London, United Kingdom
African Leadership Magazine UK, conveners of the Persons of the Year (POTY) 2026 Awards, have announced the nomination of Mr Khulekani Mathe, Chief Executive Officer of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), for the African Leadership Award for Excellence in Economic Policy & Private Sector Advocacy.
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The nomination recognises Mr Mathe’s leadership at the intersection of economic policy formulation, private-sector coordination, and structured engagement between business and government within South Africa’s evolving political economy.
Business Unity South Africa serves as the apex organisation for organised business in the country, representing professional bodies, chambers of commerce, and sector associations that collectively account for a substantial share of South Africa’s formal economic output, employment, and investment activity. In this capacity, BUSA functions as a principal interlocutor between the private sector and the state on issues including fiscal policy, industrial development, labour regulation, infrastructure planning, and economic reform.
Since his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mathe has steered BUSA through a period characterised by macroeconomic pressure, persistent energy constraints, logistics bottlenecks, and heightened policy uncertainty. His tenure has been defined by an emphasis on evidence-based advocacy, institutional coherence, and pragmatic engagement with policymakers at both national and sub-national levels.
Under his leadership, BUSA has strengthened its policy research, coordination, and analytical capacity, enabling more structured and credible private-sector input into national economic dialogues. The organisation has played an active role in engagements around energy reform, infrastructure financing, public-private collaboration, and regulatory efficiency—policy areas central to South Africa’s medium- to long-term growth trajectory. These efforts have contributed to clearer policy signalling and improved consultation mechanisms between government and organised business.
Mr Mathe’s leadership approach has also prioritised the alignment of diverse business constituencies into coherent policy positions, a task of particular significance in an economy as complex and sectorally diverse as South Africa’s. Through structured consensus-building mechanisms, BUSA has been able to articulate unified positions on key economic reforms, strengthening both the credibility and effectiveness of private-sector advocacy.
The African Leadership Award for Excellence in Economic Policy & Private Sector Advocacy is conferred on leaders whose work reinforces the private sector’s role as a constructive partner in national development while advancing sound economic governance. Mr Mathe’s nomination reflects recognition of leadership that emphasises institutional engagement, policy depth, and long-term economic sustainability over short-term interests.
The Persons of the Year (POTY) Awards, organised by African Leadership Magazine (UK), have over the years recognised a broad spectrum of African leaders from governance, finance, industry, and development. Past recipients include H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone; H.E. Philip Davis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas; Mr Sim Tshabalala, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Bank Group; Dr Olusegun Alebiosu, Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria; Mr Daniel Asiedu, Chief Executive Officer, OmniBSIC Bank Ghana Limited; Dr Akinwumi Adesina, former President of the African Development Bank (AfDB); and Mr Mo Ibrahim, Founder of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership.
These recognitions reflect the Magazine’s longstanding editorial focus on leadership defined by institutional reform, economic impact, policy execution, and measurable outcomes, rather than symbolic prominence.
As African economies contend with increasing global uncertainty and persistent domestic structural challenges, leadership that bridges policy intent with private-sector execution remains critical. Mr Khulekani Mathe’s nomination positions him among a cadre of leaders whose influence is defined not by visibility alone, but by sustained engagement, policy credibility, and demonstrable contribution to economic reform.
