Zuko Mdwaba joins Xponential as group CEO.
Zuko Mdwaba has been named group CEO of Xponential, a growth platform firm that operates across Africa and the Middle East.
Mdwaba is best known for building Salesforce and Workday’s African businesses from the ground up, scaling both from relative unknowns on the continent, to household names generating billions in annual revenue.
Last year, he was announced as strategic enterprise partner and investor of Jem, a local HR and financial platform for frontline workers.
In a statement, Xponential says Mdwaba’s appointment marks a defining moment in its evolution – from a start-up, to a scale-up poised for sustained, transformative expansion.
The company is looking to advance its vision to manage R20 billion in revenue, deploy R15 billion in capital, and launch 20 new companies over the next three years, it reveals.
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Xponential executive chairperson Lindile Xoko says: “At the heart of our business model is growth and putting customers’ goals first. Zuko’s proven track record of scaling companies in the African market is exactly what we need for us and our customers. His ability to drive innovation, leverage localised market knowledge, and build deep client relationships will propel our clients and our business to new heights.”
Mdwaba comments: “I am excited to join Xponential, an innovative growth company and integrated platform operating across investments, advisory, capital solutions and capability-building. I look forward to working with the team and the board to scale its impact.”
The group CEO’s three-decade career includes leadership roles at Oracle, SAS, Telkom and several other technology leaders.
Xponential says Mdwaba brings a compelling blend of technical expertise, strategic vision and human-centred leadership.
Under his leadership, Xponential says it wants to sharpen its focus on disciplined execution and client-centric innovation, building on a proven track record of raising billions in capital, managing multi-billions in capital, managing multi-billion-rand revenues, and concluding mergers and acquisitions – all within its inaugural year.
Mdwaba holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and statistics, complemented by executive programmes through MIT, UCT Graduate School of Business, and Informa Telecoms and Tech Academy.
