Lead1026

Restoring public trust

CORPORATE PROFILE

National Lotteries Commission Commissioner Jodi Scholtz discusses strengthening governance, improving transparency and ensuring lottery funding reaches communities

Since joining the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) in February 2023, Commissioner Jodi Scholtz has focused on strengthening gov-ernance, improving institutional perform-ance and rebuilding public confidence.

Among the organisation’s achievements are the implementation of an online end-to-end grant management system, re-engineering of busi-ness processes, stronger internal controls and greater stakeholder engagement.

“Above all, the greatest highlight is seeing funding reach the communities it is meant for,” she says.

The NLC has a dual mandate: regulating the National Lottery and Sports Pools, societies and other lotteries, and distributing lottery pro-ceeds to good causes.

Its strategy prioritises governance, efficient funding, transparency and player protection. Its broader priorities include education, family cohesion, combating gender-based violence and femicide, rural development, food security, youth development and addressing malnutri-tion and stunting.

Scholtz has drawn on her public-sector gov-ernance and institutional reform experience to strengthen systems, establish clear expecta-tions and empower employees.

Restoring public confidence

The NLC has a dual mandate: regulating the National Lottery and Sports Pools, societies and other lotteries, and distributing lottery pro-ceeds to good causes.

Governance and transparency remain central to the NLC’s work, particularly given its re-sponsibility for distributing funds intended to benefit the public.

“For me, integrity and accountability are the foundation of any institution that serves the public, rather than boxes to be ticked,” Scholtz says.

She believes public confidence depends on consistent governance, effective internal con-trols, openness about funding decisions and honest stakeholder engagement.

“Trust is earned every day through consistent and transparent conduct, and our commitment is to keep de-livering on that for the people of South Africa.”

Supporting communities

Lottery proceeds support charities and community organisations, sport and recreation, and arts, cul-ture and heritage.

Funding enables organisations to extend their services, creates op-portunities for young people and supports artists and athletes.

“Behind every grant are people: community organisations that are able to extend their services, young people who gain access to opportunities and facilities, and artists and athletes who are sup-ported to grow.”

Scholtz has also represented South Africa internationally, includ-ing at the European Lotteries In-dustry Days in Marrakech, where regulatory cooperation and player protection were discussed.

Funding enables organisations to extend their services, creates op-portunities for young people and supports artists and athletes.

She was named among the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Gam-ing in Africa in 2024 and received the Mail & Guardian Women of Power 2026 Governance Award.

Building a lasting institution

Scholtz describes her leadership ap-proach as ethical, collaborative and results-driven, emphasising clear direction, listening and empowering employees.

Her experience has reinforced the import-ance of accountability, teamwork and a shared commitment to public service.

Her ambition is to leave the NLC stronger, more modern and trusted, with capable employ-ees and systems that distribute funding fairly and efficiently.

She also wants lottery funding to strengthen local economies and help communities become more resilient.

“I want those who come after me to inherit an organisation that communities are proud of and have confidence in.”

Lionel October, Board Member

Lionel October is the Board Member of the Na-tional Lotteries Commission. He is a seasoned public servant and policy leader, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the country's industrial, trade, and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) frameworks.

From 2011 to April 2021, October served as Director-General of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), becoming one of the longest-serving Director-Generals in South Africa's democratic era. Under his lead-ership, the dtic earned multiple Best Perform-ing Department Awards, while he himself was recognised as Best Performing Director-General in 2015. His tenure was marked by a commitment to institutional excellence, gov-ernance, and advancing South Africa's indus-trial development agenda.

In focus

Under his lead-ership, the dtic earned multiple Best Perform-ing Department Awards, while he himself was recognised as Best Performing Director-General in 2015.

Before entering government, October spent a decade in the trade union movement, notably

as the founding General Secretary of the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU). He also served as a senior commis-sioner at the Commission for Conciliation, Me-diation and Arbitration (CCMA), gaining ex-tensive experience in labour relations and stakeholder engagement.

Academically, October holds an MSc in Eco-nomics (Development) from the University of London, a Law degree, and a BA Honours in De-velopment Studies from the University of the Western Cape. His career reflects a lifelong dedication to strengthening South Africa's eco-nomic institutions, advancing inclusive growth, and supporting industrial transformation.

Aaron Molemo Mogolane, Chief Risk Officer

Aaron Molemo Mogolane is a highly accom-plished governance, risk, compliance, and as-surance executive with extensive experience in enterprise risk management, corporate gov-ernance, regulatory compliance, internal con-trols, business resilience, and organisational performance.

With a strong track record of leadership in both strategic and operational environments, he has established himself as a trusted advisor to executive management, boards, audit com-mittees, and regulators on matters relating to risk oversight, governance effectiveness, and organisational sustainability.

