The exceptional South African who went from university rector to top CEO

Johan van Zyl is an exceptional South African who has gone from being a world-class academic to running some of the country’s largest financial institutions.

Van Zyl was a talented student and completed B.Sc, B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc, and D.Sc in Agricultural and Economics degrees at the University of Pretoria.

He also completed a PhD in Economics at VISTA University, joining an exclusive club of people who have two doctorate degrees.

He started his career as an economist for the South African government and the National Maize Producers Organisation (NAMPO).

Van Zyl joined the academic world in 1983, where he taught agricultural economics at the University of Pretoria.

He progressed quickly and served as dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, where he had a big impact.

He was one of the masterminds behind the faculty’s Postgraduate School of Agricultural and Rural Development.

He also central a significant role in establishing the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria.

In 1994, he left the University of Pretoria to serve as the World Bank’s coordinator of Rural Development.

Two years later, at only 39, he became the youngest-ever Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria.

He established himself as one of South Africa’s top academics and agricultural scientists, with more than 300 scientific publications.

Van Zyl won numerous industry awards and accolades, including the University of Pretoria’s Agriculturalist of the Century.

During his academic years, he was heavily involved in business, serving on numerous boards, including Absa.

He was also entrepreneurial and did business with the University while serving as an academic before he became vice-chancellor.

“Business has always been a major part of my career,” he told Daily Investor’s Smart Money with Alishia Seckam.

Moving to the business world

Van Zyl joined the business world in 2001 when he became the chief executive officer of the short-term insurance company Santam.

It is highly unusual for an academic to jump straight into the top leadership position at a top company. However, investors trusted Van Zyl due to his exceptional skills and track record.

He was respected in business circles for his strong knowledge of insurance, financial markets, investments, general business, and strategy.

Van Zyl performed so well at Santam that he was appointed Sanlam’s group chief executive officer in 2003. He held this position until 2015, when he turned 60.

Billionaire Patrice Motsepe approached him after he left Sanlam with an opportunity to build a new company.

He joined forces with Motsepe to become CEO of Ubuntu-Botho Investments and co-CEO of African Rainbow Capital.

They raised R10 billion for African Rainbow Capital through R5 billion in borrowings and a R5 billion capital raise by listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

Through African Rainbow Capital, Van Zyl and Motsepe took a forward-looking approach and invested in companies poised for future growth.

Apart from building a sustainable business, they also wanted to effect positive change by giving all people access to the financial system and other services.

They used this R10 billion war chest to take active stakes in companies, including mobile network Rain, TymeBank, Kropz Group, Afrimat, AlexForbes, A2X, and Val de Vie.

Through Rain, they offer affordable broadband across South Africa, and TymeBank had a positive impact on providing all South Africans with financial services.

“What we do at African Rainbow Capital makes a difference to millions of people in South Africa,” Van Zyl said.

Moving from the academic world to business

Val Zyl told Smart Money that transitioning from academia to business was not as challenging as expected.

He said academics talk about business but don’t do it. Therefore, they have theoretical knowledge about the business world but seldom enter it.

For Zan Zyl, it was different. “Eventually, you get tired of talking about business, and I wanted to start doing it,” he said.

For him, it was a natural progression to join the business world. “Most people don’t do it, but I had the opportunity to have this interesting career.”

He said the academic world helped him develop excellent administrative skills, which helped him become successful in the business world.

He highlighted a big difference between the two worlds. “The academic world is repetitive, and by nature, you have great momentum,” he said.

“However, you must make your own way in the business world. When you stop paddling, you stop.”