By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Telkom Group has announced the significant appointment of Beauty Apleni as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Openserve, effective 1 July 2025.
Apleni replaces Althon Beukes, who stepped down from the role in December last year after 30 years with Telkom, including four years at the helm of Openserve.
Her appointment comes after Telkom today announced its annual financial results and ordinary and special dividend declaration for the year ended 31 March.
During the period, Openserve saw fibre data revenue increasing by 5.9%, driven by a 13.3% increase in homes passed to 1.38 million and a 50.4% connectivity rate, the highest in the market, says Telkom. Openserve’s EBITDA grew by 1.8% to R4 billion.
Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong says Apleni’s appointment reinforces the group’s commitment to leadership continuity, robust succession planning framework and its dedication to developing exceptional talent from within.
“Beauty’s experience and strong knowledge of our businesses, M&A and ICT industry place her in an excellent position to lead the growth and sustainability of Openserve going forward. I have no doubt she will make a valuable contribution to sustaining the wave of momentum, driving the group forward in a complex operating environment,” says Taukobong.
Apleni joined Telkom in 2000 as an IT intern and went on to hold various positions across the business. She has held executives roles for the last 15 years.
Apleni says: “Having dedicated over two decades to Telkom, I’m deeply committed to our mission of connecting all South Africans to a better future. I am grateful to the Telkom board for entrusting me with this responsibility. I look forward to working with the group executive committee, the talented team at Openserve and collaborating with rest of the OneTelkom family.”
She holds a BSc in Computer Science from Nelson Mandela University and completed qualifications in management, strategy and leadership.