By Simon Nare
South African Tourism (SAT) announced on Wednesday that it had appointed Sithembile Ndaba as chief marketing officer and Ismail Dockrat as chief operating officer, completing the entity’s full executive leadership team after months of instability at the organisation.
The appointments take effect on 1 April 2026 for Ndaba and 1 May 2026 for Dockrat, the agency said in a statement.
SAT said the appointments complete its executive leadership team following the appointment of a chief financial officer and chief audit executive in January 2026, and a chief convention bureau officer in December 2025.
Ndaba joins the tourism agency from Brand South Africa, where she served as general manager of marketing and also held acting roles as chief executive officer and chief marketing officer.
SAT said she had played a key role in advancing the country’s nation brand identity and global reputation, while representing the organisation on international platforms including the World Economic Forum and BRICS.
The agency said Ndaba has more than 25 years of experience spanning brand strategy, global positioning, integrated marketing and reputation management, and has worked in both the public and private sectors, including at Pioneer Foods, Tiger Brands and Unilever.
It also said she serves as an advisory board member of the CMO Council Sub-Saharan Africa chapter and City Nation Place in the United Kingdom.
“Every new role is an opportunity to reimagine what’s possible. I step into this role with gratitude, clarity of purpose, and a deep commitment to building with others, because the best journeys are never walked alone,” Ndaba said.
Dockrat, an engineer with an MBA from the University of Cape Town, brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across aviation, aerospace manufacturing, logistics and distribution, trade, investment and tourism promotion, and go-to-market execution, the statement said.
SAT said he has held senior roles at institutions including CSIR, ARMSCOR, Trade and Investment South Africa, WESGRO, DENEL and Glodina, and has led organisational turnarounds, governance strengthening and digital transformation initiatives.
“Serving my beautiful country fills me with pride, and I believe South Africa shines as one of the world’s top destinations, offering unparalleled adventures and cultural richness,” Dockrat said.
“I look forward to driving operational excellence and innovation, working closely with our teams and partners, to showcase our nation’s unmatched beauty and spirit, inspiring travellers from every corner of the globe,” he added.
Acting chief executive Shamilla Chettiar said the appointments left SAT with a full executive leadership team that was well-positioned to drive organisational excellence, transformation, and the global elevation of the country’s tourism brand.
The appointments come after a prolonged governance dispute at the entity.
In August 2025, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said the board’s precautionary suspension of chief executive Nombulelo Guliwe was unlawful because the board no longer had a chairperson and was, in her view, not properly constituted to take that decision.
Days later, de Lille dissolved the board, saying it had unlawfully convened a special meeting after the resignation of its chairperson.
The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) said the dissolution undermined governance, stability and the industry’s international reputation.
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