The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board announced the appointment of Nada Wotshela as its Acting Group CEO effective from July 1.

The broadcaster’s group CEO Madoda Mxakwe’s five-year contract comes to an end on June 30. Mxakwe was appointed in 2018, when the broadcaster was facing governance failures, corruption, gross mismanagement, and a crippling financial situation.

The SABC noted that Mxakwe is the first Group CEO, in over 15 years, to complete their contract. 

“Over the past five years, Mr. Mxakwe and the Management team worked closely with all employees and the Board to reverse the dire situation, setting the public broadcaster on a recovery path and rebuilding its credibility. Although the financial sustainability challenges still persist, the SABC stabilised under his leadership,” said the SABC board.

Wotshela comes in as a seasoned broadcaster with more than 20 year’s experience at the SABC, with 12 of those years in senior management and executive roles.

She is currently the Group Executive for Radio at the SABC.

The board expressed confidence in Wotshela’s abilities in leading the public broadcaster during this time.

“We implore the SABC’s stakeholders, internally and externally, to support her during this period,” the SABC board said.

Recruitment of the new group CEO is underway.