Board of Governors in SA
Board of Governors appointed by the University Council to manage the Wits Foundation
Arnold Basserabie - Chairperson
Qualifications: BSc (Wits), ASA, CFP
Arnold Basserabie became CEO of Fedsure Financial Services Group in 1988, and during his tenure to 2001, grew the asset base from R2b to R40b, a growth rate of about 25% pa, and expanded the business's reach to the United Kingdom and Australia.
During the 1990s Arnold contributed to the development and growth of a number of emerging companies, in particular Thebe Investments Pty Ltd. Since the early 2000's Arnold has been a Strategic Business Consultant and Director of Companies in a wide range of industries.
He has also been on the board of the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre and Chairman of the combined Wits University and Foundation Investment Committee. He represented the insurance industry in many capacities, including as a member of the SA Government's Advisory Committee on Long-term Insurance and President of the SA Retirement Association.
Awards: MRF Insurance Man of the Year, Jewish Business Achiever of the Year, Institute of Marketing Man of the Year, and the World Presidents Organisation's most successful Regional Chair.
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi - Vice-Chancellor
Qualifications: PhD (Wits), MASSAf, FAAS
Zeblon Vilakazi is the current Vice-Chancellor at Wits University. He is widely published (325 papers) and highly cited with an h-index of 70.
Vilakazi chairs South Africa's National Quantum Computing Working Committee which seeks to develop a Framework for Quantum Computing and Quantum Technology driven research and innovation in South Africa. He is globally recognised for his expert knowledge in physics and nuclear research.
He was instrumental in establishing South Africa's first experimental high-energy physics research group at CERN focusing on the development of the High-level Trigger for the CERN-ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). He also served as a visiting scientist at the Atomic Energy Commission and Alternative Energy in Saclay, France.
Career Path at Wits: Joined Wits in January 2014 as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Postgraduate Affairs → Promoted to Vice-Principal (April 2020) → Vice Chancellor and Principal (1 January 2021)
Cas Coovadia
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce (University College), Housing Finance Course (Wharton Real Estate Centre at the University of Pennsylvania), Effective Directors Programme (Kagiso School of Leadership)
Cas Coovadia is the CEO of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and former Managing Director of The Banking Association SA (BASA). He is the Chairperson of the National Business Initiative and serves on the Board of the Centre for Development & Enterprise. He is the immediate past President of the International Banking Federation (IBFed).
Coovadia serves as a Council member of the University of Witwatersrand and is on the board of the Nepad Business Foundation. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the CEO Initiative and has contributed to numerous articles and publications on housing finance, civil society, local government and the role of civic organisations in governance.
Prakash Desai
Qualifications: BCom and BCom Honours (Accounting Science), CA (SA)
Prakash Desai served as the Wits Chief Financial Officer from January 2017 to June 2021. Desai has filled various leadership and strategic roles over a long career, holding executive positions at both local and global multinationals.
Previous Executive Roles:
CEO of Afrifocus Securities (Pty) Limited group
Group Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Group Financial Director at Times Media, Johncom and Avusa Limited
Various positions at the international Philips Group of Companies (technology, retail, marketing and manufacturing sectors)
Non-Executive Experience:
Board member of Caxton Publishers and Printers Ltd (September 2000 - April 2007)
Board member of M-Net/SuperSport (June 2003 - November 2007)
Current non-executive Chairman of Afrifocus Securities (Pty) Ltd
Board member of the University of Witwatersrand Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd since May 2003
Neal Froneman
Qualifications: BSc Mech Eng. (Ind Opt) (Wits), BCompt (UNISA), Pr Eng
Neal Froneman was appointed CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater - one of the largest corporate investors in Wits - on 1 January 2013. During his time at Sibanye-Stillwater, he led the transformation from a 1.5Moz South Africa-based gold producer into a leading precious metals miner with an international operating footprint ranking among the world's top three PGM producers.
