Carina Pillay is the Co-Managing Partner at IJ Hub NPC, a funder dedicated to strengthening investigative journalism in Southern Africa. With over a decade of leadership experience, she previously served as Executive Director of SAFLII, where she successfully transitioned the organisation from a university-based project to an independent non-profit entity.
Carina brings a unique blend of corporate and non-profit management experience, underpinned by strong business acumen, deep technical knowledge, and a keen understanding of modern web practices. She holds an MBA from Stellenbosch University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice from the UCT Graduate School of Business. Her technical skill set includes certifications in XML (Akoma Ntoso) and proficiency in programming languages such as C, C++, HTML, PHP, CSS, and Perl.
CISL Senior Associate and Public Affairs and Communications Director, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Susan Maingi is the Public Affairs and Communications Director at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. In this role, she oversees regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability initiatives across the continent. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Susan held the position of Director of Corporate Affairs, Communications, and Sustainable Development at Lafarge Holding in Kenya, after serving as the HR and Organizational Director for Kenya and Uganda. Her career also includes experience as an HR consultant with firms like KPMG and TACK International, working across multiple countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Susan's diverse background has equipped her with a unique perspective on public affairs, communication, and human resource management.
Thabisile Phumo is an accredited public relations and communication specialist with 16 years of experience in the corporate affairs environment in the mining industry.
In her 20-year career, she has worked in diverse sectors within the communication and stakeholder relations field, focusing on, among others, executive public relations, reputation management, stakeholder relations, crisis communication, media relations, internal communications, brand management, strategy development, fundraising and information management. She has also spent at least 8 years as a part-time lecturer/course facilitator in corporate communications, corporate social responsibility and stakeholder engagement.
She has served in various industry roles, has authored 3 life skills booklets, and is the convener of the Inspired Connect Women’s Network.
She has worked in various roles in a corporate affairs environment at Anglo American, United Nations, UNISA and CGE. She has also done a lot of community project development work in the resources sector and in youth ministries. She is very passionate about personal development with a specific focus on performance coaching and career mentorship.
Tshidi has over 28 years of experience in FMCG and mining industry, spanning human resources and operating as a Chief Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer, serving 15 markets in Africa. She built a strong reputation for sustainability and for championing social, equity, and ‘green’ agendas, while also delivering on business objectives and priorities.
Her leadership roles include C-Suite Executive Director, Non-Executive Director and Board chairperson. Tshidi is a people leader and an exceptional developer of high-performing teams. She is an Integral Coach® - career transitioning, women empowerment and leadership coaching.
Tshidi holds a Social Science degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from UCT, a Certificate in Finance – GIBS. She sits on the Social and Ethics Committee at IoDSA, Corporate Affairs Executive Development Programme - Cambridge, and has an Integral Coaching® certificate – UCT.
Thato Mapule-Mntambo is a seasoned Corporate Affairs professional with over 15 years of experience leading teams and delivering strategic internal and external communications, employee engagement initiatives, financial communication, crisis management, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
She has a proven track record in multinational and listed companies across the mining, automotive, and financial services industries. Thato excels in managing diverse teams, driving organisational change, and collaborating with C-suite executives to align Corporate Affairs strategies with overarching business objectives.
Thato currently serves as General Manager: Corporate Affairs for Mercedes-Benz South Africa, overseeing communications, external affairs and CSR for both the manufacturing plant and marketing & sales operations. She is committed to a collaborative leadership approach, fostering meaningful stakeholder engagement, and crafting impactful strategies that uphold and enhance the company’s reputation.
Nthabiseng Chapeshamano is a senior reputation management and corporate affairs practitioner with over 18 years of experience and specialist skills in stakeholder management, public affairs, investor relations, media relations, strategic communications, and sustainability.
She has led the corporate affairs agenda of blue-chip companies, where her responsibilities included building and retaining relationships with governmental, legislative, and other primary stakeholders. Nthabiseng firmly believes that a critical measure of success in corporate affairs is how one helps leaders navigate and solve business-critical issues.
I am not your typical sustainability leader. I have a rich and diverse background that spans across various sectors, including financial services, mining, development, and transport. I have worked with some of the largest and most influential corporations in Africa and beyond, helping them to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their core business strategies and operations.
