We told you last week that Facebook was heading to our shores and coming in hot, opening an office in Jozi with plans to tackle the African market head on. So who have they entrusted with the responsibility of spearheading that office? Meet Nunu Ntshingila-Njeke, the advertising veteran leading the way.

So what makes Nunu perfect for the job and what experience does she have that leads those in the know to call her a veteran? Here’s Fin24:

She graduated from the University of Swaziland with a Bachelor of Arts, from Morgan State University in the US with a master of business administration and from AAA School of Advertising in Johannesburg with a diploma in advertising.

Her accolades include nominations for Businesswoman of the Year Award (2003), being a finalist for the Shoprite Checkers/SABC Woman of the Year Award (2004), becoming Financial Mail’s Advertising Leader of the Year, and winning Business Personality of the Year at the Top Women in Business and Government Awards, to name a few.

To name but a few? Yowzers, looks like Facebook have chosen well. The challenge Nunu faces is trying to entice more Africans to join the social network site – only 120 million of the continent’s one billion citizens are said to have accounts. Here’s what she is up against:

Apart from high data costs, Africans are yet to consider data a need, which means that other things are prioritised. As a result, infrastructure that supports the internet often takes a back seat to the building of hospitals, schools and other essentials.

In addition to the shift that will have to take place, Africans have significantly less disposable income, feature phones take prominence over smartphones and network connectivity is problematic. So not only will the Africa team have to convince Africans to buy into the product, but they will have to kiss up to government, find ways to partner with service providers and make serious changes to the Facebook design itself so that it is compatible with feature phones.

Nunu will take the reins in September once she relinquishes her role as chair of Ogilvy & Mather.

Looks like she has her work cut out but, if her extensive list of accomplishments is anything to go by, she won’t be the least bit daunted.

[source:fin24]