About us

Minerals Council Office Bearers

• 
  President: Dr Nombasa Tsengwa

  President: Dr Nombasa Tsengwa

  Ph.D. (Agronomy), University of Maryland, College Park, US, Executive Development Programme (EDP) (Insead, France)

  Nombasa’s 20-year career in mining started when she joined the then, Kumba Resources as the General Manager Safety Health and Environment. At the inception of Exxaro Resources, she was appointed as Executive General Manager Safety and Sustainable Development and worked her way through the ranks to being appointed CEO designate in March 2021 and moving into the role permanently on 1 August 2022.

  In 2017, Dr Tsengwa was awarded the coveted Standard Bank Businesswoman of the Year Award, followed by being the Winner of the “Africa ‘s Most Influential Woman in Business and Government - Mining Industry Category” at the Pan African Awards in 2018.

• 
  Vice President: Mpumi Zikalala

  Vice President: Mpumi Zikalala

  BSc (Chemical Engineering), University of the Witwatersrand; Leadership Development Programme, London Business School

  Mpumi Zikalala has been the CEO of Kumba Iron Ore since 1 January 2022. She is on the Kumba Board as an executive director and is Chair of the operating entity, Sishen Iron Ore Company (Pty) Ltd. Mpumi started her career at De Beers in 2001 as a process engineer and worked in various leadership roles within production management. In 2007, she was appointed General Manager at De Beers Kimberley Mines, becoming the first female General Manager in the De Beers Group. In 2010, she was appointed General Manager of De Beers Voorspoed Mine and three and a half years later became Senior Vice-President of De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa. Mpumi was promoted to Deputy CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines in November 2017 and to the position of Managing Director, De Beers Group Managed Operations, in April 2019, covering De Beers Group's operations in South Africa and Canada.

  Mpumi serves as the Chair of the Private Sector Forum of the South African National AIDS Council. She served as the 2023 Campaign Ambassador for the International Day for Women in Mining and was a winner of the 2018 Top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining awards issued in Mayfield, London.

• 
  Vice President: Paul Dunne

  Vice President: Paul Dunne

  BSc (Hons)(Electrical Engineering), Master of Business Administration

  Paul Dunne joined Northam in March 2014 as Chief Executive Officer. He has been a Board member of Northam Holdings since 2020 and of the group since March 2014 and is a non–executive director of the International Platinum Group Metals Association (IPA). He was formerly an executive director at Impala Platinum Holdings Limited, responsible for all mining, concentrating and smelting operations at the Group’s Rustenburg and Marula mines.

  Paul was elected as an Office Bearer of the Minerals Council in 2021 and is a champion of the Minerals Council Women in Mining initiatives. During his tenure he has made an invaluable contribution.

• 
  Vice President: Themba Mkhwanazi

  Vice President: Themba Mkhwanazi

  B Eng (Hons) (Chemical Engineering), Teesside University in the UK

  Themba Mkhwanazi has been the Regional Director, Africa & Australia since 1 July 2023 and a member of the Anglo American’s Executive Leadership Team. Prior to that he was the Chief Executive Officer Bulk Commodities. His past positions include being Managing Director of Huntsman Tioxide Southern Africa, Chief Operating Officer at Richards Bay Minerals, General Manager Expansion Support at Rio Tinto Coal Australia, Regional General Manager Americas for Rio Tinto and Chief Executive Officer of Anglo American Coal South Africa. He has extensive experience in the resources industry, including 20 years in South Africa, the UK as well as in the USA and Australia.

  Themba was elected as a Minerals Council Office Bearer in 2021, playing an invaluable role in guiding the Minerals Council.

• 
  Vice President: Richard Stewart

  Vice President: Richard Stewart

  BSc (Hons), PhD (Geology), University of the Witwatersrand; MBA, Warwick Business School (UK); PrSciNat

  Richard Stewart has held the position of Chief Regional Officer: Southern Africa from 31 May 2022, subsequent to being the Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) from 1 December 2020. Prior to being COO, Richard was the Executive Vice President: Business Development at Sibanye-Stillwater. Richard has more than 24 years’ experience in South Africa’s geological and mining industries and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa and a Registered Natural Scientist. He joined the Group in 2014, and has contributed significantly to a successful and value accretive acquisition and growth strategy. Prior to joining Sibanye-Stillwater, he served on the Gold One Executive Committee from 2009, where his last appointment was Executive Vice President: Technical Services. Prior to this Richard served as CEO of Goliath Gold Limited, held management positions at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Mining Technology division, Dunrose Trading 186 Proprietary Limited trading as Shango Solutions and Uranium One, and was an investment consultant for African Global Capital Proprietary Limited.