Durban - Neville Matjie has been appointed as the chief executive officer at Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal. Matjie filled the role of acting CEO since March this year.
He joined TIKZN in 2004 and headed the investment promotion and facilitation unit, and during the credit crunch in 2008 and the need to diversify the organisation, he established the business retention and expansion unit. Thereafter, he headed the export trade and development unit where programmes such as Export Week were conceived, and he assisted and led numerous KZN businesses in expanding their product reach into a number of African countries. His last role was Executive Manager: Strategy and Operations, where he ably drove the entity’s corporate strategy, policy advocacy, stakeholder management and TIKZN Gauteng branch office.
Matjie holds a Master of Science in Investment Promotion and Local Economic Development from Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from North-West University. His solid track record in strategy and operations management is supported by a history of working in the international trade and development industry. Negotiating, business planning, analytical skills, strategic planning and business development are among his core competencies.
Prior to joining TIKZN, Matjie served at the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s International Trade and Research division.
TIKZN Board Chairperson, Ina Cronjé, said Matjie’s commitment and demonstrated leadership ability holds promise for the untapped potential of the province to be unleashed.
“This most worthy appointment comes at a time when tough economic conditions prevail, unemployment is high and investment prospects uncertain. However, we are most confident that his extensive expertise and leadership abilities will effectively deliver on TIKZN’s vision to be ‘your knowledge partner in business,” she said.
Matjie has wasted no time in hitting the ground running with a number of programmes lined up, including preparing for a mission to the Russian Federation which will be led by the Honourable MEC Sihle Zikalala at the end of October 2018.