He served as a Board member of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) after being appointed by the Deputy President. He also served as a National Risk Committee mem-ber for the Department of Employment and La-bour as well as the Department of Small Busi-ness Development.

As a seasoned Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Molemo is responsible for leading and strength-ening enterprise-wide risk management frame-works that enable organisations to identify, as-sess, mitigate, and monitor strategic, opera-tional, financial, compliance, and technology-related risks. His expertise lies in designing in-tegrated risk management systems that sup-port informed decision-making, improve organ-isational resilience, and enhance long-term value creation. He is recognised for his ability to align risk management practices with organ-isational objectives while promoting a culture of accountability, ethical conduct, and continu-ous improvement.

His expertise lies in designing in-tegrated risk management systems that sup-port informed decision-making, improve organ-isational resilience, and enhance long-term value creation.

As the CRO of the NLC, Molemo leads Risk Management, Ethics Management, Non-Compliant Grantee, Corporate Insurance, Busi-ness Continuity Management, as well as Envir-onmental, Social, and Governance Strategy (ESG) functions. Key highlights and achieve-ments include growing the Risk Management Maturity of the NLC, full implementation of the Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS), and establishment and implementation of the Envir-onment, Social, and Governance Strategy.

Throughout his career, Molemo has demon-strated exceptional capability in embedding risk-based thinking into business processes and organisational culture. He has led numer-ous initiatives focused on strengthening gov-ernance structures, improving internal control effectiveness, enhancing organisational resili-ence, and building sustainable compliance frameworks. His ability to balance strategic pri-orities with operational demands has contrib-uted significantly to improved organisational performance and risk management maturity.

Throughout his career, Molemo has demon-strated exceptional capability in embedding risk-based thinking into business processes and organisational culture.

CORPORATE PROFILE

Vincent Jones, Chief Audit Executive

Vincent Jones is the Chief Audit Executive of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), where he provides strategic leadership across Internal Audit, Information Technology Audit, and Forensic Investigations. His portfolio sup-ports the NLC's commitment to sound gov-ernance, accountability, organisational integrity, and continuous improvement.

Since joining the NLC, Vincent has played a key role in strengthening and modernising the organisation's assurance and forensic capabil-ities. An important priority has been reinfor-cing the independence and strategic position-ing of Internal Audit. The function reports functionally to the Audit and Risk Committee, strengthening its ability to provide objective and independent assurance to the organisa-tion's governance structures. Under his cus-todianship, the Internal Audit function has con-tinued to mature and professionalise. A significant milestone was achieving a "Generally Conforms" assessment through its Quality Assurance Review readiness assessment, demonstrating alignment with internationally recog-nised professional internal audit stand-ards and practices.

In focus

Since joining the NLC, Vincent has played a key role in strengthening and modernising the organisation's assurance and forensic capabil-ities.

Vincent has also championed initiat-ives to strengthen organisational in-tegrity and fraud-risk management. This included the development and im-plementation of the NLC's Lifestyle Audit Policy, a first for the organisation. He has further prioritised strategic stakeholder relationships, including collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Special In-vestigating Unit (SIU), strengthening cooperation around investigations, re-ferrals, and matters requiring further action.

A further focus of his leadership is the modernisation of assurance. Vin-cent believes Internal Audit must in-creasingly move beyond traditional ret-rospective reviews towards more con-tinuous, agile, and data-driven assur-ance. Under his leadership, the func-tion is expanding the use of data ana-lytics and continuous auditing tech-niques, while exploring the responsible applic-ation of artificial intelligence and other emer-ging technologies to enhance audit coverage, identify anomalies, and provide earlier insight into emerging risks.

His career spans more than two decades in governance, internal audit, compliance, and forensic investigations. Before joining the NLC, Vincent served as Chief Audit Executive at both the Film and Publication Board and Cape Pen-insula University of Technology and previously held senior roles in compliance and forensic investigations within government.

Vin-cent believes Internal Audit must in-creasingly move beyond traditional ret-rospective reviews towards more con-tinuous, agile, and data-driven assur-ance.

Vincent is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and holds a BCom in Financial Accounting, BCom (Hons) in Internal Auditing, Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic and Investigative Account-ing, and an MPhil specialising in Fraud Risk Management. His postgraduate research ex-plored best practices for regulating the accept-ance of gifts within the public sector, reflecting his longstanding interest in ethics, governance, and fraud-risk prevention.

Adv. Lesedi Boihang, Executive Manager: Legal Services and Organisational Compliance

Adv. Lesedi Boihang is a distinguished legal, governance, regulatory, and compliance execut-ive with more than two decades of leadership experience across constitutional institutions, regulators, public entities, and state-owned en-terprises. His career has been defined by the intersection of law, governance, institutional accountability, and strategic leadership, posi-tioning him as a trusted adviser to Boards, Commissioners, Chief Executive Officers, and executive leadership on complex and con-sequential matters.

