Corporate Governance

Independent Non-Executive Chairman

Elias Hwenga

Education and Profession

• Bachelor of Accountancy (Hons) University of Zimbabwe
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) UK
• Associate of Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators (ACIS)
• Master’s in Business Administration: University of Natal (2003)
• Fellow of Chartered Institute of management Accountants (FCMA)

Farming Experience

• Elias has several years of experience in Agro-Industry
• He is a farmer in the Beatrice area focusing on horticulture for exports, Cannabis under license from Switzerland, Maize, Chilies, and chicken farming.
• He has vast grain and tobacco farming and trading experience gained through chairmanship of Northern farming and Northern Tobacco.
• Throughout his career, he worked in plantations, coffee estates, banana plantations, playing a pivotal role in investment decisions in those businesses

Equity Investments and Insurance Experience

• Successfully raised private capital for tea and coffee production in Zimbabwe,
• Was instrumental in the merger between African Plantations Corporation and Radar Holdings Limited to form Rift Valley Holdings
• Was instrumental in the acquisition and subsequent integration of Tassburg
• Led successive acquisition and disposal of businesses in the agriculture industry

Governance

• He is the current board Chairman of Northern Tobacco Limited,
• He is Current Chairman Border Timbers Limited
• Former Chairman of Steward Bank
• Director Sterkinekor Zimbabwe
• Principal Operator Pizza Hut Zimbabwe
• Managing Director Radar Holdings
• Director Radar Investments (Private) Limited

Independent non-Executive Director

Elizabeth Pambuka

Education and Profession

• Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA)
• Wolverhampton University BSc Accounting and Finance

Equity Investments and Insurance Experience

• Elizabeth is Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA) with over 8 years experience in investment in emerging markets.
• She is an experienced equity fundraiser and internationally savvy industry executive who is recognised as a thought leader in African investment models.
• She is a visionary leader who has built company infrastructures from ground up spearheading profitable growth and propelling small companies to their nnext level of growth and expansion

Governance

• Thandinvest – Managing Partner
• Pickmeup Nigeria – Executive Board Member/ VP Growth
• Telekumbu Angola – Advisory Board Member
• Institute of Directors Zimbabwe – Diaspora Chairperson
• Institute of Enterprise Risk Practitioners – Risk and Corporate Governance Senior Consultant
• Letsgrow Agritech Hub – Founder and Program Director
• Member – African Corporate Governance Network

Independent non-Executive Director

Wendy Matashu Madzura

Education and Profession

• Masters in Crop Science Agronomy University of Zimbabwe (current)
• BSc Agronomy Honours Degree

Agricultural Experience

• Commercial agronomist (Mash East, Manicaland, and Masvingo)
• SeedCo Zimbabwe Limited Head agronomy services
• Wendy has received several accolades for her contributions in the agriculture and extension services, these include:
• National young Agro Professional of the year award. Zimbabwe’s Top young Agro professional in the Federation of young farmer awards 2018
• Outstanding young women in Agriculture in the national young champion farmer award 2019
• One of the top twenty Agricultural economic empowers in the national young champion farmer award 2019
• Best women extension & agronomy provision “private sector” Youths in Agriculture awards 2020

Governance

• She is the Board Chair of 4-H Zimbabwe
• She sits on several boards for local Private Agricultural companies: Fairful investments board member and Mossfield Investments board member.

Global Experience

• Throughout her role as the SeedCo head of agronomy services, Wendy has worked with the SeedCo international group members in the development of several agronomy documents that give structure and guidelines to agronomy and extension services.
• She has also worked on a project that was investigating the future of the seed business by 2043.
• This has enabled her to acquire a global context of issues affecting farmers in Africa & Beyond.

Executive Director

Dr Oliver Mtasa

Education and Profession

• Bachelor of Accountancy Honours (UZ)
• Chartered Accountant (Zimbabwe) (30 Years)
• Master of Business Administration (UZ)
• Doctor of Business Administration (Switzerland)
• Registered Assessor (ICAZ)
• Estate Administrator (CEA)
• Insolvency Practitioner (IPAZ)
• Public Auditor (PAAB)

Agric Experience

• Farmer since 1995. Now owns and has farming operations in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East. Mgargwi farm (tobacco, horticulture, 80 tons chickens for Irvines)
• Headed all Lonrho farming businesses. Financial Controller for TZI agricultural enterprises including Agrifora-flowers (Zambia), Zambezi Ranching Company (Zambia), Zambeef (Zambia)
• Art Corporation Plantations (Mutare Board & Paper Mills). SMM Holdings Agric divisions: FSI Agricomm, Steelnet Agric Implements

