The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel today paid tribute to the Chief Executive Officer of the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (ECIC), Mr Mandisi Nkuhlu, after his untimely passing on 23 July 2023.
“On behalf of the Department I would like to express our deep condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of Mr Nkuhlu, and to the employees and the leadership of the ECIC,” says Minister Patel.
Mandisi Nkuhlu worked for the past 22 years at the ECIC, an agency of the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (the dtic). The ECIC was established to facilitate and encourage South Africa’s export trade by underwriting export credit loans and investments outside South Africa.
Before his appointment as CEO, Mr Nkuhlu was the Chief Operating Officer for the ECIC, a position he served in for over 10 years. Prior to his role at the ECIC, Mr Nkuhlu was a Director of Export and Project Finance at Standard Bank. He was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the ECIC in December 2022.
He holds a BA Law Degree and an LLB Degree from the University of the Western Cape. Mr Nkuhlu has also completed various post graduate management programmes at UCT and Wits.
He has been involved in Project Finance and deal structuring since 2001 when he became a senior account manager at the IDC.
Mr Nkuhlu helped expand the focus on the ECIC to promote the level of exports to other African countries through the provision of risk cover to South African firms.
Before his untimely passing, Mandisi was leading the creation of an expanded Exporter Development Initiative in collaboration with the dtic IDC and the NEF, as a contribution to the dtic’s goal to expand export of locally-made manufactured products. He finalised an agreement with Minister Patel and the ECIC Board to cover additional sectors in the scope of the ECIC.
He accompanied Minister Patel on an official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this month.
“Mandisi was a committed public servant, focused on his work and deeply committed to service. He was passionate about local industrial development, created a work environment conducive to empowering young people and grew the Corporation’s deal book over the years. His commitment to African integration was real and strong. He will truly be missed by all of us, his colleagues and the business community,” Minister Patel said.
Mr Nkuhlu has played a prominent role in the international arena, co-chairing the Credit Insurance Committee and representing the ECIC at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) semi-annual meetings in Paris. He represented the Corporation at the Berne Union, the international association of Export Credit Agencies, and served as the Vice President of the Berne Union from 2016 to 2019.
Most recently, he led South Africa’s participation in the BRICS Export Credit Agencies platform, under South Africa’s chairship.
the dtic family and the country as a whole have lost a dedicated and capable professional in Mr Mandisi Nkuhlu.
Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Mobile: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za
Issued by: The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
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