Thandi Nhlapo
@thandinhlapo
Procurement executive driving governance, cost savings, and digital transformation across complex, multi-country portfolios.
South AfricaWhat I'm looking for
I am a procurement executive with 20+ years' leadership experience across energy, petroleum, telecoms, retail, and infrastructure sectors, grounded in internal audit and governance. I design and lead audit-ready, transparent procurement functions—delivering significant cost savings (35–50% on R15bn+ portfolios), negotiating hundreds of contracts, and embedding risk controls and digital tools such as SAP Ariba, Oracle, and BI.
I have directed multi-country portfolios across Africa, EMEA & APAC, built and restructured procurement teams, advanced BBBEE/ESD and sustainability initiatives, and partnered with ExCo and boards to improve compliance and performance. I lead with a focus on supplier development, governance, and capability building to drive measurable value and long-term transformation.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
TODirected cross-country internal audit and control for subsidiaries in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland, strengthening governance aligned to SOX and King IV and improving audit readiness through risk-based audits and dashboards.
TODirected end-to-end procurement across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland for a R15bn portfolio, delivering 42% savings, increasing contract coverage to 83%, and introducing SAP Ariba and BI for real-time monitoring.
BPSourcing Strategy & Performance Lead
BP
Jan 2015 - Dec 2017 (2 years 11 months)
Re-engineered procurement governance and compliance for petroleum operations across South Africa and Mozambique, achieving 30%+ cost reductions and improving supplier compliance by 70% via scorecards and dashboards.
Regional Procurement Manager
Coriant GmbH
Jan 2012 - Dec 2014 (2 years 11 months)
Directed regional procurement across 25+ countries for telecoms infrastructure and services, delivering 11% savings and raising contract compliance to 80% through strategic negotiations and digital SRM dashboards.
Led procurement for IT, facilities and network maintenance, re-engineering P2P to reduce cycle times and embedding BBBEE and supplier diversity in sourcing strategies reported to senior leadership.
BEE Procurement & Enterprise Dev Manager
Edcon
Feb 2008 - Jan 2010 (1 year 11 months)
Led supplier development and BBBEE initiatives across retail procurement, partnering with funders to expand SME participation and designing supplier development frameworks aligned to legislation.
Group Procurement Manager
Roshcon
Feb 2006 - Jan 2008 (1 year 11 months)
Established centralized procurement for engineering and infrastructure capital projects, managing NEC and FIDIC contracts and embedding governance and risk controls to optimise costs.
TOManaged sourcing strategies for logistics categories, achieving 30%+ savings and implementing SAP-based procurement systems to improve compliance monitoring.
TOConducted compliance and forensic audits across regional operations, identifying control gaps and strengthening governance and internal controls early in career.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
NUNorth-West University
Master of Business Administration, Business Administration
Completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, focusing on strategic leadership and business management.
UWUniversity of the Witwatersrand
Bachelor of Commerce, Commerce
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree with coursework relevant to procurement, finance, and business operations.
Cranfield School of Management
Project Management Certification, Project Management
Completed project management training through Cranfield Institute of Project Management to support delivery of capital and procurement projects.
Availability
Location
South AfricaAuthorized to work in
Job categories
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