Phuthi Thantsha

Recently relocated back to South Africa after several years working in the UAE, leading large-scale mobile and platform products in enterprise environments.

I am a Senior Product Owner and Product Manager with over 10 years’ experience across consulting, retail, telecoms and e-commerce sectors, delivering complex digital and platform initiatives for both consumer and enterprise users.

My background spans management consulting and enterprise program delivery, followed by senior product leadership roles across omni-channel retail platforms and large-scale telecom environments. I have led recovery programs, MVP go-to-market launches and product transformation initiatives, and delivered complex integrations across BSS, CRM and identity platforms. I am delivery-driven, highly collaborative and experienced in leading cross-functional teams, mentoring junior product practitioners and building scalable, reliable digital products aligned to African market needs.

I’m particularly interested in building platform and customer-facing products that solve real, large-scale problems across a wide range of industries. While my experience spans consulting, telecom, retail and digital platforms, I’m highly adaptable and comfortable learning new domains quickly.

I’m motivated by environments where product teams work closely with design, engineering and architecture to deliver reliable, scalable systems, and where data, automation and AI can be applied responsibly to improve operational efficiency and customer experience and where I can actively mentor and develop product team members while helping teams build strong, delivery-focused product practices.

I’m seeking roles that allow me to continue growing as a product leader, contributing to transformation initiatives and helping develop strong, delivery-focused product practices within teams.

I have over 10 years of professional experience, beginning in consulting roles at Cloud Essentials and AllAboutXpert, where I worked with enterprise clients across Africa and the UK on large-scale transformation and governance programs. Over the past 5 years, I’ve transitioned into digital product management and ownership, leading strategy, delivery, and team enablement across telecom, retail, and e-commerce sectors.

Most recently, as Technical Product Owner at du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company), I led in-house Agile delivery for the du mobile app used by over 2.6 million customers. I collaborated closely with developers, UX/UI, QA, and architects to manage multiple releases and mentored junior product managers, enabling them to own the web scope while I led enterprise (B2B) delivery planning.

Prior to that, at Majid Al Futtaim, I managed omni-channel initiatives for the Mall of the Emirates and THAT concept store, working cross-functionally with brand and CX teams, marketing, and external partners from strategy through launch. I also oversaw fulfilment and tenant-onboarding for the Mall of the Emirates app ecosystem, managing logistics partnerships, budget and procurement and change management across multiple business units.

Throughout my career, I’ve built a reputation for being adaptable, detail-oriented, and delivery-focused, with a strong ability to think strategically while remaining hands-on. I take pride in being a supportive team member, mentor and coach, creating the conditions for teams to collaborate effectively and deliver high-quality outcomes even in fast-paced, complex environments.

Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) and Advanced CSPO (A-CSPO), with formal training in AI Product Management (Duke University). I also hold a Diploma in Project Management, supporting strong delivery governance, agile execution and enterprise product leadership.