Reggie Naidoo

Group Executive Chairman

Reggie’s background includes SMME development and finance studied in many countries around the world such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Singapore and the United States. Reggie’s educational achievements include a post graduate diploma in World Banking and Finance from the University of Colorado and a Masters in Management from University of Witwatersrand (Wits). He has submitted his final thesis for a PhD at the University Of Fort Hare and awaits its results and conferment.

Reggie takes great joy in developing Non Profit Organisations to service and develop communities in impoverished areas. This business background was honed at the grass root level of the townships in the Eastern Cape where he founded IBEC (Independent Enrichment Business Centre) and IBFC (Independent Business Finance Centre) to provide training and finance to hawkers, SMME’s and the unemployed in South Africa.

After moving to Johannesburg in 2000, AGE (African General Equity) Group was born. The first chairman of AGE Group was Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, South Africa’s first black accountant and former economic advisor to President Thabo Mbeki.

Reggie’s wide exposure to the business world in Development Finance, Asset Management, Treasury, Venture Capital, Reinsurance, ICT, Airlines, Shipping, Loyalty reward programmes, Media, Cinema, Food and SMME training gives the AGE Group the expertise it needs to grow in a variety of markets.

Reggie’s diverse portfolio features the following former appointments:

• Acting CEO and Board Member – Eastern Cape Development Corporation

• Managing Director – Decillion Treasury Management Services

• Joint Managing Director – Decillion SA

• Economic adviser – to the Speaker of Parliament to Iran

• Expert adviser – SMME finance to South African Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies

• Chairman – Africa Board of Trustees of the African Eye Institute (formerly Brien Holden Vision Institute)

• Deputy Chairman – SAMTRA (SA Maritime Training Academy)

• Secretariat for the BRICS Reinsurance Project

Current trustee memberships:

• African Eye Institute

• Global Institute for Entrepreneurship and Ethics (GIEE)

• Africa Social Impact Fund

• Dental Care Africa

• Advisor to the Red Cross AMS (Air Mercy Services) board and management

Reggie continues to play a role in assisting and financing organisations to continue their programmes in, among others, ethics, entrepreneurship, education, health, human rights development and domestic violence (women and children), blind and deaf schools and SMME development. Since the possible scarcity of clean water and access to power have become topical issues globally, Reggie has been researching and working on water treatment solutions since 2008.

At the dawn of post-apartheid South Africa in 1993, Reggie Naidoo was chosen as part of the Wits Leadership Programme established to fast track individuals to Director-General posts for the new South African government. The programme featured people who would go on to become prominent leaders in South Africa. Among them, former President Kgalema Mothlante and former DG’s Ketso Gordhan, Bongiwe Njobe, Tanya Ambramse and Cameron Dugmore amongst others.