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Home / Shanapinda hits ground running… customers should expect an agile, dynamic Telecom

Shanapinda hits ground running… customers should expect an agile, dynamic Telecom

2021-01-11  Maihapa Ndjavera

Shanapinda hits ground running… customers should expect an agile, dynamic Telecom

Passionate about the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, Stanley Shanapinda, who was last year named as the new CEO of Telecom Namibia promised customers to expect a different entity that is in the space of competition.
“We are focusing on making our services simpler and convenient for our customers in terms of taking away the complexity of applying for services. And also, we are looking at giving you better offerings that are in line with global trends, so we are busy studying the latest business trends,” Shanapinda, who officially started in his new role last week, told New Era.

He emphasized his greatest vision for Telecom is to make it the most preferred ICT service provider in Namibia, and the vision will continue until 2023. 
To achieve this, he said they are looking at different products and services that customers want. “We are looking at entertainment services and streaming services with our service offerings. My greatest vision for Telecom would be using ICT to make your life better as a Namibian,” he added.

The former Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) CEO said one of his key priorities is improving Telecom’s financial position by selling more services to customers. And to improve it, they need to retain customer confidence that has been deteriorating in the past years.
Shanapinda said the Covid-19 pandemic affected the institution’s supply chain management and product delivery.
“During the first 100 days, we would be looking at ensuring that our vendors and suppliers can speed up delivery and the acquisition of equipment so that we can install those services quickly to our customers. Improved and fast installation of our services would be a key priority for me to improve on the revenue,” said Shanapinda.

He is a lawyer by profession who graduated from the University of Namibia. He further holds a master’s degree in ICT policy and regulations from Wits University in Johannesburg, and recently acquired his PhD in computer science from the University of New South Wales in Australia.
Back after seven years to take over Telecom after resigning from CRAN in 2014 to pursue his PhD, Shanapinda is not a new face at Telecom. He initially started as a legal intern at the government attorney’s office while he was at Unam. From there he moved to Telecom as a researcher on a part-time basis in the legal department, before employed as an assistant to the legal advisor, and then promoted as the head of legal services in 2007.  In returning to Telecom, he said, a lot has changed.

“The Telecom that I was at before was an agile organisation that was forward-thinking. Somewhere along the line, we ran into some challenges as Telecom Namibia because of competition. So, the Telecom that I am coming to now is one that is facing competition on all fronts. We are in a very competitive landscape.”
In 2011, Shanapinda left Telecom to work on a transformation project as a consultant to transform the communication sector, to introduce a new regulator. 
-mndjavera@nepc.com.na


2021-01-11  Maihapa Ndjavera

Tags: telecom
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