Sephela Makete Thema

GM & Executive Head: Tailings & Remining Fraser Alexander

Sephela Makete Thema is an award-winning mining engineer and sustainability executive with over 15 years of senior leadership experience across the mining sector. He has held strategic and operational roles at leading global mining companies, including Anglo American, Anglo Platinum, and Sibanye-Stillwater, with exposure across multiple commodities and jurisdictions. He currently serves as General Manager and Head of Operations for the Tailings and Remining Division at Fraser Alexander, Since 2024, with accountability for operational performance, safety, sustainability, and value delivery across South African and Namibian operations. He works closely with the EXCO to frame and deliver the organization’s vision and strategy respectively. Makete also Chairs the Board of a Fraser Alexander joint venture subsidiary company with a host community. Previously, Makete started his career at Anglo American held progressive senior operational leadership roles from 2016 to 2023 including Vice President, Mine Manager, and Mine Overseer. In these roles, he led complex PGM mining operations, driving operational excellence, risk management, and performance optimisation in highly regulated environments. Makete actively contributes to industry leadership and governance through board and committee roles, including the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), the South African Youth in Mining Association (SAMYA), Leaders in Extractives and African Development (LEAD) Alumni Programme, and the Wits University Mining Engineers Association (WUMEA). Makete is a registered engineer and holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Engineering, both from the University of the Witwatersrand. He also holds an Oxford Executive Leadership Program from the University of Oxford, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Pretoria.