Anglo American veteran to head Africa, Australia region

Anglo American has appointed Themba Mkhwanazi head of its Africa and Australian operations, in a revamped management team announced on Wednesday.

Mkhwanazi, one of Minerals Council SA’s two vice-presidents, is no stranger to the Anglo stable, having previously served as CEO of Kumba Iron Ore.

Anglo said it had decided to consolidate its production business into two regions, the Americas, and Africa and Australia.

Ruben Fernandes will head the Americas business from July and be based in Brazil, while Mkhwanazi will be based in SA.

Under the new structure the CEOs of the group’s Americas operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru will report to Fernandes, while CEOs of the PGMs business, Kumba Iron Ore and Australia’s steelmaking operations will report to Mkhwanazi.

“They are accountable for safe and responsible operations, optimising current performance, future options and commercial value, in line with the group’s strategy, and will work to ensure effective functional support and service delivery to their operations in each country,” the company said.

The group has about 48,000 employees in its Africa portfolio, with operations in SA, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

In 2021 Anglo completed the demerger of its thermal coal operations in SA, which gave birth to Thungela.

Mkhwanazi has extensive experience in the mining industry. From 2007 to 2010, he was COO of Richards Bay Minerals. He then moved to Rio Tinto Coal Australia, where he was general manager.

Mkhwanazi, who holds degree in chemical engineering from Teesside University in the UK, was then promoted to regional general manager for the Americas at Rio Tinto, a position he held until 2014, when he joined Anglo American Coal SA as its CEO.

From 2016 to 2021, he was CEO of Kumba and oversaw the so-called Tswelelopele strategy to improve the group’s margins and extend the life of its assets, which led to cumulative cost savings of R3.2bn.

Anglo, the world’s third largest seaborne exporter of metallurgical coal, has two open-cut and three underground metallurgical coal mines in Queensland, Australia, along with additional joint venture interests and growth projects there.

Other group appointments include Alison Atkinson becoming projects & development director, and Helena Nonka taking charge of the strategy and sustainability division. Monique Carter will lead the people and organisation team.

The group is also on the hunt for a new CFO, with its finance director Stephen Pearce set to retire this year.

Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad said the group has been refreshing its leadership team steadily over the past year to bring in new generation.

“Nolitha Fakude has led our strategic interests in SA with great skill for the last four years and, before that, as a non-executive director on our board. I am delighted that she will continue as chair of our management board in SA and lead a number of special projects in the national interest, while also advising me and supporting Themba in his new regional role. We thank her for her ongoing contribution,” Wanblad said.

Fakude is also the president of Minerals Council SA.