The South African Airways (SAA) Council welcomes the approval by the Minister of Transport, Ms. Barbara Creecy’s appointment of Professor John M. Lamola as the CEO of the group.
The board is confident that the appointment of Professor Lamola is a turning point for SAA’s long-term financial health, which has the skill, track record, leadership skills, insight and vision to guide the national carrier in its continued growth, to ensure that SAA remains a viable regional, continental and global aircraft operator.
Professor Lamola has been at the helm of the SAA as interim CEO since May 2022. He is deeply familiar with the past of the airline and was intimately involved in the planning of the future. His proven leadership will ensure stability and continuity in SAA’s management and activities.
Derek Hanekom, interim chairman of the SAA, says: “The SAA council is delighted to be able to appoint a solid and dedicated leader well familiar with the SAA’s fate and eager to continue to oversee the take off in better air. We wish Professor Lamola and SAA safe flight to an even better future. “
In his position as interim CEO, Professor Lamola has secured the SAA’s return to profit -making status. In the financial year of 2022/23, the SAA reported a net profit of R252 million, which was its first profitable year since 2012. Revenue in the same year was R5.7 billion, higher than R2 billion in the previous financial year (2021/22).
The airline gradually added national, continental and world routes, which flew to 16 destinations by January 2025, as opposed to six destinations in 2021. This expanded its fleet from six aircraft to 20 in the same period, including the addition of two Airbus A330s. Since 2021, SAA has increased its workforce from 800 to about 2,000 (November 2024), including 140 pilots, at group level.
The financial discipline and health of the airline is still improving, and the appointment of Professor Lamola confirms the board’s confidence in his leadership and joins the government’s vision for a commercial viable and global competitive SAA.
“Professor Lamola can now continue to grow SAA with confidence, knowing that he has the full support of the SAA board and its shareholders,” says Hanekom. “We congratulate him on his appointment and wish him good luck with his leadership of SAA.”
According to a study commissioned by Oxford Economics Africa, a consultant leader in London in London in London in London, in London with global economic predictions and econometric analysis, SAA’s gross value added (GVA) in the GDP of South Africa in the financial year of 2023/24 R9.1 billion. Oxford Economics Africa projects that the airline GDP to South Africa will rise to R32.6 billion by 2029/30.
The same report estimates that SAA is a powerful job creator for the South African economy. This projects that the SAA’s impact on the economy, for example, by bringing tourists to South Africa and facilitating international trade with the country, will take off, which will arise the creation of direct and indirect jobs, from 25,200 posts in 2023/24 to 86,700 by 2029/30.
SAA activities are expected to generate the government’s revenue of R1.1 billion (real) in 2023/24, rising to R4.4 billion (projected) by 2029/30.
Professor Lamola has a good experience in the aviation industry, after building and managing their own private equity investment portfolio that includes investment in aviation and internet technologies. He was CEO of Denel Aviation between 1996 and 2001 and served on the board of the airport business between 2012 and 2017.
Professor Lamola obtained his PhD in philosophy and religious studies at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and a master’s degree in business administration at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida in the United States.
