JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The newly appointed leadership at Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is launching an aggressive strategy to eliminate operational inefficiencies across all nine of its national airports, shifting the organizational focus from perceived financial constraints to systemic performance.
Irvine Phenyane, Chairperson of the ACSA board, clarified that the state-owned entity does not suffer from a lack of funding, but rather from internal operational bottlenecks. Highlighting the company’s recent financial results, Phenyane noted that ACSA posted a R1.2-billion profit after tax. However, the organization fell short of its capital expenditure targets. With current revenue sitting at approximately R8.8 billion, the board has set a strict mandate to increase this figure to no less than R10 billion within the first year.
To drive this transformation, the board recently announced the appointment of Siphamandla Mthethwa as the permanent chief executive. Mthethwa officially assumes his role on 1 November 2026 and has been given a strict 180-day turnaround deadline, ending on 31 March, to prove that a new, highly efficient operational culture is firmly in place for the new financial year.
A critical component of this mandate involves human resources and cost management. With employee costs having risen by 33.9%, Phenyane emphasized that ACSA will not be hiring additional staff. Instead, the focus will be on optimizing the workforce.
“We have many good people in the organization,” Phenyane explained, noting that numerous engineers, chartered accountants, and specialists are currently underutilized. The new CEO’s task is to maximize the output of this existing talent pool. Underscoring the urgency of the overhaul, Phenyane stated, “This mountain must move. This mountain shall move.”
Project Ignite and Passenger Experience
To address passenger frustrations—specifically the long queues that frequently plague the airports on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays—the board and the Minister have introduced “Project Ignite.” The initiative demands immediate solutions to determine whether bottlenecks are caused by personnel shortages or technological failures.
Project Ignite focuses on critical priorities, beginning with supply chain and procurement. Phenyane noted that while ACSA has the capital, it has struggled with supply chain execution. In a practical shift, if the supply chain team fails to procure materials for the built environment, engineers will be reassigned to assist with capital expenditure procurement to keep projects moving.
The second major pillar of Project Ignite targets commercial and cargo experiences. Recognizing that cargo operations have been severely under-monetized compared to global standards, the board is enforcing strict commercial discipline. The era of “evergreen contracts” is over.
Phenyane mandated that all commercial tenants operating within ACSA spaces must have signed, formal contracts within 90 days. Furthermore, operators failing to pay rent or provide adequate value for money will be evicted and replaced by tenants willing to pay market-related rates.
Financial Discipline
Supporting these operational shifts, the Chief Financial Officer has been tasked with leading a “Value for Money” program. This initiative is designed to close all financial leaks within the organization, ensuring that the company’s strong revenue generation translates directly into improved infrastructure and passenger experiences.
