Key Takeaways:
- Andy Mothibi’s appointment as the new national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) has been met with a measured but significant response from South Africa’s business community.
- Mothibi’s private sector background and experience at the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) are seen as indicators of how he may approach the role.
- Business leaders believe that Mothibi’s skills in enterprise risk, governance, and forensic capability are directly relevant to restoring prosecutorial effectiveness and credibility at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
- The SIU’s record under Mothibi, including recoveries of millions lost to corruption and institutional reforms, has strengthened accountability and helped to assure investors that corruption will be met with tangible consequences.
- Business organisations are calling for sustained investment in prosecutorial capacity and specialised skills to handle complex financial crime.
Introduction to Andy Mothibi’s Appointment
The appointment of Andy Mothibi as the new national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) has drawn a measured but significant response from South Africa’s business community. Stakeholders are pointing to his private sector background and his work at the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) as indicators of how he may approach the role. Before joining the SIU in 2016, Mothibi held senior governance and compliance roles in the financial services and aviation sectors, including positions at Nedbank, Standard Bank, SAA, and AfroCentric Health. His private sector career focused on enterprise risk, governance, and forensic capability — skills that business leaders say are directly relevant to restoring prosecutorial effectiveness and credibility at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Mothibi’s Experience at the SIU
At the SIU, Mothibi introduced a turnaround strategy emphasizing governance, performance, and strategic partnerships. Under his leadership, the unit pursued high-profile investigations into procurement irregularities at state entities, expanded its use of data analytics, and worked closely with the Special Tribunal to preserve assets and cancel irregular contracts. According to SIU annual reports, between 2019 and 2025, the unit secured recoveries and prevented losses totaling more than R8.6 billion, while the Special Tribunal set aside contracts worth R2.1 billion. Business organisations note that these measures strengthened accountability and helped to assure investors that corruption will be met with tangible consequences.
Business Community Response
The business community has responded positively to Mothibi’s appointment, with organisations such as Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa) and Business Leadership South Africa issuing public statements of support. Bacsa told Business Day that Mothibi’s appointment "signals continuity in the fight against corruption but also brings a private sector lens to prosecutorial leadership." Bacsa added that his corporate governance and risk-management experience could help align the NPA’s work with the expectations of businesses, which rely on a predictable, rules-based environment. Other organisations, such as Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) and Cosatu, have also welcomed the appointment, pointing to Mothibi’s leadership skills and SIU successes.
Challenges Ahead
While welcoming the appointment, business leaders have also highlighted the challenges that Mothibi will face in his new role. Bacsa cautioned that systemic underresourcing of the NPA remained a major obstacle, noting that "no single leader can fix the institution alone." The organisation called for sustained investment in prosecutorial capacity and specialized skills to handle complex financial crime. Cosatu also stressed that the government must provide the NPA with adequate resources, skilled prosecutors, and forensic capacity to win the fight against crime and corruption.
Opportunity and Test
For the business sector, Mothibi’s appointment is an opportunity and a test: an opportunity to leverage his experience to rebuild trust in the prosecuting authority, and a test as to whether the NPA can deliver consistent, independent prosecutions that underpin economic confidence. Business leaders believe that Mothibi’s ability to translate investigations into measurable outcomes will be critical in addressing the NPA’s credibility gap. As the new NDPP, Mothibi will be expected to build on the successes of the SIU and take the NPA to the next level in the fight against corruption and crime. The business community will be watching closely to see how he navigates the challenges ahead and whether he can deliver on the promise of his appointment.
