Consulting engineering firm Gibb has announced the appointment of black economic-empowerment (BEE) heavyweight and Black Management Forum founding member Don Mkhwanazi as chairperson of the Gibb Holdings board.
CEO Richard Vries said in a statement on Tuesday that Mkhwanazi’s appointment formed a “critical” element of the group’s expansion strategy.
“Don’s invaluable experience on the continent and [in] business, in general, is well documented. We believe that he will provide us with insight into the challenges on the continent and the local business environment to help inform our strategies going forward,” he commented.
Mkhwanazi had previously served as a nonexecutive member of several listed and unlisted companies, including Illovo Sugar, Mercedes Information Technology, Unidata and Anglo Alpha.
He was also a director of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and State-owned company Transnet, as well as chairperson of the Central Energy Fund, Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF), Soekor and Mossgas, which merged in 2003, together with some of the SFF operations, to form State oil company PetroSA.
Gibb believed that Mkhwanazi would add value to its established BEE legacy, in his capacity as a member of the Presidential broad-based BEE Council and as an IDC executive member of the Black Business Executive Circle.
“I am most humbled and excited to join a forward-looking, energetic, focused, talented and entrepreneurial team; a black-owned multidisciplinary firm that has made inroads into a sector long dominated by multinational and local firms.
“It is now our fervent desire, to not only consolidate our base here in South Africa, but to accelerate and deepen our African footprint, making the South African renaissance a reality,” noted the incoming chairperson.
Mkhwanazi’s appointment followed the firm’s recent majority acquisition of South African architectural firm Stauch Vorster Architects International, which aimed to boost market share and offer a comprehensive package to clients.
By: Natalie Greve
Don Mkhwanazi
