Profile of Dr Kingsley Makhubela, PhD
CEO

Dr Kingsley Makhubela has had an illustrious and distinguished career in the public service having recently concluded his tenure as the Director-General of the Department of Tourism and prior to that, holding, amongst others, the position of Chief of State Protocol at the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. Dr Makhubela has also been at the helm of positioning South Africa in Portugal and Kenya during his tours of duty as Ambassador and High Commissioner respectively.

As Director-General at the Department of Tourism, Dr Makhubela was an integral part of the team leading South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first in Africa. With the Department having been a part of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism before 2009, Dr Makhubela was also responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient functioning of the Department as a single entity.

During Dr Makhubela’s term of office at the Department of Tourism he, amongst others, displayed a competence in bringing together a range of stakeholders in positioning South Africa as a preferred tourism destination.

Dr Makhubela also has a long career in the diplomatic service, serving most recently as the Chief of State Protocol at the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. In this portfolio, Dr Makhubela was responsible for co-ordinating all incoming and outgoing international visits by the President, Deputy President, Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, all visiting Head of State and Government and a host of other dignitaries.

He was also responsible for formulating and implementing South Africa in, particularly, the East African region.

Dr Makhubela has also served South Africa in the capacity of Ambassador to Portugal from 1996-2001 and as High Commissioner to Kenya from 2001-2005.

Holding a Master’s degree in Diplomacy from the University of Pretoria, Dr Makhubela also completed his PhD at the end of 2016 looking at the conflict in Somalia, at the School of Political Science at the University of Pretoria.