Ms Zandile Mhlongo joined the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) in November 2014 as a Senior Committee Secretariat. She quickly demonstrated her leadership capabilities, being promoted to Acting Head of the Secretariat Department in March 2017, and subsequently appointed as the Secretariat Manager in November 2017. In 2022, Ms Mhlongo took on the role of Group Company Secretary, where she provided vital legal, compliance, and Secretariat support to the Board, offering strategic advice to enhance NEF governance structures.
Ms Mhlongo was appointed as an Acting General Counsel in February 2024 responsible for providing strategic leadership to Legal Services, Human Capital, Secretariat and Facilities Departments.
With 16 years of experience in banking and finance, she serves on various steering committees within the NEF, contributing to the successful implementation of key projects. Additionally, she is the current chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee, showcasing her commitment to effective governance and operational excellence.
Prior to her tenure at the NEF, Ms Mhlongo was the Assistant Group Company Secretary at Ithala Bank, where she provided Secretariat and Compliance support to the group’s subsidiary companies.
Her academic qualifications include a degree in Governance and a Company Secretaryship, complemented by a professional qualification (NF8) from the Governance Institute of Southern Africa. She remains an active member of the Institute, attending their Continuous Development Programme annually to stay abreast of industry standards.
Ms Mhlongo also holds an LLB degree and completed six months of Practical Legal Training at the University of Pretoria. Additionally, she is a participant in the Executive Women Development Programme, a prestigious initiative run by the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSET) in partnership with Duke University in the USA.
Board of Trustees
Executive Committee
