Accenture has appointed Vukani Mngxati as country managing director for South Africa, effective 1 May, with responsibility for driving the company's growth strategy in sub-Sahara Africa.

In a statement the company explains that Mngxati will succeed William Mzimba, who has been Accenture's country managing director for South Africa since 2006 and with Accenture for 18 years.

In October 2017 Mzimba offered his perspective on the then released Accenture Innovation Index 2017, which recommended an acceleration of the pace at which South Africa is innovating, and said the country is beginning to lose its place as a frontrunner in innovation across the continent.

He was quoted then as saying, "The findings are actually telling us that we are in trouble. They show that we are beginning to lag behind. In many other indices that you look at you will be able to see that there are other countries that are beginning to adopt technologies faster than we are, they are beginning to innovate much more intently. This is clear in Kenya for example, in Ethiopia as well and even in Rwanda where you can see the flow of foreign direct investment starting to go into those countries and innovation being exported from those countries into other places."

Accenture says Mngxati has served as managing director of Accenture's Health & Public Service business for the past five years. He started his career with Accenture in 2000 after completing his studies and left in 2006 to pursue his personal interests as an entrepreneur. He returned to Accenture four years later with a deeper understanding of the African business landscape.

"Vukani truly understands the local market and has been delivering real value and impact for our clients through innovative digital solutions, making him a great choice to lead our business in sub-Sahara Africa," said Gianfranco Casati, Accenture's group chief executive – Growth Markets. "As country managing director, Vukani will help clients streamline, transform and grow their businesses so they are future-ready."

According to information supplied by the company Accenture has been operating in South Africa since 1971. The company serves a wide range of clients in the country, from state-owned entities to private enterprises and multinationals, through its offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria.

"In our rapidly changing digital society, many companies are at risk of being left behind unless they embrace digital technology company-wide," Mngxati said. "It is a journey that not only improves companies' bottom lines, but is also a part of nation building, making this an incredibly exciting time to be able to help shape the future of Africa."

Mngxati holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Information Systems and Accounting from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.