Johannesburg – Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has appointed Siphamandla Mthethwa as its new chief executive officer, bringing a former senior executive back to the state-owned airport operator as it moves into a major infrastructure investment phase.
Mthethwa will take over from acting CEO Charles Shilowa on 1 November 2026 and will also serve as an executive director of ACSA. The appointment was announced by the ACSA board on Friday, September 25.
Mthethwa previously served as ACSA’s chief financial officer and executive director from 2020 to 2023.
During his previous stint, he oversaw a R6 billion funding programme, ACSA’s financial recovery strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic and the issuing of a R1.8 billion bond without a government guarantee.
“He has served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Airports Company South Africa from 2020 to 2023, where he provided strategic financial leadership for South Africa’s network of nine major airports,” said ACSA.
“During his tenure, he led a successful R6 billion funding programme, oversaw the implementation of the company’s financial recovery strategy during the COVID-19 period, and facilitated the issuance of a R1.8 billion bond without a government guarantee.”
Mthethwa is a chartered accountant with more than 20 years of leadership experience across the financial services, energy, mining, telecommunications and aviation sectors.
Major infrastructure programme
His career has included senior roles at Eskom, the Central Energy Fund, Sentech and the African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation. He also served as CFO of the CEF and on the boards of PetroSA and African Exploration.
ACSA operates South Africa’s major airports, including OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and King Shaka International Airport, as well as six other airports.
The appointment comes as ACSA embarks on a major infrastructure programme. The company announced in May that its new board would oversee a R21 billion airport upgrade programme aimed at improving connectivity, passenger experience and operational resilience.
The airport operator has also reported a strong financial recovery. BusinessTech reported earlier this month that ACSA recorded R8.8 billion in revenue and R1.2 billion profit after tax for the 2025/26 financial year, with revenue rising 11.6% year on year.
Mthethwa’s return follows the departure of Mpumi Mpofu, whose fixed-term contract ended on June 30. ACSA appointed Shilowa as acting CEO from July 1 while it searched for a permanent replacement.
ACSA said its board “extends its best wishes to Mr Mthethwa for every success in his new role” and expressed its “sincere appreciation” to Shilowa for his leadership during his acting tenure.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
