Velile Dube

Board Member: Transnet National Ports Authority

Velile Dube is a seasoned public and private-sector executive with over 30 years of leadership experience across the transport, logistics, energy, mining, automotive, and economic development sectors. His career spans CEO- and executive-level roles in major state-owned entities, multinational corporations, and strategic government departments, where he has led large-scale transformation, operational turnarounds, and economic growth initiatives.

Most recently, Velile served as the Head of the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, where he championed the province’s Growth for Jobs strategy—an ambitious roadmap toward building a R1 trillion, high-growth economy. Under his leadership, the province facilitated R7.5 billion in new investments, expanded exports to global and African markets, achieved consecutive clean audits, and strengthened logistics coordination to enhance the Port of Cape Town’s performance.

Prior to this, he held multiple senior executive roles at Transnet Port Terminals, including Chief Executive Officer and Acting Chief Operations Officer, overseeing a workforce of more than 9,000 employees across 16 national terminals. During his tenure, he delivered marked improvements in revenue, customer service, sustainable margins, and low debt. He is widely recognised for leading complex operational turnarounds and improving port and terminal productivity.

His earlier leadership experience includes Chief Executive Officer of Eqstra Mining & Construction, where he built, from zero base, a 12% market share business in the plant business in 2 years; Vice President at Toyota South Africa, where he expanded market share and improved brand, product mix and logistics efficiencies; and senior international roles at Shell, spanning commercial fuels, aviation, lubricants businesses across Africa.

Velile currently serves on several boards and ministerial task teams, including the transitioning Transnet National Ports Authority, the National Housing Finance Corporation, the Trust for Urban Housing Finance, and advisory role in the renewable energy sector.

He holds degrees in Communications and English Literature from the University of Fort Hare, alongside executive education from the Wharton School of Business, and University of Cape Town.

Farai is an energy transition, climate and sustainability specialist with over 10 years’ experience working at the intersection of strategy, policy

and implementation. He advises governments, international organisations and private-sector partners on translating sustainability and climate ambitions into practical, measurable and investment-ready outcomes.

His expertise spans sustainability and climate mitigation across the energy, transport, industrial and agri-food value chains. Farai leads and contributes to policy and business case development as well as regional collaboration initiatives that align decarbonisation objectives with economic development, energy security and long-term competitiveness.

With deep experience in African and emerging market contexts, he supports institutions in designing credible sustainability frameworks, aligning with international standards and structuring resilient value chains that deliver both environmental integrity and socio-economic impact. He is actively engaged in advancing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) value chain development in Africa, particularly through linking low-carbon fuels to regional agricultural and industrial systems.

Farai holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering and is finalising his PhD focused on developing SAF value chains linked to South Africa’s sugarcane industry. His combined technical, policy and market expertise positions him as a recognised knowledge leader in sustainability and climate-aligned industrial development.