President congratulates incoming Bidvest’s CEO Mpumi Madisa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his warm congratulations to accomplished business leader Ms Mpumi Madisa on her naming as Chief Executive Officer-Designate of the international services, trading and distribution company, Bidvest.

As part of Bidvest’s leadership succession plan, current CEO Lindsay Ralphs will retain this role until Ms Madisa takes office in July 2020 to become the first woman to lead this major industrial group which is a Johannesburg Stock Exchange Top 40 entity, employs 137 000 people and has a market   capitalisation of R72bn.

Ms Madisa is a former Chief Director in the Gauteng Provincial Government who joined Bidvest in 2003 and went on to hold various senior management   and executive board director positions such as general manager business development, divisional director business development, corporate affairs   director and sales and marking director.

Ms Madisa is a Board Director of 16 Bidvest subsidiaries, a board director of Adcock Ingram and a board director of Business Leadership South Africa.

She holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Investment from the Wits Business School as well as a BComm Honours degree in Economics and a BSc in Economics and Mathematics from Wits University.

Bidvest named Ms Madisa as CEO-Designate on the eve of International Women’s Day, which is being observed today, Friday, 8 March 2019.

Welcoming this announcement, President Ramaphosa says: “The emergence of Mpumi Madisa as Chief Executive of a major corporation in our economy is a significant personal achievement that also signifies a new advance in gender transformation in business.

“Ms Madisa’s life and career trajectory is an inspiration to all of us, while Bidvest’s succession plan sets an example for many companies, especially at the level of the JSE Top 40, in the development of human capital and the transformation of our society.

“Ms Madisa’s appointment is therefore an occasion for celebration and for renewed commitment to accelerated change and progress in the highest echelons of our economy.”


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707 

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria