Over the course of 2024 GIBS alumni continued to scale new heights. Among these notable achievers was Ashor Sarupen, who holds two Masters of Philosophy degrees from GIBS in International Business (2023) and Corporate Strategy (2022). Sarupen is also South Africa’s deputy minister of finance.
It was in his professional capacity that Sarupen took part in a on-campus panel discussion on catalysing economic growth with GIBS Professor Adrian Saville towards the end of 2024. He stressed the importance of governance, strong balance sheets in municipalities, and the trade-offs that must be made to ensure social stability and care in such an unequal society as South Africa.
Like former South African Competition Commission commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele (MBA 2011) — who was lauded in 2022 for his services to the small business sector when he stepped down after 18 years in the role — Sarupen also occupies a position from which he can shape the future for all South Africans. In the case of the Competition Commission, decisions such as using regulatory tools to tackle excessive pricing of goods like masks and sanitisers during Covid-19 are a prime example of the impact responsible leadership can have on a country.
Other alumni serve South Africa and greater Africa by managing relationships and trade opportunities between Africa and the United States, a key trading partner. Frances Fraser (MBA 2016) is a case in point. In 2024 she became the director for continental services at the US Africa Trade Desk.
However, it is not only in the realm of government, governance, trade and opportunity that GIBS alumni are making their mark.
GIBS-educated leaders have gone on to create impactful educational offerings – such as Spark Schools co-founder and CEO Stacey Brewer (MBA 2011) and Marli Lombard, chief operating officer at Optimi Learning (MBA 2017). Some, like Brett Kilpatrick, director of the London Business School in the UK (MBA 2012), continue to advance learning and innovation around the world.
Graduates of GIBS have also made their imprint on the world of telecommunications – think Brad Roper, chief financial services officer at MTN South Africa (MBA 2015) and Njabulo Mashigo, HR director at Vodacom South Africa (MBA 2012). Some, like 2002 MBA alumnus Graeme Wild, head up globally recognised resource companies like Sappi Southern Africa, while others pull off world-class sporting showcases such as the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup. In the case of the latter, Nomfanelo Magwentshu (MBA 2001) was not only chief operating officer of the local organising committee of the World Cup, but went on to become a partner at McKinsey & Company in Johannesburg.
GIBS alumni like Coenraad Jonker, CEO of Tyme Bank (MBA 2001) continue to re-shape banking and the financial services experience. Others are stretching minds and innovating within their chosen sector, like Jorja Wilkins (MBA 2021), CEO of Garland Media, mining group Baletsema Holdings’ chief growth officer Bokang Kelepa (MBA 2017) and Dr. Tashmia Ismail-Saville (MBA 2008), chief business development and partnerships officer at Mitacs in Canada.
This sense of inquiry, entrepreneurship, innovation, and social impact underlines the type of leader that GIBS has developed from the very first MBA cohort in 2000 to the most recent MBA class of 2024. While the success stories of the GIBS superstars are always inspirational, what sets GIBS apart is its ability to transform the way all of its graduates think about their own abilities and what it means to lead a business on a dynamic and complex continent like Africa.
Tyme’s trailblazer
Tyme Group founder Coenraad (Coen) Jonker was one of the original GIBS alumni, who took a chance on this new business school and its innovative Dean when he signed up for the GIBS MBA class of 2000. Reflecting on his choice, Jonker says, “When I chose GIBS over many other options, it was still only an idea — no campus, no buildings, no track record or ratings. But it was a good idea expressed in a compelling way by a visionary founder, Nick Binedell. And it worked.”
At the time, Jonker was CEO of ENS (then Edward Nathan), one of the leading law firms in South Africa. As impressive as his career journey had been up to then, it was still a far cry from the tech entrepreneur and Tyme Bank co-founder he would become. Jonker is the first to acknowledge this, and readily credits this shift in gears to his GIBS MBA.
“My GIBS MBA experience catalysed a career change away from law into inclusive banking that shaped my career and entrepreneurial journey,” he says. “The recipe for personal transformation included exposure to new ideas, inspiring lecturers, encouraging classmates, syndicate members, and a supportive campus environment. All I needed to bring was an open mind.”
