Board of Directors
The Tefla Group Board of Directors comprises a dynamic team of experienced professionals who collectively bring decades of expertise across finance, governance, infrastructure development, commercial strategy, investment facilitation, operations, and sustainable business growth. The Board provides strategic leadership and oversight to ensure that the Group remains innovative, financially sustainable, and aligned with its long-term vision of delivering impactful solutions across multiple sectors.
Guided by strong governance principles, commercial insight, and a commitment to excellence, the Board plays a critical role in driving organizational growth, strengthening strategic partnerships, managing risk, and advancing transformative development initiatives that contribute to economic and social progress across South Africa and the broader African continent.
Marinda Pretorius
Chairperson of the board
Marinda Pretorius is a seasoned business banking and client relationship executive with over four decades of professional experience spanning financial services, credit management, client engagement, and business relationship management. She brings to the board a wealth of strategic insight, financial acumen, and leadership expertise developed through an extensive career with some of South Africa’s leading banking institutions.
Marinda began her career at Santam Bank in 1979 as a Credit Controller, where she developed a strong foundation in financial administration, credit risk assessment, debt management, and customer relations. During this period, she was responsible for assessing and approving credit applications, managing company sales ledgers, and ensuring healthy cash flow management through proactive debt recovery and client dispute resolution.
In 1987, she joined ABSA Bank, where she built an exceptional 37-year career as a Relationship Manager in Business Banking. In this role, she managed a portfolio of approximately 240 medium-sized business accounts while consistently driving growth, maintaining strong client relationships, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Her responsibilities included securing lending agreements, overseeing statutory and FICA compliance, and delivering strategic financial solutions tailored to client needs.
Marinda is highly regarded for her outstanding leadership, key account management, and administrative capabilities. She has demonstrated excellence in stakeholder engagement, sales growth, analytical problem-solving, and client retention throughout her career. Her professional approach, coupled with her ability to perform effectively in high-pressure environments, has earned her a reputation for reliability, professionalism, and service excellence.
Academically and professionally, Marinda has continuously invested in her development through several banking and financial qualifications, including Regulatory Certification, NQF qualifications in Banking Services and Financial Markets & Instruments, as well as marketing studies.
As Chairman of the Board, Marinda Pretorius brings strategic leadership, strong governance principles, financial oversight expertise, and a deep commitment to organizational excellence. Her extensive experience in relationship management, corporate governance, and business development positions her as a valuable leader capable of guiding organizations toward sustainable growth and operational success.
Niel Van Zyl
Deputy Chair
Non-Executive Director: Commercial & Investments
Niel Van Zyl is a highly accomplished business leader and strategic advisor with over 40 years of experience in commercial development, investment facilitation, operational leadership, and enterprise growth. He brings a wealth of knowledge and insight gained from decades of involvement in business development, infrastructure support, strategic partnerships, and investment-driven initiatives across multiple sectors.
Throughout his career, Niel has played a significant role in identifying and structuring commercially viable opportunities, fostering strategic alliances, and supporting sustainable economic development initiatives. His expertise spans commercial strategy, investment advisory, operational optimization, stakeholder engagement, and business expansion, making him a respected figure within both the private and development sectors.
Known for his entrepreneurial mindset and pragmatic leadership approach, Niel has consistently contributed to the growth and sustainability of organizations through sound commercial judgement, strategic guidance, and long-term value creation. His extensive experience and leadership continue to support transformative initiatives focused on infrastructure, industrial development, and economic empowerment.
As a Non-Executive Director of Tefla Group, Niel Van Zyl is responsible for the Commercial and Investment portfolio, where he provides strategic oversight on investment opportunities, commercial partnerships, business growth, and sustainable expansion strategies for the Group.
Ronewa Bombi
Board Member: Finance & Governance
Ronewa Bombi is an accomplished finance and governance professional with over nine years of experience in financial management, accounting, infrastructure development support, business strategy, and operational leadership. He brings extensive expertise in financial planning, risk management, compliance, project finance, and strategic business development within both the public and private sectors.
Throughout his career, Ronewa has successfully led financial operations for large-scale infrastructure and development projects, overseeing budgeting, reporting, governance compliance, and financial performance management. He has strong experience in deal structuring, capital optimization, stakeholder engagement, and implementing sustainable financial strategies that support long-term organizational growth.
In addition to his finance background, he has managed facilities operations, asset management programs, procurement oversight, and operational efficiency initiatives, demonstrating a well-rounded understanding of organizational governance and performance management.
Ronewa holds an MBA from the University of Johannesburg, alongside advanced qualifications in Accounting Science, Cost and Management Accounting, Taxation, Higher Education, and Construction Project Management. He is passionate about innovation, digital transformation, and building sustainable institutions that contribute to economic and infrastructure development across Africa.
As a member of the Tefla Group Board of Directors, Ronewa is responsible for Finance and Governance, providing strategic oversight on financial sustainability, corporate governance, compliance, risk management, and institutional growth.
JACOB MAROGA
Board Director: Infrastructure and Engineering
Phirwa Jacob Maroga is a highly accomplished engineer and executive leader with more than 35 years of experience in the energy, infrastructure, engineering, facilities management, and property sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and completed the prestigious Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School.
Mr. Maroga has held several senior leadership positions within South Africa’s strategic infrastructure and energy sectors, most notably serving as Chief Executive Officer of Eskom from 2007 to 2009, where he led the national power utility responsible for producing approximately 95% of South Africa’s electricity. During his tenure, he spearheaded Eskom’s New Generation Build Programme aimed at strengthening national energy security, while overseeing large-scale operational, maintenance, and capital investment strategies across the electricity value chain.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, he served in multiple executive roles at Eskom, including Managing Director of Transmission and Managing Director of Distribution, where he led national grid operations, electricity distribution expansion, power system control, electrification programmes, and infrastructure development initiatives across South Africa and the Southern African Power Pool.
Mr. Maroga further strengthened his infrastructure leadership credentials through his role as Head of the Property Management Trading Entity (PMTE) within the South African Department of Public Works, where he oversaw a government property portfolio comprising approximately 95,000 properties and 30,000 land parcels valued at over R140 billion. In this capacity, he led strategic facilities management, infrastructure optimization, energy efficiency, and public sector accommodation programmes.
He has also provided strategic advisory services to Independent Power Producers and infrastructure stakeholders through his consultancy and current role as Executive Director of Erinite Energy, focusing on innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective energy solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector clients.
As Director responsible for Infrastructure and Engineering at Tefla Group, Mr. Maroga brings exceptional expertise in large-scale infrastructure planning, engineering management, energy systems, utilities, capital expansion, facilities management, and strategic leadership. His extensive experience across public and private sector infrastructure development positions him to play a pivotal role in advancing Tefla Group’s engineering, construction, energy, and infrastructure growth agenda.