​Discover the Story behind NEC XON

Welcome to NEC XON, where we believe in the power of technology to shape a better, more connected world. XON Founded in 1996 and now majority owned by NEC Corporation, combining the best of both companies to deliver innovative solutions that empower businesses and individuals across the globe. Our information and communication technology (ICT) expertise has made us a trusted partner for organisations seeking to drive digital transformation and unlock new possibilities.
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​Level 1 B-BBEE Certification

We are a level 1 BBBEE business that embraces social responsibility and upliftment. Kapela ITC (Pty) Ltd, a BEE investment business, owns a 30.00% stake in NEC XON and Kapela Holdings non-Executive Director and Chairperson, Daphne Motsepe serves as a Non-Executive Director of NEC XON.

After an 18-month process we selected Kapela Holdings as our BEE partner because the company has the right credentials and the executive team has exemplary business experience, in the right sectors, to attract the continued growth we want. They have an enormous amount of experience in growing large, listed entities and we need that calibre of support to help us maintain and exceed the significant growth we have experienced in the past five years.

Kapela Holdings has a hands-on approach to business and believes XON has the necessary infrastructure, skills and expertise to continue to grow as a significant player in the ICT industry.

Prior to Kapela, in 2003, we had signed an empowerment agreement with Lungisa Technologies, which resulted in a then BEE ownership of over 40%. Lungisa Technologies was an empowerment company headed up by Don Ncube, one of the icons of business in South Africa.
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NEC XON is proud to be a South African business and we embrace the country’s multi-cultural heritage. We are committed to broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) through the guidelines provided by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and are proud of our history of activity in that regard​

​Meet the Executive Leadership Team

Daphne Motsepe / Non-Executive Director (Chairperson of the Board)

​Daphne Motsepe is Non-Executive Director at NEC XON. She brings decades of leadership and management experience in banking to her executive oversight role and was Chief Executive of the ABSA Unsecured Lending Cluster until 2012. Her portfolio included Personal Loans, Woolworths Financial Services, ALLPAY, and Entry-Level and Small Business banking. She was at Barclays Bank in London for a year and previously served as MD of Postbank.

​Daphne has served as the Deputy Chairman of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into access to finance and was named CEO magazine’s most influential woman in South Africa’s finance and banking in 2017. She has served on the boards of Mercantile Bank, Rand Mutual Assurance and on the Exco of CGAP, an international organisation with headquarters in Washington DC.
Professor Fatima Abrahams / Non-Executive Director

​Fatima Abrahams is an Executive Director and shareholder of Kapela Investments and Kapela Investments Holdings and is a Non-Executive Director of a number of investee companies such as BPSA, Marsh, NEC XON, and Toyota Tsusho. She is also a Non-Executive Director of a number of listed companies, such as The Foschini Group, Lewis Group, and Clicks Group. She has developed formidable business acumen serving on a number of board subcommittees over the years, including social and ethics, remuneration, audit, and risk, and is chair of several. She is also a part-time professor in the Department of Industrial Psychology at University of the Western Cape (UWC).

​She has been Departmental Chairperson and Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in the past. Fatima is known for her academic work, has presented papers at international and national conferences, and has been published in a number of journals and academic texts on HR and related matters. She has consulted to the private and public sectors, focusing on HR issues such as organisational development, diversity management and employment equity/transformation, selection and recruitment, strategic planning, training, and team building.
Carel Coetzee / Founder & CEO

Carel Coetzee is one of the founders and the Chief Executive Officer of NEC XON. Carel is passionate about how technology is driving change in society across Africa and how organisations can innovate new solutions to the continent’s most urgent challenges.
Most notably, providing safer, more secure societies, narrowing the inequality gap, producing more with less, and developing a better quality of life for all.

​He formulates strategy for the group across its sub-Saharan Africa operations and leads the execution of that strategy. He is also the Executive responsible for integrating the NEC XON operations as the business continues to expand its markets, market share, and scope of operations.
Johann Coetzee / Executive Vice President 

Johann Coetzee is Executive VP of NEC XON. Johann is a key proponent of the organisation’s growth strategy throughout sub-Saharan Africa and actively pursues broader market sector penetration. He has developed a wealth of expertise in over 27 years of experience growing ICT organisations. His executive leadership role encompasses NEC XON’s Safety, Infrastructure, Communications, and Digital Clusters supported by relationships with top vendors in their categories worldwide.

