Kellanova is a leading company in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, plant-based foods, and North American frozen breakfast, with iconic, world-class brands. The company is on a journey to achieve its vision of becoming the world’s best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of its differentiated brands and passionate people. 

 

Kellanova is an innovative and agile company with promise and the possibility of continued growth, and we uphold our founder’s dedication to people and their well-being. We are starting our journey from a position of strength rooted in our more than 100-year legacy. From that same legacy, we are guided by our Kellanova Better Days Promise to create better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. 

As an independent family-owned business the Kit Kat Group has seen great evolution over the past 50 years and even more in the most recent decade. 

Founded in 1953 by members of the Gani family, this independent wholesaler and retailer started off as the Kit Kat Café and Restaurant. Over the years, the well-established business grew in success as the café was converted into a self-service supermarket in 1973      and is still currently growing from strength to strength. 

Kit Kat has been able to successfully expand their store footprint around Gauteng Allowing for the expansion of their brand and stores into Limpopo through their Kit Kat Express model at the end of 2021. 

Kit Kat is amongst the very few independent wholesalers to have an effective and functioning fully operating online store that caters to all shoppers. 

An interesting development resulted in Kit Kat partnering with Food Lovers Market to drive growth and success with the Fresh division of their business.

With its focus on partnerships, building strong relationships with suppliers and customers as well as its investment in ecommerce, data and technology, The Kit Kat Group is well positioned to continue with its growth path for the foreseeable future.

The South African Breweries (SAB) has reimagined what a beer company can be and has  anchored this in a powerful brand purpose – We Dream Big to Create a Future With More Cheers. At SAB it’s always about more than the beer. We are driven by our passion to demonstrate the unique power of beer to propel South Africa forward. Since our inception over a century ago, SAB has grown to become South Africa's largest brewer, a powerful economic contributor, a leader in sustainability, and a champion of responsible consumption. SAB is one of South Africa’s admired companies and corporate brands. The company operates 7 breweries and 42 depots in South Africa, a total workforce of approximately 5 000, and supports a beer economy ‘from seed to sip’ of over 250 000 jobs. Its portfolio of beer brands meets the needs of a wide range of consumers and includes leading brands in beer and beyond such as Castle Lager, Carling Black Label, Corona, Brutal Fruit, and Flying Fish. 

“Leanne Martin’s journey through the world of FMCG has been anything but conventional. Over fifteen years, she has shaped some of South Africa’s most resonant brands, not with noise, but with nuance. As Vice President of Africa Innovation, Insights & Beyond Co. at SAB, she leads innovation and strategy across the continent with purposeful precision. Her work on Brutal Fruit and Flying Fish, each now valued at over $1 billion, reflects a rare blend of instinct, insight, and intention. Recognized in the 2024 Kantar BrandZ report, these brands are not only commercially powerful, but culturally defining. Whether crafting immersive brand worlds or cultivating creative talent, Leanne is driven by precision, creativity, and a deep belief in the power of showing up fully.”

As Chief People, Culture and Purpose Officer, 'Nolo' Thobejane is responsible for overseeing people and culture across the Sub-Saharan region, driving the group's people agenda and ensuring that franchise partners maintain KFC’s standards and values in developing talent for sustainable business growth. A purposeful leader with over 2 decades of strategic and operational leadership experience in the retail sector across Africa. Her passion and love for QSR industry started in her university years, driven by her ambition for financial independence and self-development. Having started her career as a team member in a male-dominated environment, she is deeply committed to youth career advancement, female leadership, and fostering diversity and inclusion. Nolo’s professional journey is marked by her dedication to transformation and her extensive operational and HR expertise. Her background enables her to bridge strategic vision with effective execution and measurable outcomes, bringing a valuable operator’s perspective to human resources. Between her travels and pursuit of her purpose in her world of work she spends time with her family and friends. Nolo revels from the joy and blessing of being a wife to Glenton and a mother to Tumisang and Gabaiphiwe. Nolo holds a Postgraduate Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Pretoria, a Human Resources Diploma from the University of Johannesburg, and an MBA from GIBS Business School.

