Board of Directors

Ms. Ayanda Noah - Chairperson

Ms Noah, a professional engineer with 29 years of experience in Energy, is MD of her engineering consultancy, AN Duke Solutions. She is also CEO: Utility Coach and Director at Enerdigm. Prior to venturing into business, she served at Eskom as Group Executive for Distribution & Customer Services Division. Governance experience includes serving as Director at Eskom Rotek Industries, SANEA, CSIR and EAP, as well as currently Chair: Performance Committee at Lesedi Local Municipality. She holds an MBA from the International Management Centre, an Executive Development Programme from WITS, an Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School and a BSc (Electrical Engineering) from UCT. She is accredited as a Pr Eng with ECSA, a member of SAIEE and IoDSA. In 2020, Ms Noah was appointed Group Chairperson of the CEF Board.

Dr. Ishmael Poolo

Dr Poolo is a seasoned executive with over 20 years’ experience in the energy sector. He has demonstrable ability and business acumen in initiating projects and delivering sustained results. His strength lies in strategizing and leading cross-functional teams in the improvement of business processes aim at delivering shareholder value –both as a leader and expert consultant in the energy sector. He was appointed to the position in 2020.

Advocate Hassan graduated from the University of Natal with a law degree. She established the Women of Africa (WOA) Investment Group in 2005, which is a women-owned, women-managed, Black-Economic Empowerment company strongly committed to gender empowerment. Its extensive networks, solid reputation as a company of integrity, industry expertise as well as its broad ranging partner relationships with private and state-owned finance organisations positions WOA to be a reputable service provider in the pharmaceutical, construction, logistics and energy sectors.

Mr. Nkululeko Poya - Non Executive Director

Poya is a Civil Engineering Technologist with 20 years’ experience in the Road and Railway Industry of which more than 15 years was at Executive Management level. He currently serves as a Director of Umtongata Holdings which has divisions within the Agriculture and Energy sector.

Rail makes up a big portion of Mr. Poya’s experience, having worked for Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Spoornet, as well as heading up the team responsible for the Eastern Cape Department of Transport’s Kei Rail project. He also worked as a Deputy Director General (DDG: Transport Infrastructure) responsible for Road Infrastructure, Public Transport and Traffic Management and was involved in management of Maritime activities within the Eastern Cape Province including Port Infrastructure Development and the IDZ’s. Mr. Poya also had an opportunity to work as a CEO of the Railway Safety Regulator where he regulated more than 250 railway operators

Ms. Sondlo is the CEO of Sondlo Chartered Accountants. She has 18 years’ experience in public and private sector environment where her expertise stretches from external audit, internal audit, risk and financial management as well as audit clean-up operations and preparation of annual financial statements in terms of IFRS & GRAP. She is a member of South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa (IIASA) and Independent Regulatory Board of Auditors (IRBA).

Mr. Tseliso Maqubela 

Mr Maqubela is currently the DDG for Petroleum and Petroleum Products  Regulations at the Department on Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). He has 21 years of experience in the energy sector having commenced his career at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. He led the drafting team for the Nuclear Energy Policy of SA & is currently the chairperson of the Council for Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Production. He holds a MAP & a BSc (Hons). He was reappointed a non-executive director (DMRE representative) at CEF Board in 2017.

Ms. Unati Figlan - Non Executive Director

Ms. Figlan is a professional with over 18 years of experience which spans engineering management, infrastructure project management, power utility, railways, and executive leadership. She runs Hlonela Engineering Solutions (Pty) LTD and is also a member of a farming and educational Co-operations called Punqa Pty Ltd and X-squared Pty Ltd.
Ms Figlan has chaired and sat on several committees at her previous employment of Eskom distribution where she was responsible to manage risk, and its tasks, including but not limited to oversight and approval of the enterprise risk management framework including responsibilities on behalf of the board. She has also served an Executive Director of PowerTech Transformers, Dorper, Wind Farm IPP Power Matla renewables and Empower a Thousand Holdings.
She holds a BSc Electrical Engineering at the University of Cape Town and is a Certified Engineer for factories (GCC). I hold an MOP from Gordon institute of Business Science (GIBS).

Mr. Jim Besnaar - Non Executive Director

Mr. Besnaar is currently the CEO for Makomota Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd who has successfully held senior positions both at provincial and local government level. He also serves as a director/shareholder at Circle Way Trading, Bricksnet, Yard Plant Rentals (Pty) Ltd and Dragon Loo (Pty) Ltd. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession

Ms. Gosetseone Florence Leketi 

Ms. Leketi is not a newcomer to the oil, petroleum and gas sector. She is currently a Chief Director: Petroleum and Petroleum Products at the DMRE and also serves as a director at the Chieta-Base Chemicals and Petroleum Chamber. She holds a BCom (Hons) Statistics. She was appointed a non-executive director (DMRE representative) at CEF Board in 2016.

Ms. Disietsi Morabe

Ms. Morabe has over 26 years of experience in Finance, Supply Chain Management and Policy analysis. She served as a member of Finance Committees; Risk and Audit Committees; and Director in Boards of different entities. She also served as the moderator for the Financial Management Key Performance Area in the National and Provincial Government Management Performance Assessment Project led by DPME. Her responsibilities at CEF include overseeing the Corporate Finance, Supply Chain Management and Treasury functions of the CEF Group as well as providing strategic support to the Group CEO and the CEF Group on corporate financial matters. She holds an MCom and BCom Hons in Economics - Public Finance, BCom (Economics & Business Economics) and Certificates in Management Development Program and Executive Development Program