At the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), Adv. Boihang serves as Executive Manager: Legal Services & Organisational Compliance, providing enterprise-wide leadership across legal services, organisational compliance, gov-ernance advisory, litigation oversight, and in-

formation governance. He advises the Commis-sioner, Board, and Executive Committee on matters requiring not only legal precision, but sound institutional judgement, regulatory foresight, and an appreciation of the broader public-interest mandate of the organisation. His portfolio encompasses the development of legal and compliance strategy, management of legal risk, oversight of complex litigation, regulatory compliance, ethics, and the advancement of governance assurance frameworks.

His portfolio encompasses the development of legal and compliance strategy, management of legal risk, oversight of complex litigation, regulatory compliance, ethics, and the advancement of governance assurance frameworks.

Prior to joining the NLC, Adv. Boihang served as Executive Manager: Legal, Regulatory Com-pliance & Tribunal at the Ports Regulator of South Africa, where he led the legal, regulatory compliance, and tribunal administration func-tions and served as Registrar of the Ports Reg-ulator Tribunal. His earlier executive experi-ence includes leading enterprise-wide regulat-ory compliance and assurance at the Road Ac-cident Fund and legal compliance, environ-mental governance, and occupational health and safety compliance at Transnet National Ports Authority. He has also practised as an ad-vocate of the High Court of South Africa, with experience spanning constitutional, adminis-trative, commercial, labour, environmental, and governance law.

His leadership philosophy is anchored in the proposition that sound governance is not an administrative burden, but an institutional as-set. He advocates for leadership that combines intellectual rigour with ethical courage; that treats compliance as a strategic enabler rather than a defensive function; and that recognises the enduring relationship between institutional credibility, public trust, and responsible de-cision-making.

For Adv. Boihang, leadership is ultimately about stewardship: leaving institutions stronger, more resilient, and more capable of fulfilling their mandates than they were found. His professional purpose is therefore not con-fined to resolving today's legal or regulatory challenges, but to helping build institutions whose governance, integrity, and decision-making can withstand the scrutiny of tomorrow.

He holds an LLB from the University of North West and a BA Law from the University of the Witwatersrand, complemented by executive education through the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and other special-ised governance, risk, compliance, mediation, and leadership programmes.

Thulani Skosana, Chairperson of the Distributing Agency

Thulani Skosana is an Afro-optimist and Afro-positivist committed to advancing the poten-tial of Africa and its people. His current work commitments are totally shaped by a desire to contribute to an ecosystem where ordin-ary South Africans from underserved areas have the resources and agency to address their socio-economic challenges and create lasting solutions.

He serves as one of the three Chairpersons of the Distributing Agency (DA). His primary role is to shape and lead the DA's strategic re-sponsibility to consider, evaluate, and adjudic-ate applications for funding of worthy causes in full alignment with the NLC's Annual Per-formance Plan (APP), based on a deep under-standing of South Africa's socio-economic development priorities.

In focus

Thulani Skosana is an Afro-optimist and Afro-positivist committed to advancing the poten-tial of Africa and its people.

His optimism is grounded in reality. Africa carries the weight of deep in-equality and poverty. However, he is drawn to the endless possibilities that emerge as we recognise that these harsh realities can be defeated when we continuously cultivate our endless commitment to a better life for all.

This perspective shapes how he sees grantmaking. He sees it as a partnership built on mutual respect and the shared purpose of providing organisations and communities with the space to actively respond to their realities and deploy suitable and impactful solutions. Sustainable social impact requires organisations with capable leadership, and the abil-ity to learn and adapt to changing circumstances.

His leadership approach is groun-ded in consensus. He values bringing people together, creating space for dif-ferent perspectives, and working to-wards a shared perspective before critical decisions are taken. Con-sensus, to him, is not about avoiding difficult conversations. It is about en-suring that people feel heard, that di-verse experiences inform the conver-sation, and that decisions are strengthened by collective ownership. This ap-proach influences a collaborative, ethical, and results-driven team culture.

At the heart of his work is a commitment to African agency. He does not see philanthropy as a mechanism for rescuing communities or prescribing their futures. Rather, he sees it as a means of sharing resources, opening doors, strengthening capacity, and supporting people and organisations to determine what progress looks like for themselves.

He values bringing people together, creating space for dif-ferent perspectives, and working to-wards a shared perspective before critical decisions are taken.

Through grantmaking and sector engage-ment, he seeks to combine strategic thinking with humanity, optimism with realism, and lead-ership with collaboration. His ambition is to help create an NPO ecosystem where organisa-tions are trusted as partners.

Their diverse voices should inform decisions, and African-led ideas should have the oppor-tunity to grow into meaningful and sustainable impact.