The South African Sugar Association (SASA) has announced that Sifiso Mhlaba will take over the reigns as CEO of the organisation as Trix Trikam retired as of November 1, 2024.
“We warmly congratulate Sifiso on his new position of CEO at SASA. With his wealth of experience and unwavering commitment to driving growth, he brings invaluable expertise and passion to the sugar industry. His strategic insights and dedication will be instrumental in steering us toward an even more sustainable and inclusive future, ensuring that we continue to serve the needs of small-scale and commercial growers alike,” said Higgins Mdluli, chairman of SA Canegrowers.
SA Canegrowers represents 24,000 small-scale growers and 1,200 commercial growers.
Beyond Mhlaba’s depth of experience and contributions to agricultural economics and policy, he is himself a small-scale sugarcane grower from Mpumalanga. This gives him personal insight into the pressing needs of the industry, including the need for coherent policy decisions that will drive growth, job creation, and even greater levels of transformation.
SA Canegrowers fully supports Mhlaba’s belief that the Sugar Industry Value Chain Master Plan and policy coherence are critical to the whole sugar industry. The Master Plan is a compact between government, industry, and other stakeholders and includes working streams such as diversification of the sugar industry and ongoing transformation.
SA Canegrowers also acknowledges the immense contributions of outgoing CEO Trix Trikam. He has been the CEO of SASA for 26 years, and as such played a significant role in shaping the industry.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Trix for his remarkable leadership and dedication to the sugar industry. His vision and commitment have been pivotal in driving industry successes and growth. He leaves behind a lasting legacy of transformation in South Africa’s sugar sector,” said Mdluli.
For enquiries:
Gerhard Mulder
gerhard@resolvecommunications.co.za
083 305 9361