SABC names Wotshela acting group CEO

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has appointed Nada Wotshela as acting group CEO while it begins the search for Madoda Mxakwe’s replacement.

Mxakwe’s five-year tenure as group CEO at SABC comes to an end on June 30, with Wotshela taking over on July 1.

Wotshela is a seasoned broadcaster with more than 20 years’ experience at the SABC, with 12 of these years in senior management and executive roles. She currently serves as group executive for radio at the SABC.

Appointed in July 2018, Mxakwe joined the SABC at a time when it was facing governance failures, corruption, gross mismanagement and a crippling financial situation, the organisation said.

The SABC credited Mxakwe and the management team for working with all employees and the board to reverse the “dire” situation, setting the public broadcaster on a recovery path and rebuilding its credibility.

Although the financial sustainability challenges persist, the SABC stabilised under his leadership, it added. Mxakwe becomes the first SABC group CEO to complete his contract in over 15 years.

The SABC board, on behalf of all the SABC’s internal stakeholders, thanked Mxakwe for his significant contribution to SABC and South Africa and wished him well in his future endeavours.

The board added it is confident of Wotshela’s abilities in steering the public broadcaster during this time and implored the SABC’s stakeholders, internally and externally, to support her during this period.