From Red Soil to Boardroom: How July Ndlovu Became One of SA’s Most Successful CEOs

It’s a long way from the dusty village roads of Zimbabwe to the marble floors of a corporate boardroom in Johannesburg. But for July Ndlovu, that road was not only walked—it was transformed into a legacy.

At 58, Ndlovu is preparing to step down as CEO of Thungela Resources, South Africa’s top coal mining company. After 35 years in the industry, and a final salary north of R59 million a year, he’s earned his rest. But behind the headlines of billion-rand profits and executive pay is a far richer, more human story—one of humble beginnings, pivotal choices, and leading through storms.

“I Was Born to Subsistence Farmers”

Born on July 25, 1965, in a small village deep in rural Zimbabwe, Ndlovu’s early life was shaped by farming, faith, and family. His parents were subsistence farmers who worked the land to feed their children. Like many in his community, the idea of becoming a CEO of a Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company was not even a distant dream—it simply wasn’t part of the vocabulary.

He attended Gokomere High School, a Roman Catholic mission school near Masvingo, and went on to study metallurgical engineering at the University of Zimbabwe. But his first plan? Medicine. “I was a failed medical student,” he jokes. “It just wasn’t for me.”

A chance conversation with an Anglo American executive sparked his pivot to mining. “It sounded like they were doing work that mattered,” he recalls. “That was the moment everything changed.”

From R1,500 to the Executive Suite

In 1993, Ndlovu began his mining career as a trainee engineer, earning just R1,500 a month. Over the next three decades, he climbed the ladder with precision, taking on key leadership roles across Anglo American’s coal and platinum operations.

By 2001, he was managing operations at Polokwane Smelter. By 2016, he was CEO of Anglo’s coal businesses in South Africa. And in 2021, he led the birth of Thungela Resources after it split from Anglo—a bold, risky moment in a volatile market. Under his watch, the company didn’t just survive—it thrived.

Despite Transnet’s logistical nightmares and pandemic-era uncertainty, Thungela increased its revenue to R35.6 billion in 2024 and returned R22 billion to shareholders over four years.

“Leadership is about dealing with uncertainty,” Ndlovu says. “You’re never going to have perfect information. You just hope to get more right than wrong.”

A Leader, Not a Boss

If there’s one idea Ndlovu returns to often, it’s that leadership is not about titles—it’s about people. “At some point, your job changes from solving technical problems to enabling others,” he explains. “The minute you see yourself as a shepherd, your team will carry you.”

His leadership style resonated deeply across the Thungela workforce. Internally, colleagues describe him as someone who could listen just as well as he could lead. On social media, tributes pour in for a CEO seen as genuine and grounded.

One LinkedIn user wrote: “July Ndlovu is the kind of leader who brings heart to hard industry. A role model not just for miners, but for every young African professional with a dream.”

What’s Next? “I’m Going Home”

After decades of high-stakes meetings and cross-continental deals, Ndlovu is ready for something simpler.

“For the first time in 35 years, I can be spontaneous,” he says, smiling. “I can travel, read, and spend time with my wife—we met when we were 17, and now I’m going back to her.”

He’ll remain involved on a few boards, but nothing too demanding. “I want to be present for my family. That’s my priority now.”

A Legacy Bigger Than Profits

July Ndlovu’s story is not just a corporate success tale. It’s a blueprint for transformation—from rural roots to boardroom influence. It’s about what happens when education meets opportunity, and when leadership is grounded in empathy rather than ego.

Most of all, it’s about refusing to be defined by your beginnings.

“I could have ended up working the red soils of my village, like so many boys my age,” he reflects. “But I had dreams. And I followed them.”

And in doing so, he paved the way for others to dream even bigger.

Source:Business Tech 

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