Former South African Minister joins SABMiller’s board

Shrewd move. The world’s number two brewer SABMiller has appointed Trevor Manuel, 58, as an independent non-executive director with effect from 1 March this year.

Mr Manuel was a minister in the South African government for more than 20 years and he could be a judicious replacement for Cyril Ramaphosa, an ANC politician who served on SABMiller’s board from 1999 until 2013, when he retired in order to become more active politically.

Mr Manuel was first appointed to the cabinet as minister of trade and industry in May 1994, a portfolio he held for two years. In April 1996, he became finance minister, steering the South African economy for 13 years. During his last term in office from May 2009 to May 2014 he served as Minister in the Presidency responsible for South Africa’s National Planning Commission.

Although Manuel’s influence in South African politics was arguably diminished when he left his role as finance minister to become minister in the Presidency under President Jacob Zuma, he remains one of the more famous and better-regarded South African politicians, South African media commented on his appointment.