vodacom said Fourie brings 30 years of experience across payments, investment banking, retail banking and capital markets, most recently as CEO of the JSE.

Before joining the exchange, she served as CEO of Australian Payments Network and was a managing director at Standard Bank, where she oversaw credit analytics and the card division.

Her career has included senior executive and board positions spanning the U.K., United States and Australia. She has also chaired and co-chaired boards, according to Vodacom.

Fourie has held positions with organizations including the United Nations Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance, Diners Club South Africa and the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative.

She served on the board of Business Leadership South Africa from 2019 to 2026 and was a nonexecutive director of Australian payments company Cuscal Ltd.

She also serves as a director of the United Nations Global Compact, WWF South Africa, the Youth Employment Service and the Henley Advisory Board in London.

Fourie holds a doctorate in economic and financial sciences from the University of Johannesburg.

Vodacom said a fit-and-proper assessment had been completed and that the board was satisfied with the outcome. The company also said there were no matters to report regarding the integrity information contained in Fourie’s director declaration.

Vodacom prepares for board changes

Fourie’s appointment comes as Vodacom reshapes its board. In August, former Airtel Africa CEO Segun Ogunsanya was appointed an independent nonexecutive director, succeeding Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa. Ogunsanya is scheduled to join the board on Oct. 9, 2026, a day after Mahanyele-Dabengwa retires.

Vodacom is majority-owned by Vodafone Group and provides mobile connectivity, data and financial services across South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania.

The group has more than 230 million customers across Africa, with digital financial services playing a growing role alongside its traditional telecommunications business.