Takalani Netshitenzhe

Takalani Netshitenzhe is the Chief Officer and Executive Director of External Affairs for Vodacom South Africa, and Chairperson of the Vodacom Foundation.

Ms Netshitenzhe is passionate about corporate social responsibility, which enables her to participate as a panelist in various platforms including the United Nations.

Ms Netshitenzhe has previously spent time as a part-time lecturer in Administrative Law at the University of Venda and has extensive knowledge in public policy development, law writing, diplomacy, national security and cybersecurity.

Ms Netshitenzhe has over 20 years experience working in government as a lawyer and policy advisor in the security cluster, whilst employed in the Ministry for Intelligence Services; as Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to Hungary and Croatia; and as CEO of Electronic Communications Security (Pty) (Ltd), a state owned entity that was established under the then National Intelligence Agency.

Ms Netshitenzhe has received several merit awards which include the 2012 Hungarian Eotvos (ELTE) University commemorative medal and certificate for relentless efforts to promote academic and cultural collaboration between South Africa and Hungary, and deepening bilateral relations between the two countries as Ambassador to Hungary. She received the 2007 Intelligence Services Woman of the Year award for meritorious contribution to the South African intelligence policy and legal dispensation. In 2019 Taki was a finalist and received a recognition certificate for the CSI award for uplifting communities with ICTs from the Information Technology Professionals South Africa (ITTPSA).

During the time Ms Netshitenzhe has been Chairperson, the Vodacom Foundation has been voted the Trialogue top CSI entity for three consecutive years by other corporates. She was a judge for the 2019 Global Citizen Business Leader award.

Ms Netshitenzhe was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa in 1996 and is currently the Read to Lead Ambassador for the Department of Basic Education.

Ms Netshitenzhe holds an executive education certificate on cybersecurity from Harvard School of Governance; a Cyber security Post-graduate certificate obtained cum laude; a BJuris degree; LLB, Higher Diploma in company Law and a Masters in Security Studies.