Career biography

I am currently the Group Executive: Legal and Compliance at the Takealot Group, having recently joined the well-known e-commerce retailer in April 2025. Prior to Takealot, I practiced as a corporate and commercial attorney for 12 years prior to joining Pioneer Foods Group Limited, a JSE listed foodbev manufacturing company, in 2010. Pioneer Foods is the manufacturer of much-loved South African brands such as Sasko, Weet-bix, Ceres and Bokomo. My professional experience was honed at Mallinicks Inc (which was later acquired by Webber Wentzel), as well as Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc. I joined CDH as a partner in the Corporate and Commercial Department during 2005 in the Cape Town office. During my time at Pioneer Foods, I was also the Group Company Secretary of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed entity (Pioneer Food Group Limited) for 10 years while also simultaneously heading up the legal and compliance function. I have led the legal assistance on numerous restructuring and M&A transactions at Pioneer Foods inclusive of the unbundling and listing of its Quantum Foods business division, the acquisition of its Nigeria bakery business in 2014, Futurelife Health Products (2015 and 2023) and the acquisition of Pioneer Foods by PepsiCo Inc in 2019-2020, culminating in its subsequent delisting. During the last five years post the PepsiCo-Pioneer Foods merger, I was integral in the compliance with the public interest conditions, which included the negotiation and structure of the Basumi Trust, an esop for PepsiCo South Africa employees, as well as the Kgodiso Development Fund Trust, which encompasses both agricultural and educational development. The Basuma Trust won several dtic awards as one of the most innovative and inclusive broad-based esops in South Africa.

I hold a BA LLB, LLM and a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Law, all from the University of Cape Town.