By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Telkom Group CEO Serame
Taukobong has shared lessons from the telecommunications company’s
transformation journey with the Eskom Executive Committee, highlighting the
need for incumbent infrastructure businesses to adapt as markets liberalise,
customer expectations change and technology reshapes traditional business
models.
Taukobong joined the Eskom
Executive Committee as a guest speaker at the state-owned power utility’s
annual strategy workshop, where discussions focused on transformation,
competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
Drawing on Telkom’s
experience, Taukobong examined what it takes for established infrastructure
businesses to remain relevant when the strengths that built their institutions
are no longer sufficient to secure their future.
The discussion centred on
changing the economic engine of an organisation, strengthening capital and cost
discipline, and ensuring that organisational structures continue to support
business strategy.
Taukobong also highlighted
the challenges associated with transformation, noting that difficult decisions
often have to be made before their results become visible. He said the period
between making those decisions and seeing tangible evidence of their impact is
where leadership conviction is tested.
Although Telkom and Eskom
operate in different sectors, both have significant infrastructure
responsibilities and face the broader challenge of translating established
strengths into future relevance.
The engagement was hosted
following an invitation from Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane and
provided an opportunity for a candid exchange on the challenges of
transformation and competitiveness facing major infrastructure businesses.
Reflecting on Telkom’s
transformation journey, Taukobong said: “History is an asset. It is not
protection. Relevance has to be earned again and again.”
