# Jorge Mendes

> Jorge Mendes is a South African telecommunications executive and Chief Executive Officer of Cell C.

Business profile published by Townpress Newspaper at https://townpress.co.za/people/?bb_profile=jorge-mendes. Last updated 2026-10-05.

## At a glance

- Role: Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director
- Company: Cell C
- Sector: Telecommunications
- Ownership: Executive Leadership
- Born: 1974, South Africa
- Based: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
- Education: John Technical High School (Technical Civil Drawing)
- Est. net worth: Undisclosed (Remuneration package: ~R42.2 million)

## Biography

Raised in South Africa, Jorge Mendes began working at a very early age to support his family. During his youth, he took on part-time roles delivering goods, working in liquor stores, and eventually owning shebeens. His career path shifted dramatically after surviving a violent liquor store robbery in which he was shot and his business partner was killed.

Seeking a safer work environment, Mendes answered a newspaper advertisement in 1994 and joined Teljoy as a entry-level call centre agent, abandoning his original aspirations of becoming an architect. Over the next three decades, Mendes worked his way up through every operational level of the telecommunications industry. He spent over two decades at Vodacom South Africa, holding various senior leadership positions across regional markets and sales divisions.

He eventually rose to Chief Consumer Business Officer at Vodacom, managing the mobile operator’s largest revenue-generating business unit before stepping down to take a sabbatical. In June 2023, Mendes was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Cell C, South Africa’s fourth-largest mobile operator, tasked with leading a major operational turnaround. Upon taking office, he launched an enterprise-wide restructuring plan aimed at achieving operational solvency, eliminating legacy inefficiencies, rebuilding customer trust, and establishing Cell C as an asset-light wholesale platform. Under his leadership, the operator stabilized its cash flow and positioned the company for long-term profitability and a potential listing on the JSE.

## Career timeline

- 1994: Entered the telecoms industry as a call centre agent at Teljoy
- 2003: Joined Vodacom South Africa, building a multi-decade executive career
- 2019: Appointed Chief Consumer Business Officer at Vodacom South Africa
- 2022: Resigned from Vodacom after nearly 20 years to pursue private ventures
- 2023: Appointed Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Cell C
- 2024: Led Cell C's transition to operational profitability and market repositioning

## Companies and board roles

- Cell C Limited — Chief Executive Officer & Executive Board Director
- Vodacom South Africa — Former Chief Consumer Business Officer

## Awards and recognition

- 2023 — Named CEO of Cell C to spearhead national telecom recapitalization
- 2024 — Recognized across South African media for leading one of the telecom sector’s largest operational turnarounds

## In their words

> "I think it is worth starting from scratch... We were starting at a minus when you look at the significant amount of debt, but the momentum starts now."

## In the news

- [The Cell C boss sitting on a R224 million shareholding](https://townpress.co.za/the-cell-c-boss-sitting-on-a-r224-million-shareholding/) (05 Oct 2026)