Yolanda is a Chartered Accountant (CA SA) by training and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Statistics from the University of Cape Town, a Bachelor of Commerce Honors degree in Accounting from University of Kwazulu-Natal, and a Masters of Commerce degree from the University of Pretoria. She is also an alumnus of INSEAD International Executive Program.
Cuba is passionate about improving the state of telecommunications in South Africa. She loves the field, as it provides the lifeline that emerging markets need to leapfrog their economic and social development.
The seasoned strategist led Vodacom’s mergers and acquisitions as well as its acceleration unit into telco adjacencies such as financial services among others. Subsequently, Cuba was in 2016, made the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, a role she outstandingly performed resulting in her scooping the coveted title of Telecom CEO of the year in 2018. The other notable awards under Cuba’s belt include; the Top Empowered Business Woman of the Year by Top Companies in 2006 and the Youth Excellence award by the Black Management Forum in 2007.
Cuba also previously served as an Executive Director of Strategy and Business Support at the South African Breweries (SAB) Limited since February 2012. She also previously occupied the position of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at New Bond Capital Ltd.
Cuba has served on a number of JSE-listed boards: She was a board member of South African Breweries Ltd; Absa Group Limited where she served for 12 years before resigning in 2019 and has been a member of the Nelson Mandela Investment Committee since 2006.
Cuba is passionate about education and inclusive social and financial development, has served on the Advisory Board of Stellenbosch University Business School and has founded Cuba Mtyi Foundation that focuses on empowering young Girls through Education.
Her vision for Africa as a whole is to have digital and financial inclusion, with every child adequately educated so they are able to innovate and take full advantage of the digital world.
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