Internet search giant Google has announced the appointment of Kabelo Makwane as its new country director for South Africa. Makwane is set to assume his new role early in the New Year, starting on January 6. Makwane succeeds Dr. Alistair Mokoena, who served as Google South Africa’s country director from April 2020 until July 2024.
With over 20 years of experience in the technology sector, Makwane brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Google. He joins the company from Vodacom Business, where he currently holds the position of managing executive for the cloud, hosting, and security business.
Before his tenure at Vodacom, Makwane was the managing director of the Africa Global Unit at Accenture Operations. He also served as the managing director of cloud and technology consulting at the same firm. Additionally, Makwane spent eight years at Microsoft in various roles, including country managing director for Nigeria and public sector director in South Africa. He also worked as Cisco’s regional manager for the 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,” said Kabelo Makwane. “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.”
Alex Okosi, Google Africa’s Managing Director, expressed his enthusiasm about 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 holds an MBA from Wits Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His extensive background and leadership experience are expected to drive Google’s mission of fostering digital growth and innovation in South Africa and across the African continent.
