MEET OUR TEAM

Meet the team powering SmartXchange. Experienced leaders, passionate innovators, and people committed to empowering MSMEs

LEADERSHIP BOARD & PATRONS

Eleni Kwinana Malumbete

Since 1 April 2025, he has been the newly appointed Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU). Previously, he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching at SU from January 2021. Before his appointments at Stellenbosch, he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research (March 2017 to December 2020) and Pro Vice-Chancellor: Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (March 2013 to February 2017) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He also held the DST/NRF South Africa Research Chair (SARChI): Fluorine Process Engineering and Separation Technology at UKZN from September 2007 to December 2018. He was appointed full professor of chemical engineering, at the age of 31, in January 2004 at UKZN. 

Professor Ramjugernath and his team have worked closely with the chemical industry in South Africa and internationally and have undertaken numerous contracts and research projects. He has served on several company boards and has been a consultant for research and innovation for organizations globally. He is also an entrepreneur and ran start-up companies, which had been spun off from research at the University. He has also established numerous international collaborations with universities and industries abroad. 

He has published and co-published to date more than 390 peer-reviewed journal papers and over 350 national and international conference papers. He has also authored and co-authored numerous consulting and technical reports. In addition, he has published and co-published over 10 chapters in books and has 7 patents which have been either granted or filed. He has also successfully graduated over 90 Masters and 50 PhD students, as well as supervised and co-supervised over 22 post-doctoral fellows.  

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognition, including the National Research Foundation (NRF) President’s Award in 2005; National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards in 2006 and 2010; UKZN Vice-Chancellor’s Research Awardee in 2010; Honorary professorship from Durban University of Technology in 2012; inducted as a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2012; inducted as a fellow of the South African Academy of Engineers in 2013; South African Institute of Chemical Engineers Gold Medal in 2013; South African Institute of Chemical Engineers Innovation Award in 2013 (member of the team); listed by Thomson Reuters in 2013 as one of the most highly cited researchers; Fellow of the African Academy of Science in 2016; Fellow of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2017; and most recently the Universities South Africa Entrepreneurial Development in Higher Education Deputy Vice-Chancellor Award in 2020.

View More

Mandisa Dlamini

View More

Professor Deresh Ramjugernath

Since 1 April 2025, he has been the newly appointed Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU). Previously, he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching at SU from January 2021. Before his appointments at Stellenbosch, he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research (March 2017 to December 2020) and Pro Vice-Chancellor: Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (March 2013 to February 2017) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He also held the DST/NRF South Africa Research Chair (SARChI): Fluorine Process Engineering and Separation Technology at UKZN from September 2007 to December 2018. He was appointed full professor of chemical engineering, at the age of 31, in January 2004 at UKZN. 

Professor Ramjugernath and his team have worked closely with the chemical industry in South Africa and internationally and have undertaken numerous contracts and research projects. He has served on several company boards and has been a consultant for research and innovation for organizations globally. He is also an entrepreneur and ran start-up companies, which had been spun off from research at the University. He has also established numerous international collaborations with universities and industries abroad. 

He has published and co-published to date more than 390 peer-reviewed journal papers and over 350 national and international conference papers. He has also authored and co-authored numerous consulting and technical reports. In addition, he has published and co-published over 10 chapters in books and has 7 patents which have been either granted or filed. He has also successfully graduated over 90 Masters and 50 PhD students, as well as supervised and co-supervised over 22 post-doctoral fellows.  

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognition, including the National Research Foundation (NRF) President’s Award in 2005; National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards in 2006 and 2010; UKZN Vice-Chancellor’s Research Awardee in 2010; Honorary professorship from Durban University of Technology in 2012; inducted as a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2012; inducted as a fellow of the South African Academy of Engineers in 2013; South African Institute of Chemical Engineers Gold Medal in 2013; South African Institute of Chemical Engineers Innovation Award in 2013 (member of the team); listed by Thomson Reuters in 2013 as one of the most highly cited researchers; Fellow of the African Academy of Science in 2016; Fellow of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2017; and most recently the Universities South Africa Entrepreneurial Development in Higher Education Deputy Vice-Chancellor Award in 2020.

View More

David White

Background: Business Leader and Mentor

Skills: HR and Business Administration

Passion(s): People development, business mentoring, nature and surfing.

Qualifications: Business Administration and Marketing.  

David White is an accomplished business leader with qualifications in Business Administration and Marketing, dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in building resilient, high-quality, and sustainable businesses. As the founder and CEO of BusinessFit SA, he developed a five-stage quality assurance methodology—coordinated through a native app—that includes a corrective action sustainability report, helping organisations in South Africa and the UK, via BusinessFit International, to improve practices and facilitate trade between the two regions. His quality assurance process assesses 32 key focus areas across four pillars, and awards successful businesses a BusinessFit Ethics and Compliance Certificate. David also founded DRG, an HR consultancy serving clients from over forty countries, and co-founded the Green Lights Sustainability Initiative, which offers sustainability training and verification. His governance experience spans various sectors, and he is highly networked in South Africa and the UK. Additionally, David is a long-standing columnist for a business newspaper with a readership of 280,000, writing on topics such as business, governance, leadership, and sustainability, and he leads the SA Chapter of the South African Chamber United Kingdom and is President of the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club, both of which promote business development between South Africa and the world.