Equity Investments and Insurance Experience

• Investing surplus funds, raising, and deploying capital as Group Accountant and Group Treasurer at Lonrho
• Headed Investments and meet IPEC requirements at Zimnat as CFO and later CEO. Board member of Zimnat Wealth Management.
• Member of the Investment Committee, got involved in alternative investments as Chairman of First Mutual Life
• Involved in the expansion of Insurance Business at Zimnat/TA Holdings leading acquisition of Botswana Insurance Company, Lion Assurance Company in Uganda, Zimnat Wealth, Generation Health and Grand Reinsurance

Governance

• As a high stickler for good corporate governance, have and still sits a on the boards of, besides the ones mentioned above, TAP (Zambia). CFI General Beltings, Zimnat Life, FSI Agricomm, Art Corporation, First Mutual Reinsurance, Tristar Insurance, Tarnell, SMM Holdings,
• The Topic for the thesis for the DBA focused on corporate governance with special focus on one of the financial sectors of Banking
• Has set on board committees of audit, human resources, governance, and investment of various boards including Zimnat, First Mutual Life, SMM Holdings

Executive Director

Zondi Kumwenda

Education and Profession

• Bachelor of technology in Accountancy: University of Zimbabwe (1992)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Accountancy: University of Zimbabwe 1995)
• Chartered Accountant Institute of Chartered Accountancy (Zimbabwe) 1997 (CAZ)
• Business Administration: Manchester Business School (2004)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountant (CIMA) Managerial Diploma 2010
• Leadership Certificate (UCT) Graduate School of Business 2008
• Corporate Finance Certificate (ICAZ) 2021
• Zondi trained with Coopers & Lybrand (EY) and his last employment in the profession before joining Industry and commerce was Audit Manager of KPMG (Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe)

Agric Experience

• He has a deep understanding of the Zimbabwe Agriculture industrial landscape spanning over 20 years.
• Led the largest exporter of traditional agricultural equipment in Southern Africa. The group won the Zimtrade exporter of the year twice during his tenure.
• He had a stint with a large manufacturer of edible oils, and stock feeds as part of the agricultural value chain experience.
• In recognition of his agricultural expertise, he was engaged as part of the Expert Group for UNIDO (FAO) Agricultural Mechanization in Africa 2008, (https://www.unido.org/…/agricultural_mechanization_in_Africa.pd)
• He was also part of the East and central Africa strategy experts on Agriculture mechanization.

Equity Investments and Insurance Experience

• As CFO he was involved in the merger between Zimplow and Bulawayo Steel Products in 1997,
• Was instrumental in the acquisition of CT Bolts in 2006
• Was instrumental in the acquisition and subsequent integration of Tassburg
• Led the acquisition of Tractive Power Holdings by Zimplow in 2011, to form the largest Agricultural, mining, and earthmoving equipment supplier in Zimbabwe. This more than doubled the balance sheet of Zimplow,
• Took the Group through financial, operational, and cultural integration.
• Led the corporate and stepped acquisition of Barzem by Barloworld (RSA)
• During his Tenure Zimplow won the best performing company on the Stock Exchange 3 times
• He was Chairman of the TPH group Pension fund and Zimplow Holdings Pension fund. Presided over the merger of the two pension funds
• Involved as Managing Director of a local Asset Management business

Governance

• He is the current board Chairman of RADAR Holdings Limited,
• Member of IODZ
• He sits on several boards for local Private companies
• He is the past Group CEO of Zimplow Holdings Limited
• He is past President of the Engineering Iron and Steel Association in Zimbabwe (developed the Steel Strategy for Zimbabwe Steel Industry)
• He has served on the main Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe (ICAZ) up to July 2016.
• He is a winner of the following awards:
• 2011 National Manager of the Year from Zimbabwe Institute of Management
• 2011 ZNCC Southern Region Manager of the year
• 2011 Southern Region manager of the year Zimbabwe Institute of Management

Global Exposure

• Throughout his career, he has had occasions to travel to various regional and international destinations to meet export customers, suppliers, principals like Barloworld UK, AGCO in the UK, and USA’s Caterpillar.
• This has enabled him to acquire a global context of issues affecting businesses in Africa and beyond.