Career Highlights (31+ years):
Gold Fields Limited, Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited, JCI Limited
CEO of Aflease Gold Limited (April 2003), which became Gold One International Limited (May 2009)
Primarily responsible for creating Uranium One Incorporated from Aflease Gold uranium assets
CEO positions at Aflease Gold and Uranium One until February 2008
CEO at Gold One until appointment at Sibanye-Stillwater
Elected Vice President of the Minerals Council (May 2016)
Dr Adrian Gore
Qualifications: BSc (Hons), FFA, ASA, MAAA, FASSA, Hon. PhD (Wits)
Adrian Gore is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Holdings Ltd. - a subsidiary of FirstRand Ltd. He launched Discovery in South Africa in 1992, with a simple and core purpose of making people healthier and enhancing and protecting their lives.
Company Growth: Discovery has evolved into a diversified and multinational financial services group, widely acknowledged as a global leader in wellness behavioural change and its integration with health, life, investments and short-term insurance.
Global Reach: Discovery listed on the JSE in 1997 and has expanded internationally to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, China, Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific.
Current Scale: Generates total income flows in excess of $9 billion, has over 12,000 employees globally, serving over 17 million customers world-wide.
Recognition: Honorary Doctorate in Economics from Wits University (March 2017), Deputy Chair of Business Unity South Africa (September 2021), plus numerous prestigious local and international awards.
Dr Azar Jammine
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) (Mathematical Statistics), BA (Hons) in Economics (Wits), MSc in Economics (LSE), PhD (London Business School)
Dr Azar Jammine is Director and Chief Economist of Econometrix (Pty) Ltd, South Africa's leading independent economic research consultancy and forecasting company, established in 1982. He has been in his current position since December 1985 and has established a significant profile in South Africa as an analyst and commentator on domestic and international economic affairs.
Professional Activities: Has conducted more than 5,000 presentations to leading client corporations and other institutions as well as at conferences dealing with the local and international economic environment. Recently retired as a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation, but still assists NACI on an ad-hoc basis as an expert on various tasks.
Professor Jonathan Klaaren
Qualifications: BA (Harvard), MA (Cape Town), JD (Columbia), LLB (Wits), PhD (Yale, Sociology)
Jonathan Klaaren is a Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, serving in the Law School at the Faculty of Commerce, Law & Management and in the Faculty of Humanities with the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER).
Research Areas: Competition & regulation, access to justice, law & migration, and socio-legal studies.
Recent Work: His most recent book is From Prohibited Immigrants to Citizens: The Origins of Citizenship and Nationality in South Africa (2017). Current research interests include the African legal profession, competition law and economic regulation, and the organization of public interest litigation in South Africa.
Academic Leadership:
Head/Dean of the Wits Law School (2010-2013)
Director of the School's Mandela Institute (2005-2007)
Acting Judge on the High Court of South Africa (South Gauteng) (2016)
Dr Mark Lamberti
Qualifications: BCom, MBA (Wits), PPL (Harvard), CD(SA), PhD(UP)
In 2018 Mark Lamberti (70) transitioned from a 33-year executive career as CEO of various private and public companies to pursue non-executive directorship, consulting and mentoring assignments, while guiding his family office as Chairman of Lamberti Holdings.
Executive Career Focus: Turnaround, entrepreneurial development and growth of multinational public companies headquartered in South Africa.
Key CEO Positions:
Massmart Holdings Limited (1998-2014) - CEO and later non-executive Chairman
Transaction Capital Limited (2008-2014) - CEO
Imperial Holdings Limited (2014-2018) - CEO
Educational Commitment: Shareholder, director, benefactor and advisor of educational institutions focused on the education of underprivileged Africans.
Mamongae Mahlare
Qualifications: BSc. Chemical Engineering (Wits), MBA (Harvard Business School)
Mamongae Mahlare was appointed as the Chief Executive of Takealot effective 1 October 2021.
Career Progression:
Managing Director at Illovo Sugar
Channel Development Manager at Coca Cola
Marketing Director at SABMiller
Consultant at Bain & Company
Process Engineer at UNILEVER
Board member of RMB Holdings Ltd. and Rand Merchant Investment Holdings Ltd.
Sulliman Mahomed Noor
Sulliman Mahomed Noor (Solly Noor) serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Solly's Group of Companies comprising of: Solly's Discount World Group, Solly Noor Properties Group and Computron Group as well as other companies in Solly's Group ranging from consumer and Hi-Tech electronics to Real Estate.
Real Estate Expertise: Brings over 35 years of experience in the investment and development of commercial property. Has been a Non-Executive Director of Investec Property Fund Ltd since 2012.
