The board of Seacom, the subsea cable and connectivity company, has placed group CEO Alpheus Mangale on special leave, Connecting Africa reports. Chief financial officer Charl Slabbert is acting as interim group CEO.
What we know
Seacom has not given a reason for the leave or said how long it will last. TechCentral reported that the board had received allegations about how the company is run in which Mangale's name was mentioned, and that an independent third party has been appointed to investigate. Chairman Pieter Uys told the publication the move was a precaution and that nothing indicated Mangale was guilty of anything.
In a statement, Seacom said the board is directing the process and that business operations continue as normal.
Mangale has led Seacom since April 2023, when he succeeded Oliver Fortuin. He previously held senior roles at Standard Bank, Dimension Data (now NTT), Cisco South Africa and MTN Business.
Bad timing for a big build
The leadership uncertainty comes in the middle of Seacom's most ambitious project in years. SEACOM 2.0, announced in September 2025, is a planned subsea cable system of more than 25,000km with over 20 landings in 15 countries, linking the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and southern Europe. It is designed for the growing data demands of AI and cloud services.
Seacom launched Africa's first privately owned subsea cable in 2009 and now runs a network of about 35,000km of fibre across 17 markets, serving operators, enterprises and internet providers. Projects on the scale of SEACOM 2.0 depend on long-term partner and financier confidence, so a clear and quick resolution matters.
What to watch
- The outcome and timing of the independent investigation.
- Whether SEACOM 2.0's timeline or partners are affected.
- Any further governance changes at board level.
This story is developing. AfroTech Horizon will update it as more information becomes available.
