SA Express – Mitigating Risk
Kabelo Nkambule, the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at SA Express, is responsible for the airline’s Enterprise Risk Management, which entails ensuring that effective internal risk and compliance functions are in place. He is also responsible for enabling an efficient and effective governance of significant risks, whether they be reputational, operational, regulatory or compliance-related. Indwe sat down with him recently to find out more.
Indwe: Please tell us more about yourself and how you came to be in your current position.
Kabelo Nkambule (KN): I am from Mamelodi (Gauteng) and completed all my primary- and high-school education there. I am a University of Pretoria alumni and worked at UNISA in the Law Faculty. I also spent a considerable number of years working in the banking industry in various roles, before joining SA Express in July 2019.
Indwe: What challenges do you face on a daily basis?
KN: The airline business moves rapidly, which means that the operations are also fast-paced – one needs to constantly keep abreast of the day-to-day issues that affect the business. It is, of course, a huge task to accomplish that because every day has its own challenges. As a risk person, you have to understand the operational issues and deal with different personalities – which can be challenging.
Indwe: What types of hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?
KN: I enjoy fixing cars, taking road trips, and I also enjoy seeing wildlife.
Indwe: What is your favourite destination that SA Express flies to and why?
KN: My favourite destination is Port Elizabeth because of its wildlife, numerous beaches, entertainment options, and the creative, beautiful culture of the people of the Eastern Cape.
Indwe: Do you have any words of encouragement to young people, especially those who aspire to pursue a career in the aviation industry?
KN: The aviation industry provides a rapid transportation network, which makes it necessary for global business connection. The industry offers so many career opportunities for technicians, engineers, commercial pilots, flight attendants and so on. Most positions require working as a team, strong attention to detail, and being able to follow the rules and protocols. There are so many opportunities that await young people in the aviation industry – if they are prepared to study hard and work smarter.
Indwe: What is your parting message to our passengers?
KN: We appreciate our customers for choosing to travel with us. We value them and their safety is crucially important to us, so we shall not compromise on it. We always look forward to welcoming them on our aircraft and, more than anything, they must continue to make great memories from and to their respective destinations.