Professor Thokozani Majozi
Qualifications: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Process Integration (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology)
Thokozani Majozi has been appointed as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of Cape Town. Professor Majozi currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and will leave Wits at the end of December 2025. He will take up his new position at UCT in 2026.
Research Excellence: Main research interest is batch chemical process integration, with significant scientific contributions earning international recognition. Member of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa and Fellow at the African Academy of Sciences.
Publications: Author and co-author of more than 190 scientific publications, including three books on Batch Chemical Process Integration, published by Springer and CRC Press.
Leadership Positions:
Vice-President of the Engineering Council of South Africa (2009-2012)
Member of the Nuclear Energy Corporation Board (chaired Research Committee)
Current Chairperson of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Board
Recognition: Awarded the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze (2019) for "outstanding contribution to science, particularly the development of a novel mathematical technique for near-zero-effluent batch chemical facilities which enables the reuse of wastewater."
Bonang Mohale
Qualifications: Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma and Chartered Marketer (IMM), Basics of Pharmacology (Wits Medical School)
Bonang Mohale was appointed as the Chair of Business Unity South Africa in September 2021. He is also a Professor of Practice at the Johannesburg Business School's College of Business and Economics, and Chairman of the Bidvest Group Limited.
Current Board Positions: Swiss Re Africa Limited, Rand Merchant Bank Limited (RMB), the Automobile Association of South Africa, and SBV.
Previous Leadership: Former Chief Executive Officer of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), Chairman of Shell Downstream South Africa (Pty) Limited, and Vice President of Shell Upstream.
Awards: President's Award for servanthood in South African industry (2001), Free-Market Foundation's Luminary Award (2019).
Lebogang Montjane
Qualifications: BA (Connecticut College), MA (Columbia), LLB (Witwatersrand)
Lebogang Montjane is the Executive Director of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA), the oldest, largest and most representative independent schools' association in the region.
Academic Roles: Visiting Lecturer for a Journalism course at Wits, former researcher and lecturer at the Wits School of Education.
Legal Background: Former attorney who clerked for Chief Justice Pius Langa. Served as a Commissioner on the Confidentiality Commission for the United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Previous Experience: Former Director of Business Leadership South Africa.
Lesiba Mothata
Qualifications: BCOM Hon. (Wits), MCOM (UJ), ACMA, CGMA
Lesiba Mothata is Chief Executive Officer at Benguela Global Fund Managers. Lesiba has crafted a diversified career path with an eclectic portfolio of skills. Having emerged from a strong micro- and macro-economic base, the evolution into investments, general management and customer experience has produced a well-rounded financial services professional.
Experience: Nearly two decades in the financial services industry, widely published, member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
Education: Completed a general management programme at Harvard Business School.
Mduduzi Ndlovu
Qualifications: BCom. Accounting (Wits), MPhil Applied Ethics (Stellenbosch University), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA Institute)
Mduduzi Ndlovu was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Ashburton Investments in March 2022, the asset management business of First National Bank.
Previous Strategic Positions:
Deal Principal at Crede Capital Partners
Portfolio Manager at Blue Alpha Investment Management
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biblica Verbum Investment Co. and Argon Asset Management
Acting Chief Executive Officer at Real Africa Asset Management
Current Additional Roles: Independent trustee at the Independent Schools Association of Southern Pension Fund and independent Non-Executive Director at Brimstone Investment Corporation.
Dr Stavros Nicolaou
Qualifications: B.Pharm (Wits), MPS (SA), FPS (SA), Hon. PhD Medicine (Wits)
Dr Stavros Nicolaou is a member of Aspen Pharmacare's Group Executive team and its senior executive responsible for Strategic Trade Development. Nicolaou has over 30 years' experience in the South African and International pharmaceutical industry working across multiple geographies and therapeutic areas.
Major Achievement: Instrumental in introducing the first generic ARV's on the African Continent developed by Aspen, which has saved hundreds of thousands of lives in South Africa and on the African Continent.
Awards and Recognition:
Monte Rubenstein Award for proficiency in pharmaceutics (Wits University Pharmacy School)
SA Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) Health Marketer of the Year Award
Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA)
Order of the Lion of St Mark by the Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch for HIV work
Honorary Doctorate of Science in Medicine from Wits University
Speaking Engagements: Economist Roundtable, World Economic Forum (WEF), Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital Raigon Institute.
