The Smart Biotech Board

CHAIRPERSON OF BOARD

Wendy Luhabe is a pioneering South African business leader, social entrepreneur, and champion of women's economic empowerment. As Chairperson of the Board at Smart Biotech, she brings over three decades of leadership experience across the corporate, development, and investment sectors, underpinned by a deep commitment to ethical governance and inclusive innovation.

She began her career in marketing and gained international experience with companies such as BMW. In 1991, she founded Bridging the Gap, a consultancy designed to prepare young Black South Africans for corporate careers. She later co-founded Women Investment Portfolio Holdings (WIPHOLD), the country’s first women-led investment group, and established the Women’s Private Equity Fund, South Africa’s first venture capital fund for women-owned enterprises.

Wendy has served on numerous boards, including Vodacom, the Industrial Development Corporation, Richemont, and Libstar Holdings, and was the founding Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Lesotho and several honorary doctorates in recognition of her contributions to economic transformation. At Smart Biotech, she provides strategic leadership that aligns with the company’s mission to innovate with purpose

FOUNDER AND CEO

Dr. Sibongile Gumbi is the Founder and CEO of Smart Biotech, a South African biotechnology company developing plant-based biological solutions for human and animal health. With a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Cape Town and an Executive MBA from IMD in Switzerland, she has over two decades of experience in innovation, public health, and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Gumbi has held senior roles at the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the South African Medical Research Council. She has also consulted for international organisations including the Rockefeller Foundation and GALVmed. She is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative.

In addition to her executive role at Smart Biotech, Dr. Gumbi serves as an independent non-executive director at Adcock Ingram and holds governance positions across various organisations. These include an independent non-executive director at FNB Eswatini and Chair of the Governing Council at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa. Her leadership reflects a strong commitment to responsible innovation and advancing science for social impact.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Basetsana Molebatsi is a seasoned attorney and co-founder of Harris Nupen Molebatsi Inc., a boutique law firm specialising in corporate and commercial law, governance, and public law. As a Non-Executive Director at Smart Biotech, she contributes deep legal insight and a strong focus on governance and regulatory compliance.

With over 24 years of experience, Basetsana has advised clients across both public and private sectors, including in technology, telecommunications, and development finance. She is also an accredited mediator with Conflict Dynamics, where she mediates complex commercial and public sector disputes.

Her governance experience includes serving as an independent non-executive director of Maziv (Pty) Ltd, as well as its subsidiary companies, Vumatel (Pty) Ltd and Dark Fibre Africa (Pty) Ltd, and the Independent Examinations Board (“IEB”). Basetsana is also a member of the Investment Committee of private equity fund, PAPE and until recently, she was on the board of the Ombudsman for Banking Services of South Africa and the Women’s Legal Centre Trust.

In 2019, Basetsana was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Presidential High-Level Review Panel into the State Security Agency. Her work at Smart Biotech strengthens the company’s commitment to ethical leadership and long-term sustainability.