Aviation Insiders Slam SAA Acting CEO Appointment

South African Airways (SAA) has appointed Matshela Seshibe as its acting chief executive, a decision that has drawn immediate criticism from aviation industry professionals and governance watchdogs.

Seshibe, who serves as the head of Air Chefs, a catering subsidiary of the airline, takes the acting leadership role amid concerns regarding his professional track record and lack of direct aviation operational experience.

Wayne Duvenage, the chief executive of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), described the appointment as cadre deployment on steroids.

Other aviation professionals have been equally critical, with one individual describing the move as a complete and utter “clusterf**k” on social media.

Governance Concerns and Past Tenure

The appointment has brought renewed scrutiny to Seshibe’s previous employment at Daybreak Farms, a state-adjacent poultry business.

In late 2022, Seshibe was suspended from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC)-funded producer following allegations that he authorized millions of rand in irregular payments.

While some subsequent reports indicated he may have been cleared of wrongdoing, the suspension was part of a wider governance review into irregularities at the entity.

Outa’s Duvenage questioned the suitability of the appointment, arguing that the experience gained running a catering subsidiary does not provide the necessary expertise required to operate within the highly competitive and complex aviation industry.

Operational Risks in Aviation

Industry insiders have highlighted that aviation is an industry that penalizes governance failures through immediate and measurable operational consequences.

Key risks associated with leadership decisions at the CEO level include:

• The grounding of aircraft
• Regulatory warnings from authorities
• The loss of slots at major aviation hubs

The appointment also raises questions regarding relationships with regulatory bodies, including the Competition Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority, both of which maintain active interests in SAA’s operational decisions.

SAA’s Stability Context

The leadership change occurs as SAA continues to navigate a long pattern of governance instability and structural financial distress.

For more than a decade, the airline has undergone business rescue processes, relied on state bailouts, and worked toward a slow return to partial commercial operations.

Critics argue that the choice of leadership affects stakeholder confidence, as commercial partners and creditors typically price in the risk associated with an organization’s governance discipline.

The current environment places pressure on SAA to attract leadership capable of managing an airline in a volatile operating environment without further missteps.