AFRINIC names Mike Silber as incoming CEO from January 2027
in plain words
AFRINIC manages internet addresses for Africa and has had serious management and legal problems. A court-appointed overseer currently controls the organisation. Mike Silber, an experienced internet governance The shared rules and decision processes that shape how the internet works and is used. Full definition of internet governance lawyer, has now been chosen as the new boss starting in 2027, but even this appointment needed the overseer's sign-off, showing how unusual the situation still is.
AFRINIC announced on August 24 that its board had named Mike Silber as CEO designate, with him taking over the regional internet registry The central database and system of a top-level domain, or loosely the organization that runs it. Full definition of registry's leadership on January 1, 2027. Notably, the court-appointed receiver overseeing AFRINIC had to approve the appointment, underlining how far the organisation remains from normal governance.
Silber is a South African-qualified lawyer who heads regulatory affairs at MTN, Africa's largest mobile operator. He served on the ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers The nonprofit that coordinates the global DNS and gTLD policy. Full definition of ICANN board from 2009 to 2018 as a ccNSO Country Code Names Supporting Organization The ICANN body where ccTLD managers develop global ccTLD policy. Full definition of ccNSO appointee, was deputy chair of the Address Supporting Organisation council, and sat on the board of the .za Domain Name Authority. He currently serves on the board of PIR Public Interest Registry The nonprofit registry operator of .org. Full definition of PIR, which runs the .org domain.
The board said Silber's tasks include stabilizing operations, ensuring transparent and accountable leadership, rebuilding member trust, and resolving ongoing legal disputes. AFRINIC has operated under receivership, with members electing a new board again in September 2025 after years of turmoil involving disputes over the receiver's dismissal, a liquidation petition, board election challenges, and conflicts over address allocations, including with Cloud Innovation.