Former CFO Mthethwa returns to take ACSA hot seat

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has turned to its former chief financial officer, Siphamandla Mthethwa, to lead the company after a period marked by procurement controversies, court battles, and questions over governance under predecessor Mpumi Mpofu.

Mthethwa will take over as chief executive on 1 November, about three years after leaving ACSA, where he served as chief financial officer between 2020 and 2023. His appointment follows a Cabinet decision on 23 September.

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Mpofu’s tenure ended earlier this year and was dogged by controversy, including allegations that she misrepresented her academic qualifications. ACSA also faced scrutiny over senior appointments and procurement. The Gauteng High Court also interdicted an emergency security tender, while a separate R115 million biometric contract became embroiled in a dispute that ultimately saw ACSA suspend its chief information officer after an investigation found prima facie evidence of wrongdoing.

Governance challenges

Earlier this year, The Citizen also revealed that R36 million worth of explosive trace detectors procured on an emergency basis in 2022 remained unused, with ACSA acknowledging irregularities in the procurement process. The equipment was delivered after the international aviation security audit that was used to motivate its urgency.

New ACSA CEO Siphamandla Mthethwa starts on 1 November. Picture: Supplied

It is against this backdrop that Mthethwa returns, with ACSA board chair Irvin Phenyane saying on Friday that the company had launched Project Reignite to deal with complaints and operational problems raised by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, Parliament’s portfolio committee and other stakeholders. “We have set ourselves 90 days between now and Christmas to do all the things that they had to do,” Phenyane said. A second phase will run between January and March. “Key to that is for us to ensure that our capital expenditure is fast-tracked to ensure that customer experience is restored,” he said.

ACSA, which is currently profitable, is facing pressure to turn its financial recovery into infrastructure delivery. The company recorded R1.99 billion profit before tax and R1.2 billion profit after tax for the year ended March 2026, while revenue reached R8.8 billion. But infrastructure delivery fell short of plan. ACSA delivered R2.58 billion against R3.6 billion planned during the year as pressure grows on airport capacity and infrastructure.

Irregular expenditure

Irregular expenditure also increased from R333.1 million to R400.3 million, with approximately R146.6 million relating to new irregular expenditure incurred during the 2025/26 reporting period.

Passenger numbers, meanwhile, have almost returned to where they were before the Covid-19 pandemic. Phenyane said on Friday that traffic had recovered to 99% of pre-pandemic numbers.

Charles Shilowa, who has served as acting CEO since 1 July after Mpofu’s tenure ended, will remain in the position until the end of October.

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