Sakumzi "Saki" Macozoma African Millionaire

SAKUMZI ‘SAKI’ MACOZOMA

Macozoma Sakumzi

Chief Executive Officer, New Africa Investments Limited (NAIL), South Africa
New Africa Investments (NAIL)
Investment holding company with significant assets in financial services, media and a portfolio of strategic investment interests.
Personal Profile:
Studies in Poli. Sci., Econ. and Journalism, Univ. of South Africa & Boston. Dep. Dir., Dept Head, Dependants' Conference & Communications Dir., SACC; 1990-92, Head, Media Liaison, Info. and Publicity Dept., ANC; 1993-94, Business Dev. Manager, SAB; 1996-2001, Managing Dir., Transnet. Since 2001, current position. 1994-96, MP; 1995, Chair, Nat'l Elections Commission. 1997, Chair, Parliamentary Portfolio Cttee. on Communications. Member of the Board: New Africa Investments; Murray and Roberts Group; Liberty Life.



Sakumzi (Saki) Macozoma chairman of financial institutions STANLIB and Andisa Capital, a director of the Standard Bank of South Africa, the Standard Group, the Liberty Group, New Africa Investments Limited (NAIL), Murray and Roberts and Volkswagen SA. Mr Macozoma is also a significant shareholder in and deputy chairman of Safika Holdings

In 1997 Mr Macozoma became the first black person to be appointed managing director of Transnet, the state-owned transport giant that controls South Africa’s railways, ports and national airline. He was spectacularly successful at the helm of the company, turning years of losses into profits in 1998 and 1999. He left Transnet in February 2001 to concentrate on private business interests.

Mr Macozoma was born on 12 May 1957 and educated at All Saints Mission School in Transkei, Loyiso Secondary School in Port Elizabeth and Kwazakele High School, Port Elizabeth. He studied political science, economics and journalism at the University of South Africa and Boston University in the USA.

He embarked on a political career in the mid-1970s as an organiser for the South African Students Movement. In 1976 he was arrested for leading a student protest march and sentenced to five years imprisonment on Robben Island. Released in 1982, he became active in the Detainees Support Committee and played an instrumental role in the formation of the United Democratic Front.

During the late 1980s, Mr Macozoma represented the church in a group of political organisations opposed to apartheid known as the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM). This umbrella body included the National Reception Committee, which was involved in negotiating the release of all political prisoners.

Until 1990, Mr Macozoma headed the Legal Aid Department of the Dependants Conference of the South African Council of Churches. From 1990 to 1992, he headed the Media Liaison Unit of the Department of Information and Publicity of the African National Congress (ANC). In 1991, he was elected to the ANC’s most important body, the National Executive Committee, a position he still holds have won re-election in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

From 1993 to 1994, Mr Macozoma was business development manager at South African Breweries. In 1994 he became a member of parliament and was elected chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications.

In 1995, he was appointed chairperson of the ANC’s National Elections Commission, a body responsible for supervising and managing local government elections. In the same year he was elected to the National Working Committee of the ANC. In 1995 and in January 1996, Mr Macozoma participated in two election observer missions in Palestinian elections.

In April 1996, Mr Macozoma resigned from parliament to become managing director of Transnet, a company whose assets were then worth R40-billion. He tackled an R8-billion pension fund drain that had hampered the company’s performance and spearheaded a policy of affirmative action and black empowerment.

Mr Macozoma is co-chair of the Business Trust, Chairman of the Council on Higher Education and the Board of Governors member of Rhodes University and the University of the Witwatersrand. He is the Chairman of the Kwazulu – Natal Philharmonic Orchestra

He lives in Johannesburg and is married with three children.