Maria Ramos
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce in Economics (Wits), MSc in Economics (London), Honorary doctorates from Stellenbosch University (SU) and University of the Free State (UFS)
Career Highlights:
Director-General of South Africa's National Treasury (1996)
Chief Executive of Transnet (2004-2009)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Absa Group Limited (2009)
Current Positions: Chairperson of AngloGold Ashanti, Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum's International Business Council, Board of Business Unity South Africa, Global Board of Advisers Council on Foreign Relations (U.S.)
Awards and Recognition:
CNBC Africa Woman Leader of the Year (2011)
Wits Business School's Management Excellence Award (2010)
Sunday Times Business Times Business Leader of the Year (2005)
SA Businesswomen's Association Businesswoman of the Year (2001)
Manex award at Wits Business School's Management Excellence Awards (October 2010)
Mr Tokyo Sexwale
Mr Sexwale is the Non-Executive Chair of Mvelaphanda Holdings. A member of the World Cup 2010 Preparatory Committee and sat on the Board of Directors for 2010 FIFA World Cup. Sexwale is a member of Brookings Institution's International Advisory Council.
Professor Bruce Sparks
Qualifications: MBBCh (Wits), MFGP(SA), MRCGP (UK), FRCGP(Hon), FCFP (SA), FRCGP (AUS)
Bruce Sparks is the former Kenneth Birch Professor of Family Health, Head of Department of Family Medicine at the Wits Medical School and Chief Family Physician in the Gauteng Department of Health. He is also the former World President of the World Organisation of Family Doctors.
Advocate Anthony Stein
Qualifications: BA(Hons), LLB(Wits), BCL(Oxon)
Advocate Anthony Stein is an advocate of the High Court of South Africa, and member of the Johannesburg Bar.
Academic Experience:
Visiting Lecturer at King's College and University of London (2000-2001) - Law of contract, administrative law, and philosophy of law
Lecturer at University of the Witwatersrand (1997-1998) - constitutional law, administrative law, jurisprudence, law of contract
Scholarships and Awards: Commonwealth Scholarship, Skye Trust Scholarship, Society of Advocates Moot Prize
Publications: Co-editor and author of Constitutional Law of South Africa (Juta), Co-author of Interpreting European Convention Rights (Butterworths London, 2001)
Fatima Vawda
Qualifications: MSc in Applied Mathematics (Wits)
Fatima Vawda is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of financial services group 27four. Since establishing 27four in South Africa in 2007 with the aim of doing things differently, 27four has evolved into a diversified financial services group specialising in asset management, fiduciary management, stock broking and regulatory fund hosting in both domestic and global capital markets.
Innovation in Sustainability: Instrumental in listing Agrarius, Africa's first sustainability linked Sukuk, a R10 billion note programme on the debt market of the JSE's Sustainability Segment (2022).
Industry Transformation: Established an asset management incubator program that has allocated over R50 billion to more than 50 asset managers since 2007, substantially contributing to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sector.
Current Focus: Expanding internationally while supporting investments in domestic infrastructure and fostering mechanisms to deepen South Africa's capital markets.
Previous Academic Role: Spent two years lecturing in the Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics at Wits University.
Dr Maurice Goodman
Qualifications: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, MBA (Wits)
After obtaining his medical degree, Dr Maurice Goodman worked for several years in emergency medicine and trauma surgery. He participated in the South African rescue missions to Phuket and Haiti.
Current Position: Chief Medical Officer of Discovery Health (joined shortly after inception)
Foundation Work:
Trustee of the Discovery Foundation (invests in training of South African medical specialists)
Chairs the Foundation's Medical Student Loan Guarantee Fund
Trustee of the Discovery Fund (dedicated to improving quality of life through funding primary health care services in indigent communities)
Trustee of The Children's Cardiac Foundation of Africa
Professional Memberships:
Member of the SA Medical Association (SAMA) Health Policy, Law and Ethics Committee
Branch Counsellor on the SAMA South Gauteng Branch
Executive Committee of the Medical Advisors Group
Member of Convocation Exco of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)
Exco of the Wits Business School Association
Guest lecturer on the Wits Business School's MBA in Healthcare