Dr Khoza is a seasoned executive and acknowledged strategist with remarkable business acumen honed from 30 years of senior management and directorship experience in the public and private sectors. She is the Group CEO of Bigen Africa – an African infrastructure development company specialising in engineering, management consulting and development finance. Refer to www.bigenafrica.com.
A recognised African Infrastructure Development Activist fighting to improve the quality of life of people through infrastructure development ensuring access to [for example] water, sanitation, education and health sectors. Her contribution in business and government in this sector was recognised this year [2016] by Women4Africa a London-based organization, as one of the top African women leaders in her sector. In 2015, she was recognized by Counsel for Engineers South Africa’s Young Professionals Forum as one of the ten women for “Special achievements and sterling contributions to, as well as for uplifting the role of women in, the construction industry and consulting engineering profession”. In the same year, she was recognized by CEO Global as one of the three South African women Ambassadors for Most Influential Women in Africa. Also in 2015, she was awarded the Top Performing Business Leader Award in South Africa during the 13th South African Business Awards. In 2014, Dr Khoza was recognized as one of the six South African women who received the Africa Lifetime Achievers Awards of the Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government in the infrastructure sector.
Dr Khoza is also an influential and inspirational leader and well-recognized and sought-after public and motivational speaker.
She has given keynote addresses at international [e.g. FIDIC in Barcelona], continental [e.g. WIPO in Senegal] and national [several Business Women’s Forums] conferences on topics mainly in infrastructure development and development financing space.
Prior Working Experience:
Before joining Bigen Africa as Chief Executive Officer in 2010, Dr Khoza was:
– Group Executive at the Development Bank of Southern Africa [DBSA] from 1999 to 2000 returned back 2002 – 2010, which was the culmination of a number of positions including IT, Strategy, Governance, Communications, Knowledge Management, Policy, Human Resources, Research and Information Analysis.
– In between the DBSA, she worked as Executive manager: Strategy, Policy and Research at the National Electricity Regulator [NER now NERSA] from 2000 to 2002; and
– Was Chief Director of Strategic Policy development and Planning at the Department of Welfare [now Social Development] from 1997 to 1999.
Board Experience:
Previous
Dr Khoza’s past [1998 to 2015] public sector board profile includes the following:
- Board/Council member of the Statistics South Africa (StatsSA);
- Chairman of the Family and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA – Pretoria) as the first black woman to chair the society;
- Chairman of the Water Research Commission (WRC) as the first woman to chair this Commission;
- Board member of the National Housing Financing Corporation (NHFC) where she also chaired the Risk Committee;
- Founding Chairman of the Centre of Social Development in Africa (CSDA) at the University of Johannesburg;
- The founding continental Chair of Knowledge Management Africa (KMA) while working at the DBSA; and
- Chairman of the multibillion rand Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) as the first woman to fill the position;
- Chairman of the Distributing Agency of Arts, Culture, National Heritage and Environment within the National Lotteries Board of South Africa.
- The ministerial advisory panels for the former Ministries of the then Water and Forestry (now Water and Sanitation) as well as Housing (now Human Settlements) where they advised the ministers on issues related to these sectors in the country.
- Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Women Development Business (WDB) which funds rural women businesses in South Africa.
In the private sector she was from 2002 to 2007:
- Chairman of Bihati Pty LTD board;
- Chairman of EMCO [Australian energy Market Company] International.
- Board member of Freight Dynamics (a subsidiary of Transnet);
- Editorial Advisory Board member of Transport World Africa; and
- Editorial advisory Board of the then Chamber of Commerce and Industry of South Africa now SACCI.
Current
Currently Dr Khoza serves in the following private sector organizations:
2013 to date – is a board member of one of the largest black-owned audit firms in South Africa – SikelaXabiso. She is Chairman of the company’s Audit, Finance, Risk and IT Committee.
2015 to date – is a board member of ANSYS an engineering technology company specializing in design and development of engineering solutions for the rail, defence, mining and telecoms industries. She is Chairman of the company’s Social and Ethics Committee.
Currently in the public sector:
2013 to date – is the member of the Province of Limpopo’s Premier’s Advisory Council and chairs the Council’s Development Finance, Trade and Investments Technical Working Group.
2013 to date – is the Advisory Board Member of the Water Institute of the University of Pretoria.
2011 to date – is the President of AGAPE Christian Women’s network – an NPO that supports women, children and the elderly in the South African rural communities.
Academic achievements:
2008: MBA (Masters in Business administration), University of Cape Town
2005: Finance for Executives, INSEAD, France
2001: Utility Regulation and Strategy, University of Florida, USA
2000: Global Programme for Management Development, University of Michigan,
USA and University of Navarra, Spain
1998: Certificate in Economics and Public Finance, University of South Africa
1996: PhD (Social Policy), Brandeis University, USA
1990: MA (Social Science), University of South Africa
1986: BA Honours (Social Work), University of Fort Hare
1981: BA (Social Work), University of the North