View More

Subashnee Moodley

Subashnee Moodley is by profession an attorney, conveyancer, and notary public holding BA (LAW) and LLB degrees from the University of KwaZulu Natal. She was the Chairperson and Managing Partner, from 1 March 2017 to 28 February 2024, at Livingston Leandy Inc in Durban, a firm whose history goes back more than 134 years. Subashnee is currently a senior partner in the firm’s property and commercial divisions, having been in practice for 25 years. Her passion for empowering and mentoring young leaders and professionals has resulted in her involvement in numerous boards and organisations including Business Engage and the 30% Club of SA, Woza Women in Law and the Woza Leadership Academy, South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners, Black Lawyer’s Association (BLA), South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA), NADEL (National Association of Democratic Lawyers) and Women in Property. Subashnee has taken on various roles as a moderator and program director at national events. As a keynote speaker, she shares her own experiences to relay the importance of humility, vulnerability, kindness, respect, compassion, and confidence, all of which are critical ingredients for authentic leadership. Her leadership journey, the mistakes made, and the lessons learnt along the way provide valuable insights and motivation for leaders and future leaders in various industries. Subashnee currently serves on the Boards of Woza Leadership Academy, the South African Institute of Black Property Professionals and Smart Xchange.

View More

Mr. Imran Khan

Managing Executive: KZN Region

Imran is a seasoned Telco professional with 26 years of experience in Vodacom.

He has been KZN's Managing Executive since 2021, having led teams in Cape Town, Limpopo, and KZN prior. He has vast experience in Sales, Connectivity and Customer service strategies across different segments and Market types.

His passion is Coverage and Internet access, and for rural communities, with a strong proponent for 'digitisation for all', and believes that technology is the key to accelerate economic and social transformation.

View More

Hixonia Nyasulu

Chairperson of Sasol, Board of unilever and JP Morgan-chase

Hixonia Nyasulu (born 1954) is a prominent South African businesswoman and executive. She currently serves as Chairwoman of Sasol, South Africa’s largest company, and sits on the boards of global giants such as Unilever and JPMorgan Chase. Nyasulu began her career at Unilever in 1978 before founding T.H. Nyasulu & Associates, a marketing and research firm, in 1984. In 2004, she established Ayavuna Women’s Investments, a women-controlled investment group. Her leadership credentials include serving as Deputy Chairman of Nedbank and as Director of Anglo American Platinum, the world’s leading platinum producer. Nyasulu holds a BA in Social Work and an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Zululand, as well as a graduate qualification from Hult International Business School in Massachusetts. She has also contributed her expertise to the boards of companies such as Paton Tupper Associates, Tongaat Hulett, and McCarthy Retail, and was Chair of Sasol from 2008 to 2013. As of November 2019, she was appointed as a non-executive director on the board of Anglo American. Nyasulu is widely recognized for her influential role in advancing business leadership and women’s empowerment in South Africa and beyond.

View More

J B Magwaza

Chairperson of Sasol, Board of unilever and JP Morgan-chase

Corporate Executive

J B Magwaza is a veteran South African corporate executive and distinguished board leader, renowned for his stewardship across major national and international firms since the 1990s. He is the founder and current Executive Chairman of Nkunzi Investment Holdings Limited, a private equity firm focused on mature, leveraged management buy-outs and buy-ins. His impressive academic background includes a BA from the University of South Africa (UNISA), a Master’s Degree in Industrial Relations from Warwick University in the UK, and several management diplomas. Magwaza began his career as Personnel Director at Hulett Refineries, later ascending to significant leadership roles within Tongaat Hulett, culminating as Independent Non-Executive Chairman. Over the years, he has chaired and held directorships at an array of prominent institutions, including South African Airways (SAA), Mutual & Federal, Pamodzi Investment Holdings, RCL Foods, and Nedbank Limited. He has also contributed to the governance of Richards Bay Minerals, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, and several property and investment firms. Beyond the boardroom, Magwaza has been President of the Institute of Personnel Management, a founder of the Black Management Forum, and an advocate for economic transformation through his involvement in the Black Economic Empowerment Commission. A recipient of eight prestigious awards, he currently serves as a trustee, deacon, and board member in various educational and cultural organisations, continuing his legacy of leadership, empowerment, and community service. His appointment as Chairperson of SAA in 2017 marked a new chapter in his enduring commitment to South African business and development.

View More

THE STAFF

Jonathan Naidoo

CEO

Fatima Moolla

Centre Manager

Zanele Khuzwayo

Accounting Clerk

Nokuzola Makiwane

Receptionist

Nothando Mkhwanazi

BDO

Thobile Msomi

Admin Assistant & BDO

Sandra Moodley

Office Administrator

Nompilo Mkhize

Office Administrator

Ndzwakazi Mboto

Office Administrator

Shereese Govender

Project Specialist

Lonwabo Zungu

Accountant

Suhana Nunkumar

IT intern and Admin Assistant