A strategic appointment timed for one of the most challenging operating environments the material handling sector has faced — and a bold statement about the year ahead.
Masslift Africa · 10 April 2026 · 4 min read
South African businesses are under pressure. Diesel prices have surged, squeezing margins for operations that depend on forklift fleets. Low-cost Chinese imports continue to flood the market, reshaping competitive dynamics across the material handling industry. And at the same time, the shift toward electrification and sustainability – a conversation that dominated the recent Mining Indaba – is demanding that businesses think differently about the total cost of ownership of their equipment.
In this environment, Masslift Africa has made a decisive move. The company has reinstated Thembi Mazibuko as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective immediately – bringing back a leader whose experience, instincts, and track record make her precisely the right person for this moment.
The Right Leader for a High-Pressure Market
Thembi is a Chartered Accountant (SA) with more than 13 years of senior finance leadership across logistics, manufacturing, and services. During her previous tenure as Masslift Africa’s CFO, she delivered transformative financial strategies, strengthened risk frameworks, and led cross-functional teams to consistently outperform targets.
Following a stint as Finance Director at Motus Emerging Brands, where she navigated the rapid rise of Chinese imports and the automotive sector’s own electrification pivot, Thembi returns with sharpened insights into pricing agility, supply-chain resilience, and countering low-cost competition – insights that directly translate to the challenges Masslift’s customers face today.
“Businesses across South Africa are facing significant pressures: rising diesel costs driving up daily operating expenses, and the relentless influx of low-cost imports. My time away has intensified my focus on speed, precision, and smart value engineering. While competitors may win on upfront price, we win on total cost of ownership – reliability, fuel efficiency, parts availability, uptime, and service excellence.”
— Thembi Mazibuko, CFO, Masslift Africa
Electrification, Sustainability and the Road Ahead
The conversations at Mining Indaba made one thing clear: electrification and sustainability are no longer aspirational — they are operational imperatives. As fuel prices climb and environmental expectations tighten, operators are increasingly evaluating their fleets through a total cost of ownership lens, not just purchase price.
Thembi’s cross-sector experience positions Masslift to lead this conversation confidently. She brings direct exposure to how leading organisations in the automotive sector are navigating the energy transition – and the financial discipline to help Masslift’s customers make smart, future-proof decisions about their material handling fleets.
“As we enter the new financial year on 1 April 2026, Thembi’s reinstatement fortifies our financial engine – ensuring we stay agile, innovative, and dominant in delivering world-class material handling solutions across Southern Africa.”
— Marco Caverni, CEO, Masslift Africa
Looking Forward to an Outstanding Year
With the new financial year now underway, Masslift Africa enters 2026/27 with renewed confidence. Thembi’s reinstatement brings together deep institutional knowledge, fresh strategic perspective, and a clear-eyed view of the pressures customers face – a combination that positions the company to grow market share, sharpen its competitive offer, and deliver superior outcomes for customers and stakeholders alike.
