African Bank Group CIO appointed

Unathi Mtya,group chief information officer for African Bank

She joins African Bank from Grindrod Bank, where she was the chief technology officer responsible for the efficient handling of the information technology (IT) of the bank, planning and aligning IT within the business and managing the transition to new technologies.

CEO of African Bank, Kennedy Bungane says, “Unathi is a tech enthusiast, a speaker as well as a member of the Forbes Technology Council. She will provide the required skill and expertise to translate our ongoing digital strategy into value-add experiences for our customers and continue to build and expand on our IT capabilities.”

She joins the Group Executive Committee at African Bank.

“I have always been an advocate of ‘value’. My remit will include the consideration and implementation of technology platforms that provide value across all digital capabilities of African Bank,” says Unathi.

Understanding new technologies

She has spent time understanding the biggest technology trends in the banking industry, namely the acceleration of new technologies, the collaboration of banks and fintechs, and the growing importance of customer experience.

Unathi has led several portfolios across a wide spectrum of information communication technology (ICT) technical and has led multi-disciplinary technical teams across the ICT spectrum at senior management, general management, and chief information/technology levels.

She has held key positions at Business Connexion (BCX), State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and the Republic of South Africa Parliament.

Unathi holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Fort Hare, a Professional Certificate in CIO Practise from Wits University and a Master of Science in Technology Management from Columbia University in New York, US.