National Executive Committee
The NEC shall consist of at least five Office Bearers: the President, the Past President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and a number of additional NEC members including a student member representative, each Branch chairperson (elected regionally) and such other ordinary members who may be elected and who may be assigned portfolios by the NEC. The NEC members are elected for two-year terms of office, which start on 1 March to the end of February. The term of office of the President Elect shall be extended to cover such person’s time as President Elect, President and Past President.
National Executive Committee 2026/2027
President: Tshinanne Mutshatshi
Tshinanne Mutshatshi is a registered Professional Natural Scientist (Environmental Science) with SACNASP. He has more than 20 years’ of working experience in the environmental field. His experience ranges from academic, government department, consulting and construction environments. Most of Tshinanne’s career has been in the space of Environmental Impact Management including Risk Management, Compliance and Monitoring as well as Management Systems and compliance audits. Tshinanne’s promotes environmental stewardship, integration of environmental and sustainable development principles into infrastructure development focusing on evidence based decision making process.
Past President: Zama Mkhize
Zama Mkhize Pila is a sustainability and ESG professional with over 19 years of experience across the utilities, consulting, mining, and retail sectors. She currently serves as Group ESG Manager at Dis-Chem, where she leads the implementation of the company’s ESG strategy, focusing on climate risk, governance, responsible supply chains, and sustainable business practices.
Zama holds a BSc in Geology and Geography, a BSc (Honours) in Energy Studies from the University of Johannesburg, and an MSc in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. She previously served as President of IAIAsa and remains committed to advancing the practice of impact assessment and supporting the development of emerging environmental professionals.
President Elect / CPD and Training: Orlinda Mafika
Orlinda Princess Mafika is a registered Professional Scientist with over seven years of experience in the environmental sector and currently works within the social and public participation space at Eco Elementum. She holds a BA in Management and Development and a BSc Honours in Environmental Science and Management with Geography. Orlinda serves as the CPD Portfolio Holder and President Elect of IAIAsa, where she champions professional growth, collaboration, and continuous learning, while also promoting wellbeing and mental health awareness within the IEM community.
Treasurer: Michael Cloete
Michael Cloete holds a Master’s degree in Geography and Environmental Management from North-West University, where he specialised in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Visual Impact Assessment (VIA). Since 2020, he has gained experience in the environmental consulting field, focusing on Social Impact Assessments (SIA), Visual Impact Assessments (VIA), and GIS-based analysis. He has worked on a range of projects, including solar energy facilities, wind energy facilities, battery energy storage systems (BESS), mining infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure across several South African provinces.
Secretary: Shanice Singh
Shanice Singh is an Associate Environmental Consultant at SLR Consulting with over 11 years of experience in environmental planning and approvals, specialist management, and project coordination within South Africa’s oil and gas, energy, and infrastructure sectors. She has strong expertise in managing multidisciplinary inputs, maintaining regulatory compliance, and supporting the delivery of complex environmental assessment processes. Over the past four years, Shanice has focused on Gas-to-Power projects, serving as Project Manager and Lead Environmental Assessment Practitioner. She brings strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to quality and good governance within the IAIAsa community.
Conference Chair 2026: Dominic Wieners
Dominic Wieners has over 18 years of experience in the environmental sector, with his focus on sustainable development, conservation, and GIS to name a few. His job requires primarily dealing with land use change developments and other threats, outside of formally protected areas. He has served on various forums representing Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
Dominic holds a BSc in Agriculture, specialising in Grassland Science, and has also lectured on Grassland Science and land-use planning. His work emphasises adhering to principles and best practice while seeking innovative solutions to conservation challenges in a modern and ever-changing world. He has been a vocal advocate for protecting ecosystems at risk, highlighting the need for strategies to prioritise the avoidance of impacts on sensitive areas. He has participated in critical discussions on offset frameworks and more recently on conservation banking, advocating for thoughtful and scientifically sound approaches. This includes contributions to refining provincial and national vegetation mapping and promoting Stewardship approaches for conservation.
Conference Chair 2027: Bryony van Niekerk
Bryony van Niekerk is a registered professional Environmental Assessment Practitioner with over 10 years’ experience in the environmental management sector. She holds an Honours degree in Environmental Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and is registered with the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA).
Bryony’s expertise lies in environmental management and planning, where she specialises in bioregional planning, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Visual Impact Assessments (VIAs). Her work spans both public and private sector assignments, contributing to sustainable decision-making and compliance with national environmental legislation particularly within protected areas. Bryony is committed to advancing best practice in integrated environmental management and supporting professional development within the industry
Young Professionals Representative: Jana Minnaar
Jana Minnaar holds a Masters in Environmental Management focused in Ecological Water Requirements from the North-West University. She is a Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner with over 8 years of experience in conducting environmental screening and impact assessments for large-scale developments, with particular focus in the energy and mining sectors.
Student Representative: Alaika Seepye
Alaika Seepye is pursuing her MSS degree in Geography and Environmental Management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal۔ Driven by her experience in community-based conservation, she has expanded her focus by applying geography and environmental principles within the agricultural sector, focusing on vulnerable communities. Her master’s research currently looks at socio-economic and environmental dynamics of smallholder farmer drought adaptation, integrating computational social sciences within the field of Agriculture. She served on the IAIAsa KZN Student Branch since 2022, holding the positions of Memberships & Marketing Coordinator and Chairperson.
Communication & Marketing: Helen Antonopoulos
Helen Antonopoulos holds BSc, BSc Honours, and MSc degrees in Environmental and Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town. Helen is an Environmental Scientist in the Environmental Management Services group of the CSIR. She is interested in using renewable energy to promote sustainable development in South Africa. Helen also has a keen passion for science engagement and youth empowerment. Helen is a registered Candidate Natural Scientist (169440) with the SACNASP.
