The Strata Team. |
Phemelo Sehunelo
Chairman
Advocate Sehunelo holds a LLB qualification and is an admitted advocate to the High Court of South Africa. He served his country with distinction in the Northern Cape Provincial Government as the Provincial Director of Housing, and was also the Provincial Masakhane Manager after which he served as the Kimberley Municipal Manager. In 2002 he turned his attention to the mining sector in South Africa and accomplished the acquisition of various strategic prospecting, mining rights and now holds a diversified mining portfolio in Southern Africa, which include diamonds, manganese, iron ore and Tungsten.
Phemelo's legal background and expertise, together with his extensive business and mining expertise, makes his leadership most valuable to the Company.
Chairman
Advocate Sehunelo holds a LLB qualification and is an admitted advocate to the High Court of South Africa. He served his country with distinction in the Northern Cape Provincial Government as the Provincial Director of Housing, and was also the Provincial Masakhane Manager after which he served as the Kimberley Municipal Manager. In 2002 he turned his attention to the mining sector in South Africa and accomplished the acquisition of various strategic prospecting, mining rights and now holds a diversified mining portfolio in Southern Africa, which include diamonds, manganese, iron ore and Tungsten.
Phemelo's legal background and expertise, together with his extensive business and mining expertise, makes his leadership most valuable to the Company.
Lionel Koster
CEO
Lionel Koster is an experienced businessman who been involved in the mining and construction industry since 1988. Lionel has extensive experience in the acquisition, planning, implementation and management of greenfield exploration
and junior mining companies and mine establishment projects throughout Africa.
Lionel is particularly skilled in strategic planning, with the emphasis on implementation. Other fields of expertise include evaluation, feasibility, market placement, strategy and procurement.
CEO
Lionel Koster is an experienced businessman who been involved in the mining and construction industry since 1988. Lionel has extensive experience in the acquisition, planning, implementation and management of greenfield exploration
and junior mining companies and mine establishment projects throughout Africa.
Lionel is particularly skilled in strategic planning, with the emphasis on implementation. Other fields of expertise include evaluation, feasibility, market placement, strategy and procurement.
Nico Smit
Operations
Nico Smit holds a B.Eng (Metallurgy) and MBA from Pretoria University and has been involved in the mining industry since 1993 as a plant operator, process and metallurgical engineer.
Nico gathered extensive and valuable experience from his years at Iscor and Kