Airports company South Africa (ACSA) has announced the board appointments of Irvin Phenyane as chairperson, and Xoliswa Daku, Keitumetse Mahlangu, Surendra Sooklal, Roy Mnisi and Theunis Chamberlain, following their formal induction. Kurt Parker and Ulandi Exner will join the board on August 6.

The arrival of the new board members comes at a pivotal moment for ACSA as it accelerates its R21-billion airports upgrade programme and innovation strategy to enhace connectivity, passenger experience and operational resilience.

Phenyane brings over 20 years of aviation expertise, including leadership in greenfield airport projects and innovative, disruptive initiatives for aviation destination development.

He previously held nonexecutive director positions at ACSA and the Transport Education Training Authority, and served for four years on the International Air Services Licensing Council.

He currently serves as chairperson of the Drone Council SA and has served various clients on transformation, project management, strategy, and global business development. He has been an adviser to the taxi industry since 2008, including supporting major events such as the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and the 2013 CAF Football Tournament, both hosted in South Africa.

Daku is the founder and CEO of DAKU, a 22-year-old private entity with diverse subsidiaries in property, law, and energy. A legal professional with 29 years of experience, she served as the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency chairperson and University of the Western Cape Council chairperson.

Mahlangu is an admitted attorney and a seasoned legal professional and executive with over 20 years in legal practice, governance, investigation and cross-border road transport regulation. She has served on various boards and audit committees, including the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, the Gauteng Film Commission, the Department of Human Settlements, and the Gauteng Rental Housing Tribunal, among others.

With over 35 years of expertise in risk management, external and internal audit, regulatory oversight, and governance, Sooklal is group executive at telecommunications company MTN, where he served as the group chief business risk officer, overseeing risk management, internal audit, group insurance, business continuity, crisis management, and cybersecurity. He was a member of the disciplinary committee at the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors and a long-standing audit partner at global professional services firm PwC South Africa.

As the former South African Civil Aviation Authority audit and risk committee chairperson and human resource committee member, his deep knowledge of enterprise risk and compliance is viewed as key to strengthening ACSA's board in navigating complex operational challenges.

Mnisi is an experienced executive director with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. He is skilled in legal, corporate governance, risk management, compliance, negotiation, business planning, management, strategic leadership and policy analysis with almost 20 years of experience as an executive.

Chamberlain is an experienced aviation executive with over 28 years of leadership in engineering and information and communications technology (ICT) across airports in Africa and the Middle East. His early career is highlighted by an eight-year tenure at OR Tambo International Airport, in Johannesburg, where he served as electrical and electronic maintenance head.

He then transitioned into technology leadership, serving as IT manager before being appointed ICT programme manager for ACSA in 2006. 

Since 2007, Chamberlain has delivered expert consultancy for aviation consulting company Aviation Project and Management Services on various airport projects across the Southern African Development Community. His expertise spans analytical operations, airport management, international civil aviation organisation standards, systems design, programme management, and business development.

Parker brings more than 26 years of experience in procurement and supply chain, projects, bridging strategy and operations. He serves as managing partner at business consulting company Supply Unchained (supply chain, procurement, procurement technology, operations strategy consulting and Africa logistics) and director at industrial equipment supplier Hazishi (IT development, project management, procurement analytics & process, ESD strategy & training).

Previously, he held the strategic procurement manager role at property management company Growthpoint Properties and the IT support manager role at short-term insurance company Mutual & Federal. 

Exner is an experienced ICT professional and business leader with over two decades of multinational experience in technology leadership, governance, and digital transformation. She has held senior executive roles, including Group IT executive, COO, and director, and formerly served as the chairperson of the Africa ICT Alliance, the first woman ever to hold this position.

A former president of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa, Exner has worked tirelessly in advancing the professionalisation of the ICT industry, strengthening governance and promoting ethical leadership.

She currently serves on multiple boards and governance committees, including at telecommunications service provider Broadband Infraco, the South Africa Police Service, health insurance agency Bestmed, the Presidency of South Africa and the Department of Science and Innovation, where she contributes to shaping policy and governance frameworks.

ACSA’s turnaround trajectory is evidenced by the delivery of its financial performance for the year ended March 31, 2025, for which it reported a record net profit of R1.1-billion, more than double the R472-million achieved in 2023/24. 

The strong financial position resulted in the approval of the payment of R198-million in accrued preference share dividends, and ACSA declared R113-million in ordinary share dividends for 2024/25.

With these strategic appointments, the ACSA board now comprises 12 members, blending industry veterans with disruptive innovators to drive aviation excellence.

The company highlights that the depth of experience will strengthen ACSA’s ability to enhance connectivity, improve passenger experience, strengthen governance, and deliver on its infrastructure programme while positioning the organisation for sustainable growth.