Our People

BOARD MEMBERS

Our experienced board offers excellent oversight of governance, ensuing that the TASEZ can proudly claim additional clean audits to the two for each year it has been in existence.

Maoto Molefane

Chairperson

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Chairman

Maoto Molefane

Molefane is an economic and spatial industrial development planner by training and experience, with more than 15 years of exposure to packaging and implementing large scale spatial industrial and infrastructure development projects.

After a stint as a development researcher in the private sector and a brief spell in the dtic as a Deputy Director, he spent couple of years as the head of Industrial Planning and Development with the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

Molefane re-joined the dtic in 2011 as a Director for SEZs and Spatial Economic Development. In 2018, he became Chief Director: SEZ.

He has Masters degrees from University of Witwatersrand (in Development Planning) and from the University of London (in Public Finance Management).

Dr Bheka Zulu

CEO

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CEO

Dr Bheka Zulu

Dr Zulu, who has a PhD in Leadership specialising in the Ocean Economy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has been TASEZ CEO since August 2022 and brings with him vast experience in terms of business acumen, championing Port Operations/Logistics, Championing STEM intervention, IBSA/BRICS/IORA Bilateral/Multilateral Business Engagements at Government level, having served on the boards of the South African Maritime Safety Association (current), Moses Kotane Institute (current), and the South African Maritime Business Forum. He is also a qualified Master/Captain, and him previous studies earned him a degree in Finance and Strategy, Master of Commerce (MCom) in Maritime Studies, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as an MBA focus on Entrepreneurship from Regenesys Business School.

Dr Musa Khumalo

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Dr Musa Khumalo

Dr Khumalo is the Group Head for Shared Services at the City of Tshwane, where his portfolio includes ICT, Fleet Management, Postal Services and Government Information Services.

Musa has served in the public service for more than 17 years in various roles at National and Local Government. He holds a Master's degree in Risk Management and an Honours degree in Economics.

Musa was awarded Risk Officer of the Year 2017 by the Chartered Institute of Government Finance, Audit and Risk Officers as well as a Runner-Up Risk Manager of the Year award by the Institute of Risk Management South Africa in 2016.

Khumalo is a Mandela Washington Fellow.

Dr Lardo Stander

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Dr Lardo Stander

Dr Stander is an experienced senior manager with a demonstrated history of success, working in the government administration industry and academic sector. With a love and passion for people, leading and learning, he has strong analytical skills, economic research experience, and economic policy implementation preferences. Stander is an economic and policy analysis professional and strategically orientated, having completed a doctorate (PhD) in economics from the University of Pretoria. He has an unquenchable passion for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial activities. He currently serves as the:

– Vice-President for the South African Association for Energy Economics

– Board Member of TASEZ

– Steering Committee Member of the New Higher Education Institutions for the Department of Higher Education and Training

– Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Tshwane Economic Development Agency

– Co-chair of the Economic Recovery Task Team for the City of Tshwane

Rhys Davies

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Rhys Davies

Davies is an experienced leader in the private sector, with over 20 years in the automotive industry.

He has been the operational director for Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa since 2020 and has held various leadership roles across multiple countries, including China, Australia and Thailand.

He has been engaged with the TASEZ development since 2020 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in managing large establishments and business relationships.

He is dedicated to further developing South
Africa into a leader of manufacturing by ensuring the technology advancement and workforce development remain at the forefront of the industry.

Matome Kgowedi

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Matome Kgowedi

Kgowedi is an experienced leader in the public sector, which spans over 20 years.

His experience includes formulating and implementing, sector policies to develop and grow industries such as the automotive and forestry-based industries. Having served as a foreign economic representative, he also brings in a wealth of knowledge and experience in trade and investment facilitation.

Apart from being involved in implementing the South African Automotive Masterplan, Kgowedi is a project manager for the quality and productivity improvement (KAIZEN) project being implemented nationally by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, focusing on lower-tier component suppliers in the automotive value chain, including the plastic and metal sectors.

Kgowedi is looking forward to contributing immensely at TASEZ as a board member.

Dr Thulani Alfred Mdadane

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Dr Thulani Alfred Mdadane

Dr Mdadane, who has a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in engineering in construction management, brings strong leadership skills to the TASEZ board, particularly in the fields of project and programme management, implementation oversight, financial management and procurement strategies, transformation, and research, development and innovation.

His doctoral thesis was on An effective Public Procurement model for construction small, micro, medium enterprises in South Africa.

Dr Mdadane is currently the accounting officer for the Gauteng department of infrastructure development and property management.