Now — 25 years later — the tech business Jonker co-founded in 2012 has expanded from South Africa to the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore. These days Jonker is based in Singapore, as he prepares to take Tyme Bank into its next big phase: a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Tyme Group story is now the subject of a paper by Professor Adrian Saville, entitled From Ignored to Unstoppable.
Leading through personal and professional accountability
Zinzile Luthuli graduated from GIBS with an MBA in 2022. This helped catapult her onto her current leadership trajectory.
Luthuli took her time to pick GIBS as her business school of choice. Ultimately, all her research paid off. “GIBS's programmes seamlessly integrate theory and practice, ensuring I gained more than just a certificate,” she explains. “My experience was transformative.”
Luthuli has gone on to become the board chair of the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa, an advisory board member of the University of Pretoria, and chief information officer at Women Building our Africa FSPC — a cooperative financial institution.
Having been diagnosed with autism as a teen, Luthuli ensures that she takes time for introspection and self-governance when she leads others. She adds, “GIBS taught me invaluable lessons: humility, the power of strategic networking, social consciousness, and recognising my privileges in various contexts. These insights have profoundly impacted my personal and professional growth.”
Connecting with coaching
For GIBS alumnus Zuriel Naiker, personal development through coaching has helped guide him through both good times and high-definition challenges. Now the managing director for risk management for Africa at global risk advisory Marsh, Naiker completed his MBA in 2014. Ten years later he obtained an MS in Financial Technology from NYU Stern School of Business in the US.
Reflecting on his professional development, Naiker believes both mentorship and coaching have been crucial. “Coaching was actually something I picked up at GIBS,” he explains. “I’d never had coaching but I did a leadership module at GIBS with the late Professor Dianne Beverlander and I thought at the time that I didn’t need to talk to someone about my leadership. But having a blank canvas to speak to a different times in your career is quite key. In building other leaders, I often think coaching is a key component in helping them identify and work with their blind spots.”
Purpose meets passion
Masenyane Molefe is a GIBS MBA graduate from the class of 2012-13. She also holds a MSc in Human Resources Management and Personnel Administration from the University of Salford in the UK, and a BCom in Economics from North-West University.
This self-confessed “serial student” believes in constantly challenging her ideas and assumptions.
“I think this is why GIBS appeals to me,” she explains. “I need to keep myself relevant and current today. It helps to attend various events at GIBS. They have sessions, they have forums, they have evening events to attend and to find out what’s top of mind and what leaders in other organisations are dealing with — often we are dealing with the same or similar issues.”
Right now, many of those issues revolve around technology and the use of artificial intelligence, shifts that have tremendous implications for Molefe in her role as group executive for HR for PPS insurance company. She firmly believes that leaders cannot be “so stubbornly married to their ideas” — they must be able to approach challenges from different perspectives.
An enduring endurance mindset
Rachel Lande took up an exciting new role as regional customer service and logistics manager (South Central Africa) at Colgate Palmolive in 2024. Previously she was customer collaboration manager at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa.
Having obtained her GIBS MBA in 2023, Lande’s MBA journey and the mindset shifts it inspired in her are still front of mind. “The pivotal moment for me was not getting the certificate, but building my mental and physical capacity and endurance,” she reflects. “I can now sit through all-day meetings without feeling fatigued, absorb large amounts of information, and make decisions swiftly.”
Shortly after obtaining her MBA, Lande advanced into an exciting – if daunting – new position, which sees her leading across African markets. It’s a move Lande believes is enabling her to live her philosophy that “if it doesn’t scare you it doesn’t change you”.
Did you know?
GIBS regularly surveys alumni to gauge the impact of their studies.
The 2024 GIBS survey showed that a GIBS MBA could exponentially lift a graduate’s career to the next level. While a handful of alumni said they were promoted after a gap of three to five years, just under 40% reported waiting two years for a promotion. The bulk of graduates surveyed — more than 40% — had been promoted within a year of completing their MBA.
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