Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Thabo Mabe as its new Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, effective 1st December 2025, marking a key leadership transition at one of Nigeria’s largest FMCG and agro-industrial companies. The appointment is subject to shareholder ratification at the company’s next general meeting.
The announcement follows the resignation of outgoing GMD/CEO Mr. Ravindra Singhvi, who will conclude his tenure on 30th November 2025 after steering the company through an ambitious expansion phase, marked by strong revenue growth, major investment rollouts and digital transformation initiatives. Singhvi, appointed to the Board in 2020, is credited with strengthening the management team and elevating the company’s brand and operational efficiency. The Board expressed deep appreciation for his service and contributions over the last five years.
Who is Thabo Mabe?
Mr. Mabe, a South African national, brings more than two decades of executive-level experience across Africa and Europe in consumer goods, large-scale manufacturing, and food processing.
He holds a BSc in Chemistry and Mathematics from South Africa’s Fort Hare University and began his career as a Graduate Trainee at Unilever, rising through Manufacturing, Production, Sales, and Supply Chain roles. By 2004, he became Vice President, Supply Chain for Unilever HPC, and later Vice President, Homecare following a business consolidation.
In 2010, he was appointed CEO of Unilever Nigeria Plc, where he grew market share and significantly improved production line efficiency.
Mabe joined the Dangote Group in 2014 and has since held several senior leadership positions:
- Managing Director/CEO, Dangote Flour Mills Plc – where he turned around the company from a struggling operation into a profitable enterprise.
- Managing Director, Dangote Rice Limited – following the Group’s exit from the flour business.
- Managing Director, NASCON Allied Industries Plc (2022–2025) – leading one of the Group’s major food manufacturing subsidiaries.
With professional experience spanning South Africa, Germany, and Nigeria, Mabe brings extensive operational depth, international exposure, and a proven track record of business turnaround and growth.
A Strategic Succession for Stability and Growth
Dangote Sugar described the appointment as fully aligned with its succession plan and long-term strategy to ensure continuity, strengthen leadership, and maintain value creation for shareholders. The company emphasised that Mabe’s broad experience across the Dangote food businesses positions him to lead the next phase of expansion in sugar refining and backward integration.
The Board expressed confidence that the company will “enter its next chapter” under his leadership, while also extending best wishes to the outgoing GMD, Mr. Singhvi.
