Infrastructure development group Bigen has appointed Luthando Vutula, previously the CEO of Ubank, to succeed Dr Snowy Khoza, as of October 1.

Khoza will be retiring from the group in December.

Among numerous other academic achievements, Vutula holds a Master’s in Development Finance from Stellenbosch University (SU), a BA (Hons) in Business Administration from SU and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Accounting from the University of Botswana. 

He hails from a business background and has held senior executive and nonexecutive positions in major South African development, management and finance companies, contributing at the main board level to the setting and implementation of strategic policies.

He brings to the table experience and business acumen gained from extensive exposure to infrastructure development on a national and international level.

Having established networks in all tiers of the South African government, Vutula is involved with various multinational agencies and diplomatic circles in Africa, Scandinavia and North America, as well as donor agencies.

“Vutula has a remarkable ability to unite people from different levels of society and backgrounds to follow a collective progressive vision.

“He is a focused and performance-driven executive with a strategic mindset and a proven ability to deliver long-term value. I have no doubt that he is the right man for this position, and I look forward to seeing him drive the already impressive growth of the Bigen Group to reach new heights,” Khoza says.

“I am honoured to follow in the impressive footsteps of my predecessor, Dr Snowy Khoza. During her dynamic tenure of eight years as CEO and three years as Executive Chair of Bigen, she accomplished remarkable feats and developed Bigen from being a South Africa-based consulting engineering firm, to a driver of socioeconomic change across Africa through innovative, solutions-focused engineering, advisory and infrastructure development.

“I am excited to continue her legacy and, while some things may change, certain things will always be prioritised in our decision-making - our people, our continent, creating wealth for our stakeholders and leaving a legacy we are proud of,” Vutula says.