Armstrong House

Mr James Rawbone-Viljoen  grew up in Elgin Valley on the farm owned by his family for more than a century.

He attended Western Province Preparatory School (WPPS) in Cape Town and, after matriculating from St Andrew’s College in 1980, he returned to the Western Cape to complete his Diploma in Marketing Management at the Cape Town Technicon.

James is the owner of Drumearn Pty Ltd – an apple and pear farm based in Elgin in the Western Cape – and he is a shareholder of the Elgin Vintners winery. For James, the excitement of the wine business is all about personal interaction with wine lovers and growing a global family of loyal followers. James has applied his knowledge gained from managing one’s own business to Council matters, and his strong networking skills have been used to good effect in fundraising initiatives at College.

As an old boy of both WPPS and St Andrew’s College, James was elected to the WPPS Board of Governors as the official representative of St Andrew’s College. The schools enjoy a strong historical connection, and the relationship between the schools remains close.

James has a passion to ensure the sustainability of both WPPS and St Andrew’s College in these challenging times for independent education in South Africa. Thanks to his ties and commitment, he is well equipped to serve on both Councils.

James is a past parent of St Andrew’s College, and both his father and father-in-law were Old Andreans.

After matriculating from St Andrew’s College in 1990, Mr Tando Mkosi obtained his
Bachelor of Social Sciences and PG Diploma in Personnel Management from the University of KwaZulu Natal.

Tando has a wealth of human resources knowledge with over 20-year of experience at Unilever, the ABSA Bank Group, IBM and Vodacom. Tando is currently the Managing Executive: Group Talent, Organisation Effectiveness and Diversity and Inclusion for the Vodacom Group. Tando has been a member of Corporate Boards and Remuneration Committees throughout his professional career. His exposure to different industries and the ever-changing field of human behaviour has taught him to be agile, resilient and flexible in times of change.

Tando’s older son was Head Boy of St Andrew’s College in 2021, while his younger son is enjoying his time in Upper House.

Tando writes:

As an Old Andrean, it was always my wish to “give back”. The Chairmanship of the HR Committee and being part of Council enables me to use my HR expertise to shape the future organisational insights and thereby ensuring that College sustains its academic excellence.  Also, with my corporate insights, I am able to help shape the leadership capability and competencies of the College Senior Management Team. Being a parent also allows me an opportunity to better appreciate the school’s governance and operating model.

Judge Nomathamsanqa Beshe completed her studies by graduating with an LLB degree in 1994.

She started her legal career as a public prosecutor in both district and regional courts,  thereafter serving as a magistrate for many years. From 2002 to 2010 she served as the Regional Court President of the Eastern Cape Division, and she was appointed a High Court Judge in 2010, a position which she still holds.

Judge Beshe was a member and Vice Chairperson of the Magistrates Commission. In addition, she was a founder member and former Deputy President of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges. She is also a member of the International Association of Refugee & Migration Judges and, in 2016, she took part in the Specialized Judicial Services Expert Group Meeting in Amman, Jordan.

Judge Beshe has recently returned from Belgium where she was one of the participating judges in an International moot court competition at Ghent university.

Judge Beshe writes:

As a judge, I took an oath that I will uphold and protect the Constitution and the human rights entrenched in it. Furthermore, our Constitution guarantees everyone the right to administrative action that is lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair. I see my appointment onto Council as an opportunity to be part of a great Institution in a city I consider my second home for the past decade, and I am hoping to ensure that, as a Council, we endeavour to uphold and promote these values.

Mr Simon White’s family is well known in the Eastern Cape and at our family of schools. Simon’s Great Grandfather matriculated from St Andrew’s College in 1881, and there has been a succession of family members in Upper House ever since.

After matriculating from St Andrew’s College in 1991, Simon obtained his B Comm Accounting degree at the University of Natal and his H Dipp Acc qualification from Rhodes University. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

After completing his articles at Deloitte, Simon worked at Lloyds Insurance, UBS Warburg and the Royal Bank of Scotland in London.

He joined South African Breweries in 2002 and spent the next six years in various financial management roles in manufacturing, sales and distribution and supply chain. In 2008 he was appointed Finance Director of Massbuild, a position he held for five years before moving into a Commercial Director role.

Simon and his family relocated to the White’s family farm outside Makhanda in 2015, and Simon became the Co-Owner and Managing Director of Omne, a successful business offering accounting, tax and advisory services.

Simon has a wealth of experience from working in well-regarded listed companies, and brings financial, accounting, tax, governance and leadership skills to Council. His recent experience in owning and running a small business adds to his skill set.

Following the family tradition, Simon’s children are currently at DSG and Prep.

Simon writes:

I am a proud Old Andrean with children in the St Andrew’s and DSG family of schools.  It has been a privilege to serve on the College Council and an opportunity to give back to the school.

