KGABI MASIA UNPACKS HIS FIRST 100-DAYS AT EXXARO AS NEW MD: MINERALS
Kgabi Masia is new to the Exxaro family, but speaking to him you wouldn’t say so. He’s knee-deep in the coal seams and his heart pumps green. After taking over the reigns as MD of Minerals in March this year, Kgabi has hit the ground running, engaging with Transnet to find solutions to the national rail crisis amid surging coal demand. Kgabi also engaged with some of the Board Directors during the Board Chairman’s Roadshow to the operations and with senior leaders and key stakeholders in the execution of Exxaro’s Sustainable Growth and Impact Strategy to build a resilient, diversified business portfolio.
Former President of South Africa Energy Coal (SAEC), Kgabi takes over from Exxaro’s new CEO, Dr Nombasa Tsengwa, who he praises for creating a robust business and structure. “I have inherited a well-functioning business with a good safety record, operational excellence and empowered teams.”
Kgabi believes he joins the Minerals business at an exciting time in its growth journey. The coal business is strong and exceptionally well-positioned for continued growth and profitability. At the same time, the Minerals business has a real opportunity to leverage its core competencies, specifically in bulk mining and logistics and experience in base metals, to become a key player in the supply of a diverse set of critical minerals as the world continues to make progress towards a cleaner, low carbon future.
The Minerals business aims to facilitate growth through an acquisitive strategy to build a competitive, robust and future-facing portfolio of assets in manganese, bauxite and copper.
It is here that Kgabi’s vast commercial experience in mergers, acquisitions and disposals, and his proven track-record in the production of manganese and aluminium, bode him well. He is positioned for success.
“Exxaro is a good operator and good at bulk mining. Mining manganese would be similar to what we are doing at our coal sites. Diversifying our assets will require us to leverage and grow our core competencies going forward.”
Through its diversification strategy, there is no doubt that the Minerals business will play a key part of Exxaro’s Just Transition and Sustainable Growth and Impact strategy. That’s why Kgabi is focused on making sure that the transition happens in a way that “no-one gets left behind.” “I always like to ask the question ‘what are we solving for?’ because when you know the ‘what’ you can find the solution,” he says. When it comes to Exxaro’s transition, he is clear that we
want to power better lives in Africa and beyond through our continued investment in resources that power a clean world. This means ensuring that we leverage the value we create to generate even more value for all Exxaro’s stakeholders, including its communities and employees.
Another way Kgabi aims to create value is by developing the future leaders of the business. Having come from a business where he
appointed four female general managers, Kgabi shares Exxaro’s drive to “grow and develop diverse and inclusive leadership in core roles and competencies across the business.” As the Minerals business continues to grow and diversify, he aims to use the opportunity to make sure his team grows and diversifies alongside the business.
It’s not strange to think that Kgabi was worried he might not fit into Exxaro’s culture, having worked for BHB Billiton and South32 for almost 22 years. Instead, what he has found is a perfect fit in Exxaro. Not only are his personal values aligned with Exxaro’s, but also his drive for developing a new kind of leadership; one that is as diverse as it is inclusive and understands the need for creating value for all stakeholders.
“To me, commitment is the key – committing to seeing things through and holding each other to account when we make mistakes or don’t measure up. That’s a standard that should apply to everyone, especially our leaders,” he says.
A warm welcome to the Exxaro family Kgabi.
MZILA MTHENJANE APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR THE IMPACT CATALYST
The Impact Catalyst was founded in 2019 by Exxaro Resources, Anglo American, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and World Vision South Africa, and joined by the IDC in 2021. From the outset, the initiative adopted a unique approach to value creation and social impact at scale and aims to drive a collective approach and create long-lasting, vibrant economies that are no longer dependent on mining.
As a result, the Impact Catalyst has been able to respond to local sustainable development challenges and achieve the scale, speed and impact so desperately needed in our society. The first Regional Socio-Economic Development Platform was launched in Limpopo in 2019, in partnership with the Office of the Premier. Its footprint has since grown to include multiple initiatives across Limpopo, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga.
Thanks to the Impact Catalyst:
- 75 600 potential learners in the Northern Cape are benefiting from access to ICT infrastructure at 250 schools.
- All three provinces have been earmarked for improved waste tyre management to align the sector with the Environment and Waste Bureau policy.
The Impact Catalyst also aims to improve capacity within local municipalities by facilitating mentor capability development to drive service delivery. In support of this, Exxaro has been working with the National Business Initiative (NBI) and Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) through the Technical Assistance, Mentorship and Development programme in the Waterberg District of Limpopo.
“The Impact Catalyst is keen to enhance on the considerable knowledge, expertise, networks, and scale of the private sector in health, education, livelihood enhancement, enterprise, and social development,” said Mthenjane.
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