Mteto Nyati is one of South Africa’s most respected business leaders, renowned for his ability to drive turnaround strategies that place people and customers at the heart of business. Appointed Chairman of the Eskom board in October 2023, Mteto is leading from the front at a time when decisive leadership is most needed.

He is the Founder and Executive Chairman of a company that invests in high-potential, unlisted medium-sized businesses. Among its key holdings is a 40 percent stake in BSG, a proudly South African business and technology consulting firm that focuses on strategy execution.

Mteto is a mentor to senior executives, including CEOs, and a coach to emerging professionals. Whether on the stage or in the boardroom, he brings sharp strategic insight, clarity of thought, and a deep belief in the potential of people and technology to transform organisations.

Mteto currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of Eskom, Telkom and Nedbank. His executive leadership track record includes serving as Group Chief Executive of Altron, where he delivered one of the most lauded corporate turnarounds in recent history, and as CEO of MTN South Africa. He also led Microsoft South Africa as Managing Director for six years, following a 12-year career at IBM where he held various leadership roles across South Africa and Europe.

In recognition of his impact, Mteto was named EY World Entrepreneur for Southern Africa in 2021, and Business Leader of the Year at the All Africa Business Leaders Awards in 2019. That same year, he received an honorary doctorate in IT Management from the University of Johannesburg. He is also a Yale World Fellow, an honour reserved for globally recognised changemakers.

An engineer by training, Mteto holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His story is told in the bestselling memoir Betting on a Darkie, now in its seventh reprint and available on Audible. It has inspired thousands, including News24’s full subscriber base, who recently received free access to the audiobook when it was chosen as their Book of the Month.