SOUTH AFRICA – The South Africa Sugar Association (SASA) has appointed agricultural economist Sifiso Mhlaba as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective November 1, 2024.
Mhlaba, aged 36, will take over from Trix Trikam, who is stepping down after 43 years of dedicated service, including 26 years as Executive Director.
Mhlaba’s appointment is seen as a new chapter for SASA, bringing a fresh perspective to an industry facing a range of economic and policy challenges.
With a background as SASA’s National Market Executive and later its National Market and Trade Policy Director, Mhlaba brings substantial experience to his new role.
Before joining SASA in 2015, he served as a regulatory and competition economist at DNA Economics, and he is also a small-scale sugarcane farmer in Mpumalanga.
Mhlaba said, “It is a huge task and a massive responsibility. I feel honoured that SASA and industry members have shown this level of confidence in me.”
Central to Mhlaba’s agenda as CEO is the implementation of the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan to 2030. This national strategy is designed to bolster rural economic growth and employment in key sugar-producing provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
The plan seeks to stabilize the industry in the face of both local and global pressures emphasizing resilience and sustainability.
Mhlaba has stressed the importance of “policy coherence and support” from government and industry partners to ensure the plan’s success.
Under Mhlaba’s leadership, SASA is progressing with its “reimagined cane industry strategy,” which prioritizes innovation and diversification to maintain competitiveness.
This approach comes at a critical time as SASA and other industry associations lobby Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to consult with stakeholders regarding possible revisions to the Health Promotion Levy (HPL).
The HPL, introduced in 2018 to curb obesity and other health issues, has raised concerns about its economic impact on the sugar industry, especially in rural regions where sugarcane farming is a primary livelihood.
Industry leaders warn that potential increases in the tax or its extension to include fruit juices, as proposed, could result in further job losses.
SASA has underscored the significant role the sugar sector plays in South Africa’s economy, noting its support for hundreds of thousands of jobs and its critical contribution to rural communities.
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