Vodacom South Africa MD Balesh Sharma is stepping down from his role, effective June 30, to pursue an external opportunity in Europe. Sharma was appointed as MD in September 2020 to establish a new standalone Vodacom South Africa entity. He joined the Vodafone Group in India in March 2003, where he held various senior leadership roles before moving to international assignments as Vodafone Malta CEO and then Vodafone Czech Republic CEO, driving successful turnarounds in both roles. In his capacity as the founding CEO of Vodafone Idea, Sharma managed the integration of Vodafone and Idea, delivering substantial synergies within the first-year post merger, and successfully completing a rights issue of $3.5-billion for the merged entity. "This is the end of a momentous chapter in my career and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my Vodafone and Vodacom families for the extraordinary opportunities afforded to me over the last twenty years.