I have held various roles in the sustainability field, where I have been responsible for leading the development and execution of sustainability strategies, ensuring alignment with the organisation's vision, values, and business objectives. I have also advised executive management and boards on ESG issues and impact areas, and overseen the management of ESG risks and opportunities, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability reporting.
I have a Master's degree in Sustainability Leadership from Cambridge University, where I conducted a research project on the financing of water infrastructure in informal settlements in South Africa. I am fluent in isiZulu and English, and have a basic knowledge of French.
I am a passionate advocate for sustainable development, social transformation on, and strategic thinking. I believe that sustainability is not only a moral imperative, but also a business opportunity and a competitive advantage.
I am a highly innovative leader with an excellent strategy development skills and impeccable managerial attributes. I have over 20 years’ experience in the mining industry fulfilling various senior management roles at strategic level. The key role fulfilled was the design and development of a Talent Management Strategy including Learning and Development with relevant frameworks, policies, and mechanisms to optimize Business strategy and relevant outputs. I fulfilled the Human Resources Development role as a Senior Management and later acted as the Head of the HR Operations. The HRD role included Transformation, SLP Development and Implementation, Mining and Engineering Training, Learning and Development, Psychometric Assessment, etc.
The roles I fulfilled provided functional expertise which converted business requirements into people solutions to enable business performance. In my career I cut a niche in the Stakeholder Engagement role developing, managing and maintain stakeholder strategy, stakeholder engagement approach and reporting for the South32 Africa Region in line with the company mandate and engagement strategy. The outcome of the role seeks to relate and engage with various stakeholders across the board including government, various memberships, international stakeholders, communities, etc. The role also is also linked to various organizational growth and development projects.
Further experience in leadership roles includes chairing or participating on numerous Boards which further enhanced and broadened my leadership, management, financial and strategy formulation skills.
I served on the Orbit TVET College from inception in 2003 and continued to fulfill various roles for a period spanning 16 years where I was a Council member, Chairperson of the HR committee and Vice Chairperson of Council. I was Deputy Chairperson and Chairperson of the Finance Committee for Taletso TVET College and recently appointed by the Minister of Higher Education as a Taletso TVET College for a new term as Council Member and Chairperson of Council. I further serve as the Board Chairperson of the Platinum Incubator.
I have over 23 years’ experience in Sports Management with highlights as NW Board Member for 16 years including serving as NW Vice President for 3 years as well as Chair of various committees and NWC Board President including being the former Chairperson of the Lions Franchise. I contributed to Cricket as the former Chairperson of Remco (UCBSA/CSA) as well as a member of the Marketing Committee (UCBSA/CSA). Further to this I am a former member of the Transformation Committee, Remco and Cricket Pipeline Committee within the cricket Board structures.
I displayed leadership a as a Manger of the NW u/19 team for 6-year, Manager of the NW B Team for 5 years and CSA South Africa A Team. I am also the founder of the Ikageng Cricket Club which celebrated 19 years of existence in 2018.
I am valuable contributor to the CSA Board and display sound knowledge of the game including management and strategy execution. My Vision 2022 for NW Board proved to be a firm platform for Transformation and Cricket Development which is producing talented cricket pipeline.
I also served as a Board member of the NW Tourism Board and also Chairperson of the Board’s Committee on HR, Finance and Governance.
Pheliswa Mayekiso has over 13 years of experience as an integrated communications manager across a range of industries, with a specialisation in financial institutions. Her passion lies in connecting with various stakeholders to determine and deliver true value, as well as providing strategic direction to achieve business objectives.
Thabani is the Managing Director of Moahi Sustainable Solutions, a boutique sustainability advisory company, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town, Chemical Engineering Faculty, Mining to Minerals Department. He has over 23 years’ experience in the Sustainability field, primarily focused on Mining. Thabani’s previous roles have included Executive Head of Sustainability at KAP, Executive Head of Safety, Health and Sustainability at ERG Africa, Head of Sustainability at Anglo American Platinum, and Sustainability Manager at AngloGold Ashanti. His main areas of work and research are, Decarbonisation and Low Carbon Economy, Critical Minerals, Artisanal and Small Scale Mining, Responsible Sourcing, and Leadership development. Thabani holds a Masters' Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Oklahoma, an Undergraduate Degree in Chemistry and Zoology for Rhodes University.