Pivot Point: From operating airports to running a horse racing company

Loading player...
Fundi Sithebe is currently heading a horse racing company (4Racing) - formerly Phumelela. The company is actually a great transformation story. We all know there are few blacks in this sport therefore a young black woman heading up such an entity is a big deal. Her mission is to transform the sports across the value chain including promoting the jockeys. She is also a qualified pilot and former COO of Airports Company. She is a lady who has always been moving in male-dominated industries.

Fundi holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Midrand University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Business Administration) from Wits Business School. Her passion in the aviation industry was sparked in 2003 when she obtained her Private Pilot's License (PPL). Constantly challenging the status quo, Fundi has held an array of strategic roles in various industries. She started her career as a management consultant at Deloitte, focusing on the areas of strategy and operations in organizational strategic projects. She was part of the expansion team for First National Bank of South Africa that crafted a strategy and was responsible for the successful establishment of operations in Africa. Fundi was the Chief Operating Officer of Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), between the period of December 2017 until 30 April 2021. She was responsible for the integration and seamless operations across the network of 9 airports. Later on she also assumed the additional responsibility for the day to day overall airport operations. In addition, she led the Commercial Division, which is mainly responsible for non-aeronautical revenue. An innate leader , she was recently appointed as the first CEO of 4Racing, a newly established horse racing operator taking over pre-existing assets.
10 Mar 2022 3AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

The Mental Health Cost of Financial Stress

Financial stress has emerged as one of the biggest threats to South Africans' mental wellbeing. Dr Rachel Moore, Chief Medical Officer at Mediclinic Southern Africa, discusses the psychological impact of economic pressure, barriers to accessing mental healthcare and what can be done to reduce stigma and improve support.
22 Oct 2PM 12 min

KPMG Africa CEO Outlook: Confidence vs Execution

African CEOs remain confident about growth despite geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and disruptive technological change. Tola Adeyemi, CEO of KPMG One Africa, unpacks why execution has become the defining leadership challenge, and why many organisations are still struggling to keep pace with artificial intelligence
22 Oct 1PM 20 min

South Africa’s Economic Report Card After the MTBPS

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement paints a mixed picture of South Africa's economy. Revenue collection is outperforming expectations, and fiscal stability appears to be improving, yet growth forecasts have been downgraded amid infrastructure constraints and global risks. Dr Nwabisa Kolisi of the HSRC unpacks what the MTBPS…
22 Oct 12PM 9 min

Clicks Crosses R50bn: Growth Through Scale

Clicks Group has become a R50 billion turnover business, cementing its position as one of South Africa's retail success stories. CEO Bertina Engelbrecht discusses the drivers behind the milestone, changing consumer behaviour, pharmacy-led growth and how the retailer plans to expand while navigating a tough consumer environment.
22 Oct 12PM 15 min

Strong Cash Flow, Softer Profits: Inside Famous Brands' Interim Results

Famous Brands delivered a resilient performance in difficult trading conditions, growing revenue and more than doubling free cash flow while navigating consumer pressure and global uncertainty. CEO Darren Hele discusses cash generation, expansion plans, shareholder returns, challenges in key regional markets and what current trading conditions reveal about South African…
21 Oct 1PM 14 min