Branch Chairs
Free State & Northern Cape Branch: Hanlie Stander
Hanlie Stander holds a M.Sc. in Zoology from the University of the Free State. She is a Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner with more than 15 years’ experience as an environmental consultant. She served on the IAIAsa Free State Branch Committee from 2013 to 2017 before taking a break and rejoining the Branch Committee in 2023.
Gauteng Branch Chair: Kabelo Mathabatha
Kabelo Mathabatha is an experienced Environmental Specialist with over a decade of expertise in impact assessment, environmental compliance, and sustainability programs. She is committed to promoting environmental best practices, fostering stakeholder engagement, and enhancing the visibility of IAIAsa initiatives.
With a strong background in integrated environmental management, she has successfully led environmental programmes, secured key environmental permits, and provided strategic advisory services for complex environmental challenges. Her professional journey includes roles in the energy sector within various stages of the energy value chain, where she has contributed to sustainability, compliance, environmental risk management, and project development. She is passionate about knowledge sharing, transitional leadership, and industry collaboration. She continues to engage with thought leaders in the field to drive forward-thinking solutions in environmental and sustainability management.
Kwazulu-Natal Branch Chair: Nazeer Jamal
Nazeer Jamal is Managing Director and Lead Environmental Specialist at Khweza Environmental Consulting. He has a B.Sc. Honours in Environmental Science majored in Economics, Geography & Environmental Management and over 10 years’ experience in all 3 spheres of government including the National DWS, the National DEA, the KZN EDTEA and the eThekwini Municipality. He was an active Environmental Management Inspector for the Green Scorpions for 9 years.
He has been awarded as One of 200 Top Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian in 2011, as Climate Reality Leader by Climate Reality, and serves as Council Member of the KZN Climate Change and Sustainable Development Council. He is Chairman of Penny Appeal South Africa, an international humanitarian aid organization and is an avid landscape and travel photographer.
Mpumalanga Branch Chair: Tshepo Shakwane
Tshepo Shakwane has been in the consulting field since 2004 and has over 25 years’ experience in environmental management. He has worked for the three state departments tasked with environmental management, i.e., Department of Water and Sanitation (Gauteng and Mpumalanga Region), Department of Mineral Resources (Mpumalanga Region), and Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (Gauteng Region).
Tshepo is the managing director of Geovicon Environmental (Pty) Limited, an independent environmental consultancy company working mainly in the mining industry. He practices as an EAP and Environmental Scientist on several EIAs.
Western Cape Chair: Marélie Botha
Marélie Botha holds a B. Sc. Honours Degree in Geography and Environmental Management from the North West University and is a result-driven, Environmental Assessment Practitioner with a wealth of experience in technical, theoretical, and practical aspects of environmental management, which was gained over the past 15-years. With well over 200 successful reviews and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) under her belt, Marélie has developed a strong expertise in the development of large scale solar photovoltaic and Wind Energy facilities across South Africa.
As Director and Project Manager of Blue Crane Environmental, Marélie is responsible for the successful delivery of projects from start to finish, including project management, overseeing the project team’s execution of tasks, budget and timeframe management, and maintaining strong relationships with clients. She has a pragmatic approach to problem-solving and is dedicated to achieving project objectives efficiently and effectively.
Eastern Cape Regional Branch Chair: Administered by the National Executive Committee
Please get in touch with us should you wish to start an IAIAsa Eastern Cape Regional Branch.
North West Regional Branch Chair: Administered by the National Executive Committee
Please get in touch with us should you wish to start an IAIAsa North West Regional Branch.
Limpopo Regional Branch Chair: Administered by the National Executive
Please get in touch with us should you wish to start an IAIAsa Limpopo Regional Branch.
IAIAsa Operations Manager: Sue George
Email: operations@iaiasa.co.za
Sue George is the IAIAsa Operations Manager. She holds a Masters in Environmental Management from the University of the Free State. She is responsible for the daily running of the association and for contributing, through the work of the association, to the strategic goals set in the long term and short term strategies of the association and the Integrated Environmental Management sector at large.
Administrative Coordinator: Ashleigh Heemro
Ashleigh Heemro is a skilled and creative individual specialising in communications, administration, and event management. With a Higher Certificate in Events Management and a BA in Corporate Communications, she possesses a solid foundation in planning, coordination, and communication. Ashleigh’s role as IAIAsa’s Administrative Coordinator enables her to leverage her organisational skills to ensure seamless membership operations and optimise workflow efficiency. She is dedicated to achieving exceptional results, fostering strong relationships, and continuously refining processes for maximum impact.
Events & Training Coordinator: Fiona Gumbo
Fiona Gumbo is a dedicated and detail-oriented professional with a passion for behind-the-scenes project management. Holding a BCom in Event Management, she brings extensive experience in event planning, coordination, and execution to her role as IAIAsa’s Events and Training Coordinator. Fiona takes pride in her creative approach and commitment to creating inclusive spaces for everyone. Her strong interpersonal skills enable her to navigate complex situations with flexibility and adaptability. In her role, Fiona ensures seamless communication and understanding within IAIAsa by expertly scheduling events and organising training sessions that drive the Association’s objectives forward.
Financial Coordinator: Liesl Dart
Liesl Dart is a registered Chartered Accountant, auditor, and tax practitioner. She holds a BCom Honours Degree in Accounting from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well a BCom Degree in Accounting and Commercial Law from Rhodes University. Liesl serves as the Director of Liedon Chartered Accountants, bringing over 20 years of experience to her role. This extensive expertise renders her exceptionally well-suited to fulfill her responsibilities as IAIAsa’s Financial Coordinator.