Fikele Martha Tseeke

Adept at spearheading regulatory compliance and strategic planning, I significantly reduced Vodacom’s annual spectrum fees and played a pivotal role in Telkom South Africa's spectrum acquisition. My expertise in project management and negotiation, coupled with a proven track record in stakeholder management, drives impactful policy advocacy and industry standards advancements.

I am a Regulatory Professional with +10 years’ experience in Public Policy and Regulation in the ICT sector. I currently occupy the role of Senior Specialist: Spectrum and Standards in Legal and Regulatory Services at Telkom. The responsibilities for this role include, amongst others; formulating a regulatory spectrum strategy, acquiring new spectrum through auctions and administrative processes and representing Telkom at World Radiocommunications Conferences and ITU Study Groups to support business imperatives.

I first joined Telkom on a consultancy role for a fixed term of 1 year serving as Executive: Technical Regulations from 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2016. I had 2 Technical Regulations Senior Specialists and a Personal Assistant reporting to me. The focus of the role was on Numbering, Number Portability, Interconnection, Facilities Leasing, Net Neutrality, OTTs and various other Technical Regulations. Prior to joining Telkom, I was with Vodacom for 4 years, 10 months. In my last role I occupied the position of acting Executive: Technical Regulations during which period I was responsible for leading (on my own) the Technical Regulations portfolio, a division which ordinarily requires 3 people to function i.e., an Executive and two Advisors. The scope of responsibility in this role entailed dealing with all regulatory matters pertaining to Facilities Leasing, Numbering, and Spectrum Management.
In my full time role as a Principle Specialist / Regulatory Advisor (a position I occupied for almost 4 years) at Vodacom, my primary responsibility was to apply knowledge and understanding of the Policy and Regulatory environment; analyse and manage the company’s technical regulatory roadmap; influence appropriate external policy and regulation making structures and stakeholders in the best interest of the company; ensure compliance with applicable regulations; as well as draft position papers / opinions in rendering regulatory advice to business.
My first job in the ICT sector was as a Radio Frequency Specialist at the industry regulator (ICASA). In this role, I gained valuable understanding of the regulation making and licensing processes. I was also responsible for several regulatory operational activities including, amongst others, processing of radio frequency spectrum applications, resolution of spectrum interference cases, etc.
I possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to grasp complex Policies and Regulations rapidly and accurately. I can function well within multi-disciplinary teams and think independently to prioritise and organise work effectively to meet deadlines.