Former Thungela Resources CEO July Ndlovu has been appointed independent nonexecutive director of Zimbabwe-focused gold miner Caledonia Mining Corporation.

Ndlovu, who is also the former chairperson of the Global Alliance for Sustainable Coal, also known as FutureCoal, has more than 28 years of leadership experience in the mining sector across Southern Africa.

"July is one of the most highly regarded business executives in Zimbabwe and South Africa. We are fortunate to be able to add him to our team and look forward to benefiting from his insights," says Caledonia chairperson John Kelly.

Ndlovu, who holds a Master's degree in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa and a BSc in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe, currently also serves as an independent nonexecutive director at mining and chemicals group AECI. He has also previously chaired the boards of Unki Mine and Anglo American Zimbabwe.

Caledonia, which operates the Blanket gold mine, in Zimbabwe, says Ndlovu has, throughout his career, demonstrated outstanding capabilities in strategic leadership, operational excellence, team development and corporate governance.

"As CEO of Thungela, he led the business through significant growth and transformation to become a leading force in the energy landscape. Previously, as executive head of process and director at Anglo American Platinum (now called Valterra Platinum and no longer part of the Anglo American group), he managed operations responsible for a substantial share of the world's platinum group metals. Prior to this he held senior leadership roles across several major mining companies.

"His career is characterised by success in strategy, large-scale project development and team building on the one hand with a focus on safety, sustainability and stakeholder engagement on the other," Caledonia states.

"His extensive and broad-based experience in scaling and transforming businesses in the mining sector brings valuable perspective as we execute our next stage of growth. July's commitment to responsible leadership, health and safety and stakeholder engagement aligns well with our board's priorities," adds Kelly.