Executive directors

Mikki Xayiya (48)
Chairman
BA (Unisa), Cert of Defence Management (Wits), Emerging Market Leadership Programme (University of Pennsylvania)

Mikki Xayiya has served in various capacities in the African National Congress since 1977. In 1995 he was appointed as a Policy Advisor – Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government. He left public office and joined Mawenzi Asset Managers as Managing Director. In 1998 he co-founded Mvelaphanda Holdings. Mikki Xayiya was appointed as Executive Chairman with effect from 9 June 2009.

Yolanda Cuba (31)
Chief Executive Officer
BCom (Statistics) (UCT), BCom (Hons) (Accounting) (Natal), CA(SA)

Yolanda Cuba joined Mvelaphanda Holdings’ corporate finance division in January 2003. She has worked for Robertsons’ Foods and Fisher Hoffman PKF. She has also been involved in a number of development companies where she gave assistance and advice on financial matters and strategic investments.

Ernst Röth (52)
Chief Financial Officer
BCom (Stell), BCompt (Hons) (Unisa), CA(SA), Post-graduate Certificate in Advance Tax (Unisa)

Ernst Röth is Chief Financial Officer of Mvelaphanda Group since 5 September 2007 and was appointed to the board as Financial Director on 11 November 2007. Prior to joining Mvelaphanda Group he held various positions with companies in the banking, financial services/consulting and biochemical industries, and also worked in the Office of the Auditor General of South Africa.

From left: Brian Hopkins   Oyama Mabandla   David Moshapalo   Mpumi Mpofu   Ramesh Patel   Carl Stein

Non-executive directors

Kuseni Dlamini (41)
Independent non-executive director
MPhil (Oxford)

Kuseni Dlamini is the head of Old Mutual South Africa after retiring as head of Anglo American South Africa. He was Executive Chairman of Richards Bay Coal Terminal between 2005 and 2008. Kuseni previously worked for De Beers in South Africa and at its London office, and for AngloGold Ashanti’s corporate office in Johannesburg. After graduating cum laude with a BA (Honours) degree from Natal University in Durban, he went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, where he read for his MPhil degree. In March 2008 Kuseni was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Kuseni is the Chairman of the Board of SANParks and a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation which advises the Minister of Science and Technology. He is also a non-executive director of Anglo Platinum, Massmart and Chairman of Anglo Operations Limited. Kuseni was recently appointed Adjunct Professor at the Wits Business School where he is also a member of the Advisory Board.

Bryan Hopkins (62)
Independent non-executive director
BCom (Hons), CA(SA)

Bryan Hopkins is a non-executive director of Makalani Holdings Limited and Pangbourne Properties Limited, where he also chairs its audit committee. He is serving a three-year term on the Directorate of Market Abuse – a Financial Services Board committee. He previously held senior executive positions in the asset management industry at Old Mutual Asset Managers and Abvest. Prior to that, he was Professor of Accounting at the University of Cape Town.

Oyama Mabandla (46)
Independent non-executive director
BA (University of California), Juris Doctor (Columbia University)

Oyama Mabandla is the immediate past Chairman of Vodacom, is a member of the JP Morgan Advisory Board and Executive Chairman of the Langa Group, an investment holding company. Prior to joining South African Airways, he held various positions within the legal and investment banking professions.

David Moshapalo (53)
Independent non-executive director

David Moshapalo is Executive Chairman of SPG (Strategic Partners Group), a black partner of the Bombela Consortium in the Gautrain Project. He is also the non-executive Chairman of Gobodo Inc., Founding and past Chairman of the Black Business Council and President‘s Black Business Working Group. His previous positions include having been a member of Nedlac Council, an executive member of Business South Africa, President of the South African Entrepreneurship and Small Business Association (SAESBA), Vice-Chairperson of the Gauteng Tender Board and an alternate director of MTN Group Limited.

Mpumi Mpofu (43)
Independent non-executive director
BA (University of Coventry), Post-graduate Degree Town Planning (University of Coventry)

Mpumi Mpofu is the Director-General in the Department of Transport, and was previously the Director-General in the Department of Housing.

She has also been a member of the Gauteng Development Tribunal, a board member of the National Housing Finance Corporation and a board member of the South African Housing Trust.

Ramesh Patel (64)
Independent non-executive director

Ramesh Patel is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the MLP Group of companies which has interests in a range of businesses in the financial services, tobacco, paint and plastics industries. He has also been instrumental in the formation of several BEE groups.

Carl Stein (54)
Non-executive director
BCom, LLB, HDip Tax Law (Wits)

Carl Stein is a director of the law firm Bowman Gilfillan and is a non-executive director of several listed companies. He is regarded as one of South Africa’s leading corporate lawyers, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, stock exchange and commercial transactions.