JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Aug. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (NasdaqGS: UEPS; JSE: NT1) (“Net1” or the “Company”) today announced that it has appointed Mr. Kuben Pillay as Chairman of the Board of Directors (“Board”) as of August 18, 2021. Mr. Pillay has been a non-executive director since June 2020 and fills this role as a result of the untimely death of Mr. Jabu Mabuza who passed away as a result of Covid-19 complications earlier this year.

“I am truly humbled by this appointment and will continue on the strong path of renewal started by my predecessor, Jabu Mabuza, of ethical and values driven leadership, and a passion and commitment to better financial services for the underserved. I will seek to bring diverse localised management and board experience in governance, regulatory, digital, transaction processing and transformation,” said Mr. Pillay.

Mr. Pillay serves on a number of South African public and private corporate boards. These include being the Chairman of Sabvest Limited, and the Lead Independent Director of the OUTsurance group of companies, and a non-executive director of Transaction Capital Limited. Mr. Pillay has previously served and retired as Chairman of the boards, of Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), Primedia Limited and Cell C Limited.

The Company also appointed Ms. Nonkululeko N. Gobodo as an independent non-employee director to its Board as of August 18, 2021. Ms. Gobodo will chair Net1’s Social and Ethics Committee and will be a member of its Audit Committee.

Ms. Gobodo is the first black female-chartered accountant in South Africa and brings a wealth of accounting and auditing experience from over 35 years of executive experience. She also has extensive experience as a non-executive director, having served on many boards including JSE listed Clicks Group Limited, PPC Limited and Shoprite Holdings Limited, as well as, Mercedes Benz, Imperial, the SA Maritime Authority, and the South Africa Revenue Service audit committee.

She is a pioneer in her field, having established her own successful accounting and audit firm during the apartheid era. The firm grew to become SizweNtsalubaGobodo (“SNG”), the largest black accounting firm in South Africa and fifth-largest overall. In 2018, SNG acquired the Grant Thornton South Africa licence. In 2016, she founded Nonkululeko Leadership Consulting, a boutique, black-owned and managed leadership consulting firm based in Sandton and served as its CEO for five years. In May 2021, she started Awakened Global, a movement that calls for Africans and women to awaken to their authentic power.