SA Airways has identified Vodacom Group executive Vuyani Jarana as the leading candidate to become the struggling state-owned airline's first permanent CEOsince November 2015, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The debt-laden airline has not made a profit since 2011 and is in talks with banks about repaying or refinancing R8.9-billion of loans due at the end of the week.
The carrier needed an experienced executive from the private sector to turn it around, said one of the people.
Jarana, 46, has been head of Vodacom's enterprise division since 2012. He was previously the cellphone network operator's COO.
He was the preferred choice of a number of board members appointed to SAA by the National Treasury last year, one of the people said.
SAA chairman Dudu Myeni allegedly prefers a different candidate.
Jarana declined to comment.
The identity of SAA's new CEO "is currently under consideration by [the government]," said SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali. "The [National Treasury may decide to table the name of the recommended candidate to cabinet for final approval. We have to wait until all these processes have been finalised before we could know and announce the CEO-designate."
A spokesman for Vodacom said Jarana had not been offered a job by SAA and was focused on delivering Vodacom's business strategy.
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