Ziaad will lead the growth and innovation strategy of Cassava’s South Africa operations as the organisation ushers in the harmonisation of its value proposition with its next growth phase.
Cassava Technologies has appointed Ziaad Suleman as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Cassava’s business for South Africa, effective 1 March 2025.
“I am humbled by the opportunity and energised by the current value proposition and its relevance to our customers and the market in South Africa and beyond. I am looking forward to working with the team to accelerate our customer centricity through value driven digital solutions,” said Ziaad.
“I believe that Cassava, through its operating entities like Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Africa Data Centres, Cassava AI and others, has the capability to be a holistic digital partner to enterprise and mid-market customers across a multitude of compute, software, cloud, security and other technology requirements.”
His appointment follows Cassava’s successful equity round and business reorganisation, positioning the company as a fully integrated digital solutions provider. Cassava operates across key growth markets, including Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the US, with business units such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Africa Data Centres, one of CIO South Africa’s trusted principal partners.
Before joining Cassava, Ziaad served as group chief commercial officer at iOCO (formerly EOH). Prior to that, he spent over a decade at IBM, first as head general counsel for seven years and then the latter seven years as chief operations officer for Southern Africa, serving on IBM South Africa’s board and executive committee.
His core areas of expertise include strategy, business transformation and operations, special projects, investments, commercial leadership, BEE and digital innovation. While at IBM, he was pivotal in establishing a local delivery centre and digital lab. At iOCO, he was successful in gaining market trust and credibility across the customer, OEM and market segments.
Ziaad also represents South Africa as chair of the 4IR Digital Economy at BRICS+, is a non-executive director of CollectiveX to bridge the digital skills divide and serves on various other boards. Over and above these responsibilities, Ziaad is a well-known thought leader and regular keynote speaker.
As CEO, Ziaad will have overarching responsibility for Cassava and its operating entity in South Africa. He will lead the local operation leadership and strategy as the company ushers in the next growth phase and ensures future competitiveness.
He brings a wealth of expertise, and will work towards enhancing the company’s capabilities in providing broadband connectivity, co-location (data centres), cloud, cybersecurity, compute (AI) and payment solutions. The organisation’s strategy is designed to align its goals with evolving market conditions and technological advancements and foster a culture of adaptability and innovation within the organisation.
Ziaad holds a postgraduate honours degree in law with distinction from the University of Natal and a business management (MDP) with distinction from the GIBS Business School.
Cassava’s other key appointments include:
- Ahmed El Beheiry as COO and chief AI officer
- Deon Geyser as CEO of Liquid Networks
- Adil El Youssefi as CEO of the co-location business
- Wellington Makamure as CEO of rest of Africa and international
- Finhai Munzara as chief corporate development officer
- Bronwen Zehmke as group general counsel
- Leonard Bore as chief risk and compliance officer
- Sharon Marufu as chief supply chain officer
- Lorreta Songola as managing director, Zimbabwe operations
“These leadership changes reflect our commitment to assembling a dynamic, diverse and talented team to drive our company’s growth and success. Together, we will drive our ’One Cassava’ strategy, which brings forward the full capability of the Cassava ecosystem in our chosen markets. This strategy enables us to serve our customers better, achieve faster growth, and cement our competitive position,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, president and group CEO of Cassava Technologies.
