Mr Nematswerani, a member of the Board since 2009, serves as non-executive director and as Chairman of the company. He is a Chartered Accountant and the Chief Executive Officer of Aka Capital, a private equity and investment holding company. He has over fifteen years’ experience in accounting, auditing and investment banking. Mr Nematswerani was educated at the University of the Witwatersrand where he received a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Commerce.
Mr Gillis serves as Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company. He has 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including 30 years with Protea Hotels, 26 of these years as Chief Executive Officer of Protea Hotels. He received a National Diploma in Hotel Management from Johannesburg University and completed Cornell University’s first Advanced Management Programme. The Protea Hotels Group grew from its four initial hotels to over 120 hotels, operating in seven African countries and Protea became the largest and leading hotel operating company in Africa. In April 2014, Mr Gillis facilitated the sale of Protea Hotels’ three brands and management company to Marriott International, Inc., a global hospitality giant, in order to fulfil the company’s unrealised potential in Africa.
Anton is an experienced executive who prides himself on his relentless pursuit for Service Excellence whilst executing a Profitable Standards strategy. His diverse management experience has allowed him to gain key insight into both the hospitality and private healthcare sectors.
His non-negotiable stance towards Respect for Human Dignity has allowed him to build a unique team of resources and network to call upon. Anton is a graduate of the Cape Town Hotel School and has since been acknowledged as a Platinum Lifetime Achiever within the South African hotel industry. Anton also completed the Cornell University General Managers Programme.
Anton joined the team as the Chief Executive Officer of Kruger Gate Hotel in 2022. In 2025, he was appointed as Chief Operating Officer for Platinum Hospitality Holdings. Anton is a co-founder of Hospitality Asset Management Company (Hamac) which offers asset management, revenue & distribution management as well as digital marketing services for both branded hotels and independent hotels. Hamac is recognised as a Marriott preferred partner.
Mr Kuming joined the Board in 2021, is a Chartered Accountant and a non-executive director of the company.
Mr Kuming has been working for Investec Bank since 1993. He spent his first years at Investec in their Credit Division and thereafter worked in Specialised Finance until March 2018.
Mr Kuming currently works in Investment Banking Origination. Investment Banking Origination aims to deliver the client to the Bank and the Bank to the client, ensuring collaboration within the business so that clients are provided with innovative, value added solutions. A highlight of Mr Kuming’s career at Investec has been his involvement in many types of transactions with bespoke funding solutions.
Dr Khoza has been a member of the Board since 2001. He is currently President of the Institute of Directors Southern Africa, and Chairman of Dzana Investments (Pty) Ltd, AKA Capital (Pty) Ltd, Assupol Holdings Ltd, Assupol Insurance Company, Discovery Bank, Discovery Bank Holdings, and Hlayisani Capital (Pty) Ltd.
Dr Khoza was formerly chairman of Eskom Holdings Ltd, Nedbank Group Ltd, Glaxosmithkline, Corobrik (Pty) Ltd, Globeleq, and Public Investment Corporation Ltd. His former directorships include Old Mutual Plc, Standard Bank Group Ltd, Liberty Group Ltd, Nampak Ltd, Sasol Oil (Pty) Ltd and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
His qualifications include a BA Honours in Psychology (University of the North – now the University of Limpopo), a Master’s in Marketing Management (University of Lancaster, UK), an Engineering Doctorate in Business (University of Warwick, UK), Chartered Director SA (CDSA), and Professor Extraordinaire (University of Stellenbosch Business School), where he also guest-lectured in Business Strategy, Leadership and Corporate Governance. Dr Khoza has been a Visiting Professor at the University of the Free State Business School, Wits Business School and Rhodes Business School, and in October 2007, Rhodes University conferred on him an honorary Doctorate in Law. He has also since served as Chancellor of the University of Limpopo (2007-2017), Chancellor of Medunsa (2007–2014) and Chancellor of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Mr Kruger joined the Board as a non-executive director in 2022.
He is a Chartered Accountant and has been working at Investec Bank since 2014, serving on the boards of various investee companies within the Investec Principal Investments portfolio.
Mr Kruger spent his first years in the Investment Banking M&A advisory team, and thereafter joined the Principal Investments team. Investec Principal Investments is the on-balance sheet private equity arm of Investec Bank Limited in South Africa. The business focuses on direct private equity transactions, co-investment opportunities, Investec’s shareholding in the IEP Group and short term market opportunities.
Mr Nkonyane was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2009.
He spent 15 years of his career as a Human Resources Practitioner, working his way up to top management level. He possesses outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills and is a highly effective communicator, as seen by his successful negotiations with labour organisations during the 15 years he held executive positions at Pick n Pay, Dorbyl and Legacy Hotels.
For his Masters’ degree research report, Mr Nkonyane chose to explore the field of “Competencies required in the changing role of Human Resources Management”, which equipped him with further insight and understanding of HR. Mr Nkonyane is currently a self-employed entrepreneur. He is also the Chief Executive of Prime Portfolio Investments “A”, a 100% BEE investment group, which has shareholdings in the Tsogo Group and Platinum Hospitality Holdings. He was appointed as a non-executive director to the Transnet Board in late 2014, where he’s also the chairperson of the REMSEC (Remuneration, Social and Ethics Committee). His qualifications include a BA in Social Sciences, a University Education Diploma (University of the North), Certificate Programme in Industrial Relations, Management Advancement Programme (Wits Business School) and a Masters in Management (Wits Business School).
He obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of South Africa and he is a practising advocate of the High Court of South Africa. In addition, he holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Pretoria specialising in International Trade and Investment in Africa as well as an Advanced Programme in Alternative Dispute Resolution (with distinction) from the University of Pretoria.
Mr Ford has served as a Non-Executive Director of the company since 2009. Having graduated from Brighton University in 1970 with a National Diploma in Hotel & Catering Management, he was then awarded Graduate Membership of the Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management Association and Graduate Membership of the UK Cookery and Food Association. Prior to joining the Executive Board of Protea Hotels in 1984, where he held positions as Regional Director of Operations and Group Operations Director, he held a number of management positions in the catering and hotel industries in South Africa. From 1980 to 1984, Mr Ford headed the inspectorate division of the South African Hotel Board, whose body was incorporated into The South African Tourism Board (Satour) in 1982. Mr Ford has held Non-Executive Directorships with the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa and with the South African Chef’s Association. He was awarded Fellowship of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) in 2007.
