Nigerian Billionaire Aliko Dangote Appoints Top South African Executive to Lead USD 491 Million Sugar Business
Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has appointed South African executive Thabo Mabe as its new Group Managing Director and CEO, effective 1 December 2025, subject to shareholder approval.
Mabe holds a BSc in Chemistry and Mathematics from Fort Hare University. He began his career at Unilever as a graduate trainee, rising through roles in manufacturing, production, sales, and supply chain. By 2004, he became Vice President: Supply Chain for Unilever’s Home & Personal Care division, later serving as Vice President: Homecare.
In 2010, he took over as CEO of Unilever Nigeria Plc, where he expanded market share and improved operational efficiency.
Mabe joined the Dangote Group in 2014 as CEO of Dangote Flour Mills, successfully returning the company to profitability. He later led Dangote Rice Limited, and most recently served as the chief executive of NASCON Allied Industries Plc.
With multinational experience across South Africa, Germany, and Nigeria, Mabe now steps in to lead Dangote Sugar Refinery, a business valued at approximately USD 491 million, as it enters a new phase of growth.
He will head the company’s USD 700 million expansion plans.