POLOKWANE – Going a year without a CEO, the Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) will now be led by Ndumiso Matlala.
Born and bred in Limpopo, Matlala was raised in Seshego, where he also attended school. He grew up in a Christian family with his father being a priest at the Anglican Church. He was also raised in a political environment which made him politically aware from a very young age.
He started a BCom degree in law at the University of Limpopo, but had to quit to join the then banned African National Congress (ANC).
He quickly rose within the ranks of the ANC’s military wing, Umkhonto We Sizwe and became a unit commander until FW de Klerk unbanned the organisation.
Matlala has a distinguished track record in the struggle against Apartheid and feels he lost most of his youth, a time to be carefree, to fight for a non-racial and democratic society.
In a democratic South Africa he registered for and obtained a BCom and later BCom Honours degree in economics at the University of the Western Cape.
He also obtained a diploma in project management at Damelin College, and later added on this with a diploma in social science.
He completed computer programmes and received a certificate in participatory planning and facilitation. Careerwise, Matlala has served in several professional capacities in various government departments and parastatals.
He was the chairperson of the board at the Getaway Airport Authority of Limpopo (GAAL) and also held positions such as director deputy board chairperson of the interim board that incorporated all economic development agencies in Limpopo, chairperson of the board for trade and investment and member of the board of the Sekhukhune Economic Development Agency. He currently serves as board member of RISIMA housing finance in Limpopo.
Matlala’s career took him outside the province where he was special advisor to the premier of Mpumalanga, chief director for economic planning, research and information management in the province, consultant on economic development planning, head of division in research and knowledge management productivity in South Africa, deputy director labour market information and statistics in the department of labour and first secretary to the former minister of labour.
All that is in the past now because Matlala, who has a wife and three sons, will from now on target tourism in Limpopo.
“I will take the LTA to the next level and help keep the momentum for Limpopo to continue to be a destination of choice in the country,” he concludes.
