South African Tourism Appoints Ismail Dockrat as COO and Sithembile Ndaba as CMO.
The appointments of Sithembile Ndaba as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), beginning April 1, 2026, and Ismail Dockrat as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective May 1, 2026, have been announced by South African Tourism.
Following the recent induction of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Audit Executive (CAE) in January 2026, as well as the Chief Convention Bureau Officer (CCBO) in December 2025, the appointments strengthen the organization’s leadership and governance structure and complete its executive leadership team.
Ndaba has over 25 years of experience in integrated marketing, worldwide positioning, brand development, and reputation management. She comes from Brand South Africa, where she was General Manager: Marketing and in several leadership positions, such as Acting Chief Executive Officer and Acting Chief Marketing Officer. Throughout her time there, she represented the organization at international forums including the World Economic Forum and BRICS and helped to advance South Africa’s worldwide brand positioning. In addition, she is a member of the advisory boards of City Nation Place (UK) and the CMO Council Sub-Saharan Africa branch.
“Every new role is an opportunity to reimagine what’s possible… the best journeys are never walked alone,” Sithembile Ndaba remarked in response to her appointment.
Ismail Dockrat has over 25 years of leadership experience in a variety of industries, including trade and investment, aviation, aerospace production, logistics, and tourism development. His previous roles include senior positions at organisations such as CSIR, ARMSCOR, Trade and Investment South Africa (TISA), WESGRO, DENEL, and Glodina.
An engineer with an MBA from the University of Cape Town, Dockrat has led organisational transformation initiatives, strengthened governance frameworks, and driven digital transformation to improve operational efficiency. He has received industry recognition, including South Africa’s Boss of the Year award, and is associated with global leadership platforms such as the Sainsbury Management Fellows, the Africa Leadership Initiative, and the University of Cambridge.
“Serving my beautiful country fills me with pride, I look forward to driving operational excellence and innovation to showcase our nation’s unmatched beauty and spirit,” stated Ismail Dockrat.
Commenting on the appointments, Dr Shamilla Chettiar, Acting CEO of South African Tourism, said, “This formidable executive team is well-positioned to drive organisational excellence, transformation, and the global elevation of South Africa’s tourism brand.”