Mr Malcolm MacKenzie graduated from the University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg) with a BComm.

After a successful career in equity derivates and stockbroking in London and Johannesburg, Malcolm settled in the Eastern Cape with his wife, Leigh-Anne, and their family on Leigh-Anne’s family farm at Nanaga.

Leigh-Anne is a DSG Old Girl and her family has been associated with our family of schools for many generations.

Malcolm and Leigh-Anne own Nanaga Farm, and have successfully developed the once modest farm stall into the well-known and much-loved Nanaga Farm Stall in which Malcolm’s financial experience has been invaluable.

Malcolm also served as a Director of Clover Industries for a number of years.

Malcolm is involved in the formation and management of the Inkunzi Bursary Scheme which, through the school’s purchase and raising of cattle on local farmers’ land, will contribute to the funding of bursaries for children of Eastern Cape farmers.

Malcolm and Leigh-Anne are extremely involved in the Andrean community, and are proud past and current parents.

When asked why he joined Council in 2016, Malcolm writes :

I wanted to positively contribute to the growth of College, to nurture the relationship between College and past & current parents, and to preserve the school’s much-envied Eastern Cape heritage.

Mr Stephen Moorcroft has qualifications in Management Accounting and Finance, Industrial Relations, and Community Mediation and Conflict Resolution studies.

Stephen is a farmer at heart and has enjoyed a successful career in numerous agricultural enterprises.  He was the General Manager of Fizantakraal agribusiness from 2002 to 2005 which included the management of trout farms, fruit and cut flowers. He spent the next decade as the Managing Director of Elgin Orchards, a fruit and wine farm with a staff of several hundred workers.

During his time in the Western Cape, Stephen was a founding member of the Elgin Foundation, an NPO which raises funds for community upliftment projects.

In 2016, Stephen and his family moved to his family’s farm in the Winterberg where he breeds livestock, crops and game.

Stephen has strong inter-personal skills and has years of experience in dealing with people from all walks of life. Having grown up on a farm in the Eastern Cape, he is tri-lingual (English, Afrikaans, Xhosa) and has an in-depth appreciation for different cultures and languages.

Stephen has past experience in school governing bodies and understands the importance of good school governance. He was Chairman of the Applewoods Prep School Board for several years, and is the current Chairman of the Old Prep Association. At a recent Council meeting, Stephen’s nomination as Chairman of the Prep Committee of Council was accepted and confirmed.

Stephen’s extensive experience in running complex businesses allows him to contribute to the oversight role of the College Council, and he strongly believes that schools need to be managed along the same business principles as successful companies.

When asked why he joined Council, Stephen writes :

I believe that, as a stakeholder in any community, it is important to contribute your time, energy, experience and passion to the ongoing success thereof. As an Old Preppie and Old Andrean, I feel that it is my duty to give back to the family of schools that helped form my future. Furthermore, I don’t believe in standing on the side-lines and basking in the glory of successes or complaining about shortcomings of any community. I believe that one is only truly part of any community if one actively and constructively participates.

Mr Ciko Thomas completed his school experience with a Post Matric year at St Andrew’s College in 1988.

He holds a BSc from the University of Cape Town, an MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand and an Advanced Management Programme qualification from Harvard University.

As a marketing professional, Ciko has built a successful career at several well-known companies, specialising in strategic marketing, brand management, trade and sales operations, innovation and new product development.

He is the recipient of merit awards for entrepreneurship from Black Business Quarterly (2005) and the Black Management Forum (2007).

Ciko is a proud Old Andrean and a current parent. He was appointed to Council in 2020 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.

Chairman of the St Andrew’s College Council

Mr Jacko Maree is a proud Old Andrean (Upper 1973). He holds a B Comm (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University, an MA from Oxford University as a St Andrew’s College Rhodes Scholar, and a PMD from Harvard University.

Jacko enjoyed a successful career in the financial industry, which culminated in his role as the CEO of Standard Bank Group from 1999 to 2013. Jacko also chaired the Liberty Holdings Board from 2015 to 2022, and is still the Deputy Chairman of the Standard Bank Group, a position which he has held since 2016.

Jacko has been awarded numerous international accolades for his achievements in banking.  At the same time, he has undertaken leadership roles in government-business forums and has built many relationships to shape a successful economy providing benefits and opportunities for all South Africans.

In 2018, Jacko was invited to join President Ramaphosa’s team, as one of four Special Investment Envoys. Reviving the South African economy through significant new investment is a major priority for government, as it is a vital component in driving economic growth and job creation, thereby reducing poverty and unemployment. The goal of the investment drive is to generate at least $100 billion in new investments.

