S.Africa's MTN appoints Charles Molapisi as country CEO

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's MTN Group on Wednesday named a new chief executive officer for its South African operations as part of a management overhaul as it sharpens its focus on the continent.

MTN is seeking to be the dominant presence in Africa across wireless and fixed line infrastructure and to offer a digital payments platform for individuals and enterprises.

To help oversee the strategy shift, it said it would make its group chief technology and information officer (CTIO) Charles Molapisi the CEO of its South African operations effective from Jan. 1.

Current CEO Godfrey Motsa will step down, but will be available until the end of June 2022 to ensure a smooth transition, MTN added.

One of Africa's biggest telecom companies, MTN, which competes with Vodacom, the African subsidiary of British telecom giant Vodafone Plc, has been selling its businesses in the Middle East as part of its more Africa-focused strategy, which it wants to see in place by 2025.

Among other management changes announced on Wednesday, the company also promoted Mazen Mroue as Group CTIO from Feb. 1. He is the Chief Operating Officer of MTN Nigeria.

"The changes we are announcing today are about enhancing the structures needed to execute on our Ambition 2025 strategy," MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said in a statement.

(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee; editing by Barbara Lewis)