Walter Betschel
Global Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
The Chief Executive Officer of the TelFree Group of Companies is a true entrepreneur and a gentleman. He has established and continues to lead, successful companies across a variety of fields that pique his keen intellect, on all continents with the exception of Australia.
In his professional capacity, Walter Betschel is internationally renowned for his ability to develop strategic frameworks and sales strategies in multinational companies like Xerox Corporation and Petrolon International, and his visionary capabilities to invest in industry sectors of the future, long before they deliver on their promise. His skills have been honed through various qualifications and experience over his 66 years, including specializing in the psychology of sales and marketing.
Walter Betschel, who is a personal friend of a number of African head of states, has worked on a number of occasions closely with UNESCO in charity efforts and nature conservation, especially in the continent of Africa.
Rapelang Rabana
Global Head of Research & Development
TelFree’s Global Head of Research and Development, Rapelang Rabana, epitomises the new global generation of ingenious business intellectuals, able to influence how the future world works. After a distinctive university life including leadership positions on several councils and internships with some of the world’s biggest corporates, Rapelang Rabana graduated with a Bachelor in Business Science Degree, Honours in Computer Science and a Finance Major. Rabana went on to be selected as an Endeavour Entrepreneur in 2007.
Rapelang as co-founder and CEO of SA based, software development organisation, Yeigo, oversaw the company’s integration into the TelFree Group of companies in 2008. Now as Global Head of R&D, she and her colleagues in Cape Town and Pretoria continue to ensure that the telecommunications pioneer remains at the forefront of alternative communications.
Ruan Malan
Group Head of Telecoms
Ruan Malan is an ICT specialist and entrepreneur. In 2002, he introduced the first SMS-based call-back system approved by ICASA in South Africa. Ruan then identified the need to establish a carrier grade virtual operator in South Africa and connect the TelFree network to the rest of the world with similar carrier grade technologies. Hence, in late 2004 and early 2005, TelFree was born.Ruan was instrumental in positioning TelFree as the only virtual service provider in SA to provide lower cost calls, two-way SMS and other services in the communications market, leaving TelFree without any competition and in a league of its own.
Lungisa Matshoba
Group Head of Products
As early as during his high school years, Lungisa knew that he wanted to be an entrepreneur, and throughout university that remained his aim, as demonstrated by the successful companies he ran while studying. Upon completion of his degree, and through his passion for mobile innovations, he co-founded Yeigo, the innovation house behind Telfree. Matshoba went on to be selected as an Endeavour Entrepreneur in 2007.
Lungisa studied at the University of Cape Town and graduated with an Honours degree in Computer Science. At Telfree he holds the position of Group Head of Products, supervising the function of product conception, development and management.
Andrew Snowden
Group Head of Engineering
Andrew co-founded Yeigo, the company that brings the mobile application prowess to the Telfree Group, with Rapelang and Lungisa upon completing his tertiary qualifications. His inclination to significant software challenges found its home in starting a technology start up.
A top scholar of the University of Cape Town, Andrew graduated with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Computer Science and a post-graduate Diploma in Enterprise Management.
At Telfree he holds the position of Group Head of Engineering, directing the project management and system architectures of all the software development.
Thomas Hippele
Group Head of Legal
Thomas began his law career as a clerk with a commercial law firm in Zurich in 1990. From 1992, he was associated with Umbricht Attorneys, and later completed an internship at the law firm of Bowman Gilfillan Hayman Godfrey Inc. in Johannesburg, South Africa. Since 1997, Thomas has been a partner at Umbricht Attorneys, and has served as head of Umbricht Swiss Attorneys in Johannesburg since October 2000.
Thomas is a member of the Swiss and Zurich Bar Associations, the International Bar Association, the Europa Institut Zürich, the Institute for Civil Litigation, the Association des Jeunes Avocats, the Practitioner's Group of Swiss Product Liability Lawyers, SwissCham Southern Africa – South Africa Chapter, and the Rotary Club of Johannesburg. He also acts as Legal Advisor to the Embassy of Switzerland in Pretoria.
