4 minute read
Trailblazer - Xoliswa Mpongoshe
Leading the way in Transport, Energy and Education Sectors
By Jessie Taylor
One of the women guiding state-owned enterprises such as Transet and PetroSa will now take on a role in shaping young minds.
Xoliswa Mpongoshe was recently appointed Chairperson of the Council for the University of the Western Cape (UWC), a role to which she will bring extensive management experience.
Experience Grounded in SEO Management
Xoliswa has served as Chief Compliance and Risk Officer (CCRO) at Transnet, acted as CEO at Transnet on several occasions, and was the Executive of Corporate Services at PetroSA.
She has since been seconded to the newly established South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), where she is a vital member of the first Executive Committee, working to establish and operationalise this new entity with appropriate governance systems. The SANPC is poised to become a leading player in South Africa's energy sector. The entity aims to ensure energy security, drive new technologies, develop and enable essential infrastructure, foster strategic partnerships and propel social and economic development.
The SANPC board will manage the winding down of the three Central Energy Fund (CEF) Group of Companies entities that are being merged: PetroSA, iGas and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF).
The SANPC will be incorporated as a subsidiary of CEF Group of Companies until the National Petroleum Bill is promulgated into law, and the proposed new Stateowned entity will focus primarily on oil and gas exploration and production, as well as midstream and downstream operations and infrastructure. It also has a broad mandate to acquire, generate, manufacture, market or distribute “any form of energy”, including renewable energy.
Contributing To The Higher Education Sector
Ms Mpongoshe will now take on the position of Chairperson of the Council for the UWC. In the past, the position was held by Mthunzi Mdwaba and Brian Williams.
She is a distinguished UWC law graduate who brings a wealth of experience as an executive leader, specialising in corporate governance, corporate law, commercial law, risk management, compliance, health, safety, and sustainability. Her impressive career spans both the private and public sectors, where she has held key executive positions at various blue-chip companies in South Africa and strategic state-owned enterprises.
Xoliswa’s extensive board experience, where she often assumed the role of Chairperson, includes her exposure to industries such as financial services, telecommunications, transport and logistics, and oil and gas.
She is guided by her leadership philosophy, "Lift as you rise," and upholds values of respect, accountability, transparency, integrity, and authenticity. She described her aspirations as emitting love, peace, and joy in all her endeavours.
The appointment of a woman as chairperson comes when the higher education sector is working towards increasing gender parity. Despite some progress in increasing the recruitment of women into academic and senior management roles, the pace of transformation remains sluggish.
Women hold the position of vice-chancellor at just 25% of universities nationwide. According to the Department of Higher Education estimates, only about 43% of permanent academic staff in public higher education institutions are women.
The figures are even lower for senior academic roles, with only 18.5% of professors and 29.8% of associate professors being women. This contrasts with the fact that women represent the majority of students in these institutions.
About The University of The Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape (UWC), established in 1960, stands as a distinctive force in South African higher education. The institution is dedicated to advancing excellence in learning, teaching, research, and innovation within a globally competitive context.
UWC is renowned for its historical resistance against apartheid and its ongoing commitment to combating oppression, discrimination, and inequality in contemporary South Africa. As a pivotal player in the nation’s transformative journey, UWC has been instrumental in fostering a just and dynamic society through its unique academic contributions.
Home to over 23 000 students engaged in undergraduate and postgraduate studies across seven faculties, UWC employs a dedicated team of 2 400 academic, professional, and support staff.
Year after year, UWC has been featured among the top 1000 universities in the University Rankings by Academic Performance (URAP).
