The South African Airlines Council (SAA), with the approval of the Minister of Transport, welcomes the appointment of Mrs. Barbara Krie to Professor John M. Lamola as the group’s executive.
The Board of Directors is confident that the appointment of Professor Lamola represents a shift in the long -term financial health, which has skillful, busy record, leadership skills, insight, and vision to direct the national carrier in its continuous growth, ensuring that Saa still serves as a regional, continental and global operator.
Professor Lamola has been at the head of Saa as a temporary executive since May 2022. He was deeply familiar with the airline’s past and he participated closely in planning its future. His proven leadership will ensure stability and continuity in the governance and processes of SAA.
“The SAA Council is happy to be able to appoint a strong and dedicated leader in good knowledge of the saa wealth and is eager to continue to supervise his take -off in a better sky. We wish Professor Lamola and Saa a safe journey in a brighter future,” says SAA Chairman, Mr. Derek Hanekom.
In his position as a temporary executive head, Professor Lamola returned to Saa to the state of profit. In the fiscal year 2022/23, Saa reported a net profit of 252 million Rand, which represented its first year -long year. Revenue in the same year reached 5.7 billion Rand, an increase of one billion Rand in the previous fiscal year (2021/22).
The airline added steadily, national, continental and global roads, flying to 16 destinations by January 2025, unlike six destinations in 2021. Its fleet expanded from six aircraft to 20 in the same period, including the addition of two Airbus A330s. Since 2021, SAA from the workforce has increased from 800 to about 2000 (November 2024), including 140 pilots, at the group level.
The financial discipline of the airline continues to improve, and confirms the appointment of Professor Lamola the council’s confidence in his leadership and is compatible with the government’s viable and commercial and competitive SAA globally.
“Professor Lamola can continue the SAA growth with confidence, knowing that he has full support for the SAA Council and its shareholders,” says Hanikom. “We congratulate him on his appointment and we wish him success in his leadership for Saa.”
According to a study by Oxford Economics Affrica, a London -based consulting company in global economic prediction and standard economy analysis, the total value of SAA (GVA) to the GDP of South Africa in the fiscal year 2023/24 is R9.1 billion R.1. Oxford Economics Africa shows that GVA to the airline to GDP in South Africa will rise to 32.6 billion Rand by 2029/30.
The same report estimates that Saa is a strong workshop for the South African economy. Information technology exposes that the impact of Saa on the economy, through, for example, bringing tourists to South Africa and facilitating international trade with the country, will start, which raises the creation of direct and indirect jobs, from 25 200 jobs in 2023/24 to 86 700 by 2029/30.
SAA activities are expected to generate government revenues of 1.1 billion Rand (actual) in 2023/24, rising to 4.4 billion Rand (expected) by 2029/30.
Professor Lamola has a strong experience in the aviation industry, as he built and managed an investment portfolio in private stocks that included possessions in aviation and Internet technologies. He held the position of CEO of Deenel Aviation between 1996 and 2001 and worked on the Board of Directors of the Airports Company in South Africa between 2012 and 2017.
Professor Lamola has a PhD in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Edinburgh University in Scotland and a master’s degree in business administration from the Jenin Air University in Florida, the United States.
