Ben Magara
| Ben Magara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Bennetor Magara June 24, 1967 Bikita |
| Education | University of Zimbabwe |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Being CEO of Lonmin. |
| Spouse(s) | Gumisayi Magara |
| Children | Makomborero and Mazvita |
Bennetor Magara is a Zimbabwean business executive. He was the chief executive officer and director at Lonmin which was the third biggest platinum producer in the world after Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum.
Ben Magara is the founder and Chairman of Africa Metals & Mining Group and non-executive director of JSE-listed Grindrod, a leader in freight and financial services in South Africa.[1]
Background
He was born Bennetor Magara on June 24, 1967 in Bikita, Zimbabwe and is the fifth in a family of nine.He arrived in South Africa exactly one month before the election in 1994.[2] He is married to Gumisayi Magara and together they have two sons Makomborero and Mazvita.[3]
Education
Magara attended Fletcher High School for his Advanced Levels after attending Macheke High School for his Ordinary Levels.[4] He is a Mining Engineering graduate from the University of Zimbabwe. He had a scholarship with Anglo-American before he was seconded to the then Wankie Colliery now Hwange Colliery where he worked for four years.[2] He studied for an Accelerated Development Programme (ADP) at London Business School; and AMP, Gordon Institute of Business Science.[3]
Career
His first posting in South Africa was in Standerton at New Denmark Colliery. Magara served as the Chief Executive Officer for Anglo Coal South Africa at Anglo Zimele Empowerment Initiative Ltd. He is well known in the mining industry for his innovative business initiatives covering safety, HIV and AIDS, as well as organizational culture change. He led the creation of Anglo Inyosi Coal, a Black Economic Empowerment company, resulting in the implementation of four new mines, including Isibonelo, Mafube, Zibulo, and New Largo Collieries.[5]
Magara was the Executive Head responsible for Engineering and Capital Projects at Anglo Platinum and was previously a director of Anglo American South Africa (2006-2013), was Chairman of Richards Bay Coal Terminal and the Eskom 2008 Coal Working Group. He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at St Peters Prep School Foundation. He became CEO of Lonmin in 2013.[6] He was the South African Colliery Managers' Association (Sacma) Vice President in 2004.[4]
He completed 6 years as CEO of Lonmin Plc, the then third largest and only LSE/JSE dual-listed PGM producer. During his tenure, he restructured and returned Lonmin to profitability and subsequently consolidated its assets with Sibanye-Stillwater.[1]
Trivia
In 2016 he declined a salary increase in the year to September for the second year in a row although the platinum mining group turned from an underlying loss of $134m in 2015 to a profit of $7m after a rights issue and a restructuring. At the time, his basic salary was the same, at £462,150, for 2016 and 2015, but there was a 9.4% increase in the value of his taxable benefits, such as car allowance and medical cover. He received another £357,480 in short-term and other incentives, making his total remuneration for the year £939,603 (about R16m).[7]
Magara was in Forbes' The 10 Most Powerful Men in Africa list.[8]
Videos
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Team, AMMG, Published: No Date Given, Retrieved: June 23, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Meet Ben Magara, CEO of Lonmin (3rd largest platinum producer in the world), Station 702, published: November 16, 2016,retrieved: May 2, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ben Magara, Mining Weekly, published: February 3, 2012, retrieved: May 2, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ben Magara, Who's Who Southern Africa, published: No Date Given, retrieved: May 2, 2017
- ↑ Interview with Ben Magara, CEO and Director of Lonmin, Intrabrand, published: No Date Given, published: May 2, 2017
- ↑ Board, Lonmin, published: No Date Given, retrieved: May 2, 2017
- ↑ Charlotte Mathews, Lonmin’s Ben Magara declines pay rise for second consecutive year, Business Day, published: December 22, 2016, retrieved: May 2, 2017
- ↑ The 10 Most Powerful Men In Africa 2014, Forbes, published: No Date Given, retrieved: May 2,2017