Neo is a distinguished Government Affairs, Public Policy, and Strategic Communications Specialist with over 25 years of leadership experience across South Africa’s most regulated and influential sectors—including FMCG, Information Technology, Broadcasting, Print Media, Healthcare, and Government. Her career is defined by visionary strategy, institutional reform, and stakeholder alignment at the highest levels. As Programme Director, Neo brings a legacy of policy influence and public trust-building. She has led transformative engagements with government officials, political actors, and industry leaders, shaping regulatory outcomes and advancing ethical trade practices. Her strategic foresight and ability to navigate complex political landscapes have earned her a reputation as a trusted advisor and sectoral advocate. Neo’s communications acumen is equally formidable. She served as Communications Project Manager for the State Funeral of Nelson Mandela, orchestrating a global media experience that united millions in tribute. Her leadership in internal and external communications spans national and international platforms, reinforcing brand integrity and institutional credibility. She has also championed industry-wide advocacy as a senior leader within an FMCG association representing 9,000 member companies—developing public policy strategies that safeguard the sustainability and viability of the sector. Neo’s presence as Programme Director ensures that this event is not only expertly curated but also strategically aligned with the values of governance excellence, stakeholder empowerment, and visionary leadership.

Sibongile (Bongi) Mkhabela, a development practitioner, social worker by profession and an activist by orientation. Ms. Mkhabela, a development institution builder, is currently the Executive Director of Barloworld Empowerment Foundation (BWEF), a non-profit organization that seeks to ignite individual self-belief and unleash resilient and thriving communities through application of innovative measures including advocacy and storytelling. Ms. Mkhabela is notably the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) as well as the initiator of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust (NMCH Trust). In 1994 Mkhabela was enlisted into the Office of the then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, as Director of Programs, Projects and Coordinator of a legislative process leading to the establishment of the National Development Agency (NDA). She also led the implementation of the Children’s Charter The roots of Mkhabela’s lifetime activism trace back to her youth and student days. She served as Secretary General of the South African Student Movement (SASM). She also served on Soweto Student Representative Council (SSRC) which steered the nationwide June 16, 1976, uprisings credited for the beginning of the end of apartheid. Her personal story of the Soweto uprisings is captured in her book, Open Earth and Black Roses. Mkhabela, a Social Work graduate of the University of Zululand, is also a Joel L. Fleishman Civil Society Fellow at Duke University in North Carolina, USA. She completed her post-graduate Business Management studies with the University of the Witwatersrand Business School in Johannesburg.

Tom Mkhwanazi has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Wholesale & Retail SETA (W&RSETA) since February 2019. His career began as an educator in Durban and he has since held a wide range of positions across various organisations and has served on various boards and councils. He has a wealth of experience in the Public Sector, having held various positions in different levels for over 33 years and more than 16 years in strategic leadership roles. Mkhwanazi’s academic achievements include a BA honours and an HDE from the University of Durban Westville, as well as various post-graduate diplomas in Public Management, Labour Law, Interpreting and Drafting of Contracts and Corporate Law and certificates in Monitoring and Evaluation and Pension Fund Law through various institutions.

Zinhle Tyikwe is the Chief Executive Officer of GS1 South Africa, where she leads with strategic clarity, institutional integrity, and a deep commitment to inclusive advancement. Her career spans more than two decades in human resources and executive management, marked by a consistent focus on unlocking potential, driving transformation, and elevating women within the consumer goods sector and beyond. Since joining GS1 South Africa in 2013, Zinhle has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s culture and strategic direction—first as Executive for Human Resources and Communications, and now as its CEO. Her leadership is grounded in academic excellence, holding two honours degrees in Human Resources Development and Industrial Psychology & Organisational Development from UNISA, and an MBA from the University of South Wales. Zinhle’s influence has extended across sectors through her previous board roles with the Wholesale and Retail SETA and the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, where she contributed to national skills development and healthcare governance. She continues to lend her voice to strategic transformation as a member of the SAB Sharp Advisory Board, helping guide responsible industry practices and community impact. As we honour the theme Empowering Women, Empowering the Future in this year’s Women Colloquy, Zinhle embodies the principle that empowered women are architects of progress. Her leadership is not only institutional—it is generational. And at the heart of her journey is her role as a mother to Wongalamasengwa and Zimkitha, where her passion for growth, development, and nurturing the future finds its most personal and profound expression.