Jacko joined the St Andrew’s College Council in 2012 and was appointed Chairman in 2014. His extensive experience in executive and non-executive roles of large companies has equipped him to understand and deal with the complex trade-offs that are required to ensure College’s viability and long-term sustainability. Jacko has been involved in numerous initiatives at College, and he played a leading role in overseeing and raising over R55 million for the #AcademicExcellence project.

Jacko writes :

The five years I spent at College and the St Andrew’s College Rhodes Scholarship which was subsequently awarded to me, have shaped my life. I have always felt the need to give back to St Andrew’s College, and serving on Council was one of the ways to do so.

Ms Margie Keeton was educated at the Diocesan School for Girls, Rhodes University (BA Honours)  and the University of Oxford (MPhil) which she attended as a South Africa at Large Rhodes Scholar. She was awarded a Distinguished Old Rhodian Award and is also an Honorary Old Andrean. She is married to an Old Andrean and is the mother of an Old Andrean.

Her career began with policy work at the Urban Foundation to lobby against repressive apartheid legislation, after which she worked at the Anglo American Corporation of South Africa in various policy fields, serving as PA to the Chairman and as CEO of the Anglo American and De Beers Chairman’s Fund. She founded Tshikululu Social Investments and served as its CEO for ten years before moving to Makhanda in 2008.

Both organisations were recognised as leading local grant makers whose hands-on approach and thoughtful engagement with educational and community programmes had far reaching impact across South Africa.

In Makhanda, Margie has focused on educational, developmental and community work.

In the educational sphere, she revived GADRA Education in Makhanda – an NGO whose educational programmes are transforming outcomes for learners in the city’s schools serving the poor. She chairs the Rhodes University Schooling Initiative which builds on these foundations, and has seen the number of local learners from no-fee schools accessing and graduating from Rhodes University increase tenfold. She is Chair of the St Mary’s Development and Care Centre, Treasurer of GADRA Education, Treasurer of the Good Shepherd Trust and a trustee of the Epoch and Optima Trusts.

Margie has been active in the independent schooling sector for many years and has been a sought-after speaker at ISASA and numerous school strategy conferences. She was Chair of the DSG Council for eight years and, prior to that, she was Vice Chair of the St John’s College Council in Johannesburg.

Margie was elected Vice Chair of Council in 2022 and brings a wealth of experience in school governance and an in-depth knowledge of schooling in the wider South African context to Council.  She is focused and committed to ensuring the sustainability of St Andrew’s College, and to contributing to positive change at College.

Mr Brin Brody completed his BA (LLB) at Rhodes University and has practised as a Qualified Attorney at the seat of the High Court for the past thirty years. He is also Managing Director of Wheeldon Rushmere & Cole Inc. in Makhanda, where he specialises in High Court litigation and Labour Law.

Brin is an active citizen and has served as Chair of at least 15 local committees and as a committee member on at least 25 committees. In addition, he served on the Cape Law Societies Specialist Committees for Family Law, Labour Law and Ethics.

Brin has extensive knowledge of school governance, having served as the Chair of the Graeme College Board for three years and the Chair of the St Andrew’s Prep Board for four years.

Brin was a member of Council from 2005 to 2008, and was re-elected in 2016. He is also one of the three trustees of St Andrew’s College.

Brin was the author of the Merger Agreement between St Andrew’s College and Prep in 2005  and he has acted as a legal advisor for College, DSG, and Prep for the last 28 years.

As all his children were educated at College, DSG and Prep, Brin has enjoyed a long association with the schools as a parent for 22 years.

After attending both St Andrew’s Prep and College, Mr John  Dovey enrolled at the University of Cape Town in 1978 to pursue a 5-year degree in Quantity Surveying.  He worked as a contracting Quantity Surveyor in Cape Town for two years, thereafter moving to Johannesburg where he became the Managing Director of Gordon Verhoef and Krause.

John started his own business in 1988, which acquired Protech in the early nineties. He continued as CEO and Owner of Protech Khuthele until the company was listed in 2007.

John retired from construction in 2007 to pursue his passion for property development. He was appointed as a Director of Independent Capital Advisors (ICA) which was involved in assembling the listing of Vukile and MCC Property funds on the JSE.

John is currently involved in various property development companies, namely Rosslyn Hub Development Company (a multi-zoned property located in Rosslyn currently under development) and Intaba Ridge (an eco-estate development in Pietermaritzburg).

John is a past parent of both College and DSG, and was heavily involved with the Gauteng Parents Association in an effort to encourage families to send their children to our family of schools.

John is a trustee on the St Andrew’s College Property Trust, and was instrumental in the upgrade of the Hayhoe apartments at The Highlander.

Mr Neels Heunis has lived most of his life in Makhanda and is a highly regarded member of the community. He has made it a priority to foster meaningful relationships within the community, and has served on many community committees. This experience has allowed him to keep abreast of community endeavours, and he has contributed in so many ways.

