Brand South Africa has appointed Ms Mmaphuti Rankapole-Tshifularo as Chief Marketing Officer and Ms Sherylee Shaik as Chief Financial Officer, in a move aimed at strengthening its executive leadership as it advances its mandate to build and protect the country’s nation brand.
Ms Rankapole-Tshifularo brings nearly three decades of experience across multinational and South African companies. She has held executive roles at Famous Brands, Pioneer Foods and Tiger Brands, with earlier experience at Yum! Restaurants and Unilever. She holds an MBA from GIBS Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her expertise spans consumer insight, brand equity development, innovation strategy and cross-functional leadership, which the organisation says will support its marketing and communications objectives.
Ms Shaik joins as Chief Financial Officer with experience in financial governance, strategic oversight and public sector financial management. A Chartered Accountant (SA), she holds an MBA and a Postgraduate Diploma in General Management from GIBS. She has been recognised as a SAICA Top 35 under 35 finalist, a Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South African finalist and a finalist in the CFO Awards in 2021 and 2025.
Before joining Brand South Africa, Ms Shaik served as Chief Financial Officer at the Competition Tribunal of South Africa and previously at the Johannesburg Development Agency, where she oversaw financial strategy, governance, audit compliance and treasury management.
Chief Executive Officer Neville Matjie said the appointments are intended to close key leadership gaps and reinforce organisational capacity. Brand South Africa said strengthened leadership in marketing and finance will enhance its ability to promote a competitive global image of the country while maintaining high standards of financial accountability and governance.