​ Johann spearheads NEC XON’s delivery of related solutions and automated services capabilities, deep regional innovation, and a compelling value proposition for government, carriers, mobile operators, service providers and enterprises.
Yuko (née Takechi) Yoshida / Non-Executive Director

​Yuko Yoshida (née Takechi) obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Policy Management from Keio University in 1997, after which she joined NEC and started her career working in financial planning and analysis in the telecommunications industry. Her over 20 years in corporate planning and FP&A include leadership roles in finance, business strategy, business planning and mergers & acquisitions. Her time with NEC also included working in NEC Europe for 5 years. Since November 2021, she has led NEC’s Global Strategy Division.
Thigerson Reddy / Chief Operations Officer 

​As Chief Operations Officer for the NEC XON Group in Africa, Thigerson drives operational efficiency across diverse African markets with a focus on strategic execution, young talent development, legal, governance as well as compliance frameworks. Relying on his cross-functional leadership experience and strategic insight, his vision is to ensure that operations aligns with both global standards and local market dynamics. With a proven track record in building divisions from the ground up, navigating complex legal landscapes and fostering collaborative partnerships. He’ll strategically lead the support structures of NEC XON with the aim of promoting sustainable growth whilst embracing NEC XON’s dynamic and agile nature.
Nobuhiko Nakatsu / Non-Executive Director

Nakatsu brings extensive international leadership experience to NEC XON, with a strong background in corporate strategy, transformation, and post-merger integration. Since joining NEC in 2014, he has held several senior roles including COO and SVP of NEC Europe Ltd., and board member roles across NEC subsidiaries in South Africa, the UK, and Denmark.
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He previously served as Chief Transformation Officer at KMD A/S in Denmark, leading strategic integration after NEC’s acquisition. Most recently, he supported the CEO and CFO of NEC Corporation in Tokyo, driving key turnaround and growth initiatives.

Nakatsu holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in Economics from Waseda University.
Kavish Naidoo / Chief Financial Officer 

Kavish Naidoo, Chief Financial Officer of NEC XON, has grown and developed with the company since joining in 2007. Kavish’s profound insight into NEC XON's operation made him the prime candidate to oversee its financial management.

Kavish’s knowledge and expertise shape the financial structure required to support NEC XON’s agile, innovative and technologically diverse business. Kavish is passionate about financial planning, strategic analysis and evolving finance so that it directly contributes to organisational growth.
John Dow / Non-Executive Director
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​John Dow is an accomplished financial executive with over 30 years of progressive experience in finance and business operations, spanning multiple industries, including Technology, Telecommunications, Transportation, Real Estate, and Financial Services. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations and IT for NEC Corporation of America (NECAM) and also holds the role of CFO for its sister company, NEC Enterprise Communication Technologies.

Since joining NEC in 2005, John has played a critical role in driving financial strategy and operational efficiency. His recent initiatives include supporting finance transformation efforts for NECXON (South Africa) and NECI (India). In addition to his executive roles, he serves on the NEC Financial Services Board and is the Chairman of the North American NEC 401K Committee.
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A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Texas, John earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington, graduating summa cum laude. His prior experience includes key financial positions at notable companies such as American Airlines, The Associates (now Citigroup), and Catellus Development (now Prologis REIT).
Masayuki Kayahara / Non-executive Director

Masayuki Kayahara is the General Manager of Service Provider Solutions Department, 5G Business Division, Telecom Services Business Unit of NEC Corporation.

He is responsible for solution and business development for communication service provider customers outside of the Japanese market, leveraging on NEC’s core technologies such as wireless and optical communication, IP, and packet transmission as well as orchestrating strategic alliances with global key partners.
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Since he joined NEC Corporation in 1999, his career in NEC spans 24 years in various business development roles as well as solution and product development for global business.
Especially in the business development and marketing of telecommunication systems, he spent around 3 years in Brazil as General Manager and the head of the Service Provider Business Unit of NEC Latin America. He built a solid business structure to provide better regional support and service for local and regional service providers.
Arihiko Yamazaki / Non-executive Director

Arihiko Yamazaki obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Science from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1991, after which he joined NEC.

For the first 25 years, he was engaged in the design, development, and manufacture of acoustic systems for anti-submarine patrol aircraft for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.These systems achieved performance that surpassed even the world's most advanced U.S. Navy systems, contributing to the safety and security of the waters surrounding Japan.

​He then transferred to the overseas business division, where he led members as a department head in a wide range of fields, including the company-wide facial recognition technology committee, cybersecurity, marketing, marcom, and PMO. Since April 2023, he has been serving as DX General Manager, overseeing six countries and regions (XON, Taiwan, India, LATAM, Australia, and Singapore) and assuming responsibility for their business operations.

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