Company Structure & Leadership
Experienced leadership driving Africa's energy trading excellence
Executive Leadership
ADVISORY BOARD
Mr Thakhani Makhuvha
Advisory Board Member — Strategic Finance, Risk & Governance
Key Expertise:
- Risk Management & Compliance — credit, enterprise-wide and operational risk plus regulatory compliance (PFMA, Companies Act); former Head of Risk Management at IDC
- Strategic Finance & Turnaround — business rescue, restructuring distressed businesses, capital raising and portfolio management
- Governance & Leadership — extensive board experience as Non-Executive Director and Chairman, with a focus on ethical governance and stakeholder relations
- Economic Development & Partnerships — mobilised over R400 billion in investment pledges for Limpopo Province, building alliances with DFIs, government and the private sector
- Development Finance — specialist in SMME finance, infrastructure delivery and transformative economic projects
- Former Group CEO of LEDA (R3bn balance sheet, seven subsidiaries) and CEO of the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa)
CEO
Mandla Carlton Thabethe
Chief Executive Officer
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategy formulation and execution
- Corporate governance and compliance oversight
- Capital allocation and investment decisions
- Overall responsibility for company performance
- Strategic direction and market positioning
- Board of Directors and stakeholder communications
COO
Chief Operating Officer
Key Responsibilities:
- Day-to-day operations and execution oversight
- Operational efficiency and process optimization
- Cross-departmental coordination
- Implementation of strategies and policies
- Ensuring smooth functioning across all divisions
- Performance monitoring and reporting
SUPPLY CHAIN
Ms Grace Mabena
Head of Supply Chain & Logistics
Key Responsibilities:
- End-to-end supply chain and logistics strategy for petroleum products and bulk commodities
- Procurement, vendor partnerships and inventory optimisation across regional and international markets
- Demand forecasting and pipeline management using proprietary, data-driven planning models
- Distribution expansion and go-to-market execution to ensure on-time, on-spec delivery
- Cross-functional leadership across operations, finance, sales and trade partnerships
- Risk management and operational efficiency to drive cost savings and resilient sourcing
BD & MARKETING
Mr Thabiso Dladla
Business Development & Marketing
Key Responsibilities:
- Origination of offtake agreements with refineries, national oil companies and bulk fuel buyers across Africa
- Building strategic supplier relationships with crude producers, refineries and bunker terminals across the Gulf, West Africa and Asia
- Securing trading mandates across diesel 50ppm, petrol 95, jet A1, LPG, fuel oil and marine bunker fuels
- Negotiating long-term supply contracts and structured trade finance for petroleum cargoes and pipeline volumes
- Marketing Guliwe's trading desk to mines, transport fleets, utilities, airlines and government fuel programmes
- Pipeline development of cross-border fuel distribution and logistics partnerships across SADC corridors