By Lloyd Phillips
There is sadness and celebration, but no bitterness, in South Africa’s historic sugarcane value chain following the recent significant leadership change at the country’s sugar association.
The 36-year-old but already highly experienced agricultural economist and small-scale sugarcane grower, Sifiso Mhlaba, claims he has big shoes to fill following his appointment as the new chief executive of the South African Sugar Association (SASA). As of 1 November, Mhlaba has taken over this overarching leadership position in the country’s sugarcane value chain from his highly respected predecessor, Trix Trikam (65), who led SASA for the past 26 years.
Trikam worked for SASA for 43 consecutive years until reaching mandatory retirement age this year.
Before joining SASA in 2015, Mhlaba was a regulatory and competition economist at DNA Economics in Pretoria. There, he specialised in agriculture, climate change and energy. At SASA, he was a national market executive before being promoted to become the association’s national market and trade policy director.
All the while, Mhlaba also owns a small-scale sugarcane farm in Mpumalanga.
“I am truly honoured to be stepping into Trix’s big shoes. It is a huge task and massive responsibility,” he says.
“I look forward to working closely with our internal and external stakeholders as we secure and ensure the sustainability of the [sugarcane value chain] that makes a critical social and economic contribution to job-starved rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.”
SASA’s independent chairperson, Adv Fay Mukaddam, says Mhlaba is the leader the association “needs right now” to take the Reimagined Cane Industry Strategy to the next level. This strategy, which dovetails with the aims of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan for 2030, emphasises the importance of greater innovation, product diversification, and transformation within this long-troubled industry.
“Sifiso has now taken the baton to build on Trix’s outstanding legacy and take SASA and the industry to greater heights,” says Mukaddam.
“I call on all stakeholders, including our government, industry role-players, downstream users and all value-chain partners to support our new chief executive.”
The SA Canegrowers Association reports its pleasure at Mhlaba’s appointment. Its chairperson, Higgins Mdluli, believes that Mhlaba’s strategic insights and dedication to the sugarcane value chain will steer it to an even more sustainable and inclusive future for South Africa’s 24 000 small-scale and 1 200 large-scale sugarcane growers.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Trix for his remarkable leadership and dedication to the sugar industry. He leaves behind a legacy of transformation in South Africa’s sugar sector,” says Mdluli.
LOOKING BACK: In September, African Farming had a one-on-one interview with the South Africa Sugar Association’s subsequently retired chief executive, Trix Trikam. He highlighted industry developments, including those that his recent successor, Sifiso Mhlaba, will oversee and deal with. Video: Lloyd Phillips
