Johannesburg - Benjamin Mophatlane, the chief executive officer of Business Connexion, died yesterday afternoon following a cardiac arrest, the information technology provider said.
He was 41.
“His death is a great tragic loss to the company and the South African business community,” chairman Tony Ruiters said today in a statement.
“Benjamin was instrumental in building BCX into South Africa’s leading IT company,” the Johannesburg- based company said.
Telkom agreed last month to buy Business Connexion for about 2.7 billion rand as Africa’s largest fixed-line operator boosts cloud-based offerings of information and communication technology services.
Mophatlane co-founded Business Connection with his twin brother Isaac in 1996.
The company merged with Comparex Africa in 2004 and was renamed Business Connexion, which Mophatlane led starting in 2007.
The company’s board will meet today, deputy chief executive Vanessa Olver said by phone late yesterday without commenting further.
Business Connexion will make further announcements at a later date, according to the statement. - Bloomberg News