Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has announced the appointment of Mr Irvin Phenyane as Chairperson, alongside Ms Xoliswa Daku, Ms Keitumetse Mahlangu, Mr Surendra Sooklal, Mr Roy Mnisi and Mr Theunis Chamberlain to its Board of Directors, following their formal induction. Mr Kurt Parker and Ms Ulandi Exner will join the board on 6 August 2026. The new appointments come as ACSA accelerates its R21 billion airports upgrade programme and innovation strategy to enhance connectivity, passenger experience and operational resilience.
Mr Irvin Phenyane, the incoming Chairperson, brings over 20 years of aviation expertise, including leadership in greenfield airport projects and innovative initiatives for aviation destination development. He previously held Non-Executive Director positions at ACSA and TETA, and served for four years on the International Air Services Licensing Council. He is the Chairperson of the Drone Council SA and holds a BSc, two Postgraduate Diplomas in Project Management and Management, and a Master of Management degree. His recent MPhil in Corporate Strategy focused on emerging technologies.
Ms Xoliswa Daku is the Founder and CEO of DAKU (PTY) Ltd, a twenty-two-year-old private entity with diverse subsidiaries in property, law, and energy. A legal professional with 29 years of experience, she served as Chair of SEDFA and Chair of the University of the Western Cape. She holds an LLM and an EMBA, alongside a suite of international postgraduate business qualifications, and has served on various boards for 26 years, specialising in governance, FDI, trade and industry.
Ms Keitumetse Mahlangu is an admitted attorney and seasoned legal professional with over 20 years in legal practice, governance, investigation and cross-border road transport regulation. She has served on various boards and audit committees, including the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, the Gauteng Film Commission, the Department of Human Settlements, and the Gauteng Rental Housing Tribunal. She holds a B.Proc, an LLB, the Management Advancement Programme, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Fraud Examination and Legislative Drafting.
Mr Surendra Sooklal brings over 35 years of expertise in risk management, external and internal audit, regulatory oversight, and governance. He was a Group Executive at MTN, where he served as Group Chief Business Risk Officer, overseeing risk management, internal audit, group insurance, business continuity, crisis management, and cybersecurity. He was also a long-standing audit Partner at PwC South Africa and former SACAA Chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committee. He holds a B.Com., Diploma in Accounting, and Postgraduate Diploma in Tax Law, and has completed the Aviation Leaders Programme in Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
Mr Roy Mnisi is an experienced Executive Director with a demonstrated history in the construction industry, skilled in legal, corporate governance, risk management, compliance, negotiation and strategic leadership. He is the former CEO of IMFO and currently Director and CEO of Master Builders South Africa. He holds an LLB and a Post Graduate Certificate in Compliance Management, and has served on many boards including the IRBA and NHBRC. He is the current Chairman of the JBCC.
Mr Theunis Chamberlain is an aviation executive with over 28 years of leadership in Engineering and ICT across airports in Africa and the Middle East. His early career included an eight-year tenure at O.R. Tambo International Airport (1997–2005) as Head of Electrical and Electronic Maintenance. Since 2007, he has delivered expert consultancy for Aviation Project and Management Services across the SADC. He holds an MBA from the University of South Africa and a B.Eng. in Electronic Engineering from the University of Johannesburg.
Mr Kurt Parker brings more than 26 years of experience in Procurement and Supply Chain. He serves as Managing Partner at Supply Unchained and Director at Hazishi, and previously held the Strategic Procurement Manager role at Growthpoint Properties. Ms Ulandi Exner is an accomplished ICT professional with over two decades of multinational experience in technology leadership, governance, and digital transformation. She is a former President of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) and the first woman to serve as Chairperson of the Africa ICT Alliance (AfICTA). She currently serves on multiple boards including Broadband Infraco, SAPS, Bestmed, and the Presidency of South Africa.
ACSA’s turnaround trajectory is evidenced by its landmark financial performance for the year ended 31 March 2025, where the organisation reported a record net profit of R1.1 billion, more than double the R472 million achieved in 2023/24. The strong financial position resulted in the approval of R198 million in accrued preference share dividends, and ACSA declared R113 million in ordinary share dividends for 2024/25. With these strategic appointments, the ACSA Board of Directors now comprises twelve members, blending industry veterans with forward-thinking innovators to drive aviation excellence.