The Minerals Council South Africa has officially appointed mining and renewable energy company Exxaro Resources stakeholder affairs executive head Mzila Mthenjane as its new CEO.

He will take over from Roger Baxter, who will be leaving the Minerals Council at the end of June. 

During his nine years as CEO, Baxter oversaw a rebranding of the then-Chamber of Mines to become the Minerals Council South Africa. Part of this rebranding was the fundamental repositioning of the Minerals Council as a modern, responsive organisation aimed at becoming a respected business advocacy group. 

“Through his unwavering commitment to making South Africa a better place, [Baxter] has provided a blueprint for us all to emulate. South Africa’s mining industry is indebted to him for his passionate and principled leadership during some very challenging times for our industry,” Minerals Council president Nolitha Fakude said at the Mineral Council’s annual general meeting (AGM), in Johannesburg, on May 31, where she was re-elected for a third consecutive term.

“We are pleased to appoint someone of Mzila’s experience and ability to the role of Minerals Council CEO. He has, in his three decades of involvement in the mining and financial industries, garnered the experience the Minerals Council needs for its next chapter in a rapidly changing world.

"He is coming in when the focus of all stakeholders is now more on economic, environment, social and governance matters, with mining expected to play a significant role in this regard,” she added.

The Minerals Council represents 78 mining companies and associations representing more than 1 000 junior, emerging and exploration companies. Its members account for 90% of South Africa’s mineral production.

Mthenjane received a bursary to study a BSc (Engineering) in mining in 1992 from diversified miner Anglo American. He started his mining career as a junior mining engineer at the Elandsrand Gold Mine. 

After joining Rand Merchant Bank in 1998 as a management trainee, he joined Gold Fields in 2002 as senior manager of corporate development. After two years in the role, he joined Deutsche Securities South Africa as Global Corporate Finance VP until 2006.

Up to 2009, Mthenjane was Royal Bafokeng Holdings investment manager, after which he joined Royal Bafokeng Platinum in 2009 as business sustainability executive. He was involved in the listing of the company on the JSE in 2010.

In 2013, Mthenjane joined Exxaro as strategy and stakeholder engagement executive head, where he was responsible for facilitation, development and maintenance of the group’s business strategy processes.

Since 2017, in his role as stakeholder affairs executive head, he consolidated most stakeholder engagements under one function. This included community development and engagement, as well as overseeing enterprise and supplier development activity.

“I'd like to say farewell, after nearly three decades in the industry. I'm not leaving the mining sector. I'm not leaving South Africa. It's been a privilege and a deep honour to have been entrusted with the leadership of the Minerals Council over the past nine years.

"It is a very solid platform with excellent leadership, a great internal team, a determination to help the country prosper and an industry that really does matter for South Africa,” Baxter commented during the AGM.