Dr Alan Knott-Craig was the Senior General Manager of Mobile Communications at Telkom until 1993, when he left to join Vodacom. Until 1996, he served as Managing Director of Vodacom (Pty) Ltd, after which was the CEO of Vodacom Group.
Under Alan’s leadership Vodacom went from an investment of R1.15-billion in October 1993 by three shareholders to a conglomerate with an annual turnover of some R50-billion by 2008, and over 35-million subscribers in 5 countries (South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the DRC). In 2008, Alan retired from Vodacom Group and is now consulting to the Group CEO of Vodacom. He also serves as a non-executive director on the boards of The Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd, and Nedbank Group.
Alan holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering (Cum Laude) from the University of Cape Town and a MBL from Unisa. In 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Business Leadership from Unisa and, in 2009, an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Both of these were in recognition of his contribution to telecommunications.
In 1988, he received the Data Communications Personality of the Year Award from the Computer Society of South Africa for the leading role in planning and implementing the National Data Network, combined with commitment and dedication to provide high quality service.
In 1991, he received the Telkom Managing Director’s Award in recognition of exceptional achievement.
The Computer Personality of the Year Award from the Computer Society of South Africa was awarded to him in 1993, jointly with Andile Ngcaba, for outstanding leadership and visionary contribution to the information technology and communications industry in South Africa.
In 2000, the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership’s Leadership in Practice Award was awarded to him for demonstrating outstanding leadership and visionary qualities in taking Vodacom to its position as the top South African cellular company. That same year he received the AHI Impala Platinum Award from the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut (AHI) for outstanding business achievement based on Vodacom’s performance.
He was inducted as one of the eight Gold Members of the GSM Association's 2001 inaugural Roll of Honour for his contribution to bringing mobile communications to South Africa.
In 2002, he was appointed as a Commissioner on the Presidential National Commission on Information Society & Development for ICTs.
In 2005, The Computer Society of South Africa awarded the CSSA/Computing SA Fellowship Award to him, which is a Lifetime Achievement Award honouring an individual’s continuous contribution to the ICT industry through the course of their career.
In 2007 he received the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) President’s Award for the outstanding contribution made to the telecommunications industry in South Africa and in Africa.