He holds a number of high-level degrees including a Master of Business Administration from the Management College of South Africa, a Master of Science in construction management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Master of Philosophy in infrastructure design and development from the University of Cape Town.

Vuyo Zitumane

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Vuyo Zitumane

Nominated to the TASEZ board by the City of Tshwane, Zitumane is an esteemed, dedicated, and experienced strategic leader. She is currently the Chief Operations Officer at the City of Tshwane Municipality, a position she has held since 1 October 2023.

Background

Zitumane’s career spans 39 years ago at the Small Business Development Corporation in the position of assistant manager. Throughout her career, she dedicated her time and efforts in effectively leading and developing business strategies and integrated plans for different municipalities. Furthermore, she spearheaded the achievements of business strategies, integrated plans for different municipalities and public sector organisations, policy development and implementation, governance management and overall leadership and management in the organisation.

Expertise

Zitumane’s work experience, skills, knowledge and capabilities at a leadership and strategic level includes holding the fore as an Acting Municipal Manager for the Nelson Mandela Municipality, Caretaker Municipal Manager for the KSD Municipality, Provincial Director at the Independent Development Trust, Regional Manager National Department of Public Works, Executive Director Economic Development, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Amathole District Municipality, Founder and Managing Director of her own consulting company as well as Chief Executive Officer of Amatola Water Board. She also served in various Oversight Committees of different public sector organisations as a Chairperson of the Board, Board Member, and the Chairperson of the Audit Committee since 2007 to date.

Her expertise is in strategic leadership and management in the public sector; Business turnaround strategy development and implementation; IDP development and implementation; water and building infrastructure project management; local economic development; financial management, finance and SCM reporting; Investor engagement; policies and procedures development; oversight and advisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

Juris (Law) (1994); BA Honours in Development Studies (1996); MBA (2001); Senior Management Development Programme; various diplomas in leadership management, project management and development administration.

Themba Mathibe

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Themba Mathibe

Mathibe is the current Chief Executive Office of the Joburg Development Agency, an entity of the City of Johannesburg.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in strategic leadership and management, setting growth strategies and implementation plan to contribute towards the national and provincial government objectives.

In his 17 years work experience in leadership positions, Mathibe has acquired strong knowledge and skills in supply chain management, financial planning, monitoring and evaluation, housing development, public policy and project management, corporate governance, legal compliance and risk analysis.

His board directorship experience includes being a non-executive director of Constitutional Hill.

Mathibe’s vision is to utilise his legal acumen to enhance good governance, and provide sound legal and strategic advice that will have a positive impact on the lives of the people of South Africa, including the broader stakeholders of TASEZ.

Thandi Seemise

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Thandi Seemise

Seemise has more than 20 years’ experience as a leader in the public sectors. She has expertise in the steel, engineering and heavy industries as well as in strategy development and policy implementation.

She continues to provide thought-leadership to South Africa’s industrial policy and to driving key programmes aimed at deepening industrialisation, localisation and job creation.

She is passionate about governance, driving change, monitoring and evaluating the performance of programmes.

Seemise’s other directorship positions include being a member of the Intsimbi-National Tooling Initiative and the Trade and Industry Policy Strategies (TIPS) board of directors.

She also served on the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and South African National Accreditation (SANAS) Board.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

Dr Bheka Zulu

CEO

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CEO

Dr Bheka Zulu

Rebecca Hlabatau CA(SA)

CFO

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Rebecca Hlabatau

Hlabatau was previously the CFO of the Cross Border Road Transport Agency (C-BRTA) and Legal Aid South Africa respectively. She holds a number of degrees and diplomas, including a post graduate diploma in accounting science (CTA) from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She is also a qualified chartered accountant, holding the globally recognised CA(SA).

Msokoli Ntombana

Business Development Executive

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Msokoli Ntombana

Ntombana is currently the Special Economic Zone’s Business Development Executive and is also responsible for attracting investment.

His Management Development Programme and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and MBA studies coupled with his engineering background and more than 25 years diverse experience working at various levels within the private and public sector have helped him create and develop a style of systematic, logical thinking.

His experience spans companies such as Transnet, BP, and the East London Industrial Development Zone.

Andile Sangweni

Infrastructure Executive

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Andile Sangweni

Sangweni is the executive responsible for infrastructure with more than 18 years working experience across the construction industry & civil engineering disciplines. Among his qualifications, has a SMDP from Stellenbosch University, as well as an MDP from the same tertiary institution. Sangweni is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa.