Khulekani Mathe

Mathe is the Chief Executive Officer of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), a position he has held since January 2025. Before joining BUSA, he was the head of financial inclusion at the Banking Association South Africa (BASA), where he focused on driving transformation in the banking industry, fostering small business development, and promoting financial education.
An experienced policy development professional, Mathe has held various roles in public service, including positions in the Presidency, the National Planning Commission Secretariat, and the Department of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation. Notably, during his time in the National Planning Commission Secretariat, he played a significant role in developing the National Development Plan and served as the head of the Secretariat.
Earlier in his career, Mathe spent 15 years in the education sector, specialising in adult education. He led the Tembaletu Community Education Centre, which gained national and international recognition for its outstanding work, earning two national awards and one international award. In 2007, he was appointed chairman of the Ministerial Committee tasked with reviewing adult education policy in South Africa and contributed to the establishment and governance of the Education Training and Development SETA.
Mathe is a certified director and a member of the Institute of Directors of South Africa (IODSA). He holds a Master of Science degree in development finance and a Master of Education degree focusing on adult education. Additionally, he is a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative (ALI), part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and an alumnus of the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Programme. He serves on the board of directors of the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) Foundation and was recently appointed to the boards of the Human Resources Development Council and the National Education Collaboration Trust.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Mathe is an enthusiastic long-distance athlete and has completed the Comrades Marathon ten times.