Neels enjoyed nine years as a Quantity Surveyor before joining the family construction business – CM Heunis Building Contractors –  in 1980 as a Project Manager after which he was appointed Managing Director in 1985.

Neels was an Executive of the Eastern Cape Masters Builders Association (MBA) from  1982 to 2022, including three terms as President. He is also a Board member of Master Builders South Africa.

Neels’ core competencies as the Owner and Managing Director of a construction company for over 40 years include cost projections; financial-, project-, and risk-management; labour relations management; strategic planning; and stakeholder engagement.

He was a member and Chairman of the Hoerskool PJ Olivier Governing Body from 1990 to 1996.

Neels is a long-standing member of Council, and his contribution to numerous capital developments on campus has been invaluable. Neels has served as Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee since its inception in 2002. He played a significant role in the professional planning team for the refurbishment and renovations of all the boarding houses,  the Clapham Jubilee Dining Hall complex and the refurbishment of the academic facilities under the #AcademicExcellence project at College and Prep.

Neels writes:

My decision to join the Council was influenced by numerous factors. Given my expertise, I was confident that I could assist with the infrastructure, development and maintenance of the school’s grounds and facilities. Furthermore, I wanted to represent the interest of the Afrikaans and Eastern Cape constituent, as well as contributing to the development of education not only at College but in the country at large.

Mr Simphiwe Nghona’s association with Makhanda is significant, as several members of his extended family attended our family of schools. Simphiwe is a proud Old Preppie and Old Andrean, his wife is a DSG Old Girl and they currently have a daughter at DSG.

After matriculating from St Andrew’s College in 1995, Simphiwe obtained his Management Development Programme and Post Graduate Diploma in Management Practice qualifications from Henley South Africa.

Simphiwe has enjoyed a successful career of 25 years in financial services. He spent almost 20 years in several senior positions at Wesbank, after which he was appointed as Head of the Vehicle & Asset Finance Division of Standard Bank of South Africa in 2017.

Simphiwe’s extensive experience in executive positions has provided him with wide-ranging skills which can be equally applied to a schooling environment and he is a valued and active member of Council. Simphiwe’s involvement on the Transformation and Diversity Committee of Council is critical to ensuring inclusion for all at St Andrew’s College.

Simphiwe is a committed Old Andrean and contributes in many other ways to the sustainability of the school. As the Chairman of the Gauteng Branch of the Old Andrean Club, he has been instrumental in bringing members of our community together. In addition, he is a member of  the Old Andrean Club General Committee. Simphiwe is a regular visitor to College and, in recognition of his ongoing service, was invited to be the guest speaker at the Rite of Passage matric lunch in 2016.

Simphiwe writes :

In 2014 I was invited to join Council. I agreed because I felt I could add-value to an organisation that shapes young men’s lives. Given my background, upbringing, value-system and sense of belonging, I saw this as an opportunity to serve.

Mr Khudusela Pitje  matriculated from St Andrew’s College in 1993, after which he completed his B Compt and CTA degrees at UNISA, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001.

Khudu worked as a banker at JPMorgan in both London and Johannesburg before starting his own business in 2004. Khudu is currently the Chief Executive Officer of New GX Capital, a business that is currently invested in multiple sectors including telecommunications, IT, energy and waste logistics.

Khudu is also the founder of the HM Pitje Foundation, named in memory of his father, that interacts with and supports schools in the Pretoria region. His direct involvement in the Foundation has given Khudu experience to assess the viability of diverse educational institutions.Khudu joined Council in 2016 and has worked well with other members in dealing with sensitive matters and putting measures in place to ensure the sustainability of College. The  HM Pitje Foundation has generously supported the Good Shepherd School and the St Andrew’s College Academy in conjunction with Liberty Group Ltd.

Khudu writes:

I was given a bursary by Lindsay Saker whilst at College, therefore being part of a team that reshapes a college that is intertwined with its community is important to me. I joined Council to bring CSI and transformation experience to the school.

The Very Reverend Mzinzisi Dyantyi obtained his Diploma in Theology and Ministry from the College of the Transfiguration in Makhanda.

On 24 April 2021, Mzinzisi was licensed and installed by the Bishop of Grahamstown, Ebenezer Ntlali, as the Dean of the Cathedral of St Michael and St George – the home of the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown in Makhanda.

Mzinzisi is the Bishop’s appointed representative member on Council, and brings a spiritual presence to Council and the school. He ensures that the Christian values are adhered to in all aspects of school life.

Mzinzisi was the Chaplain of the Good Shepherd School, which has strong ties to both St Andrew’s College and the Cathedral, and he also served on their Council.

Mzinzisi’s daughter is currently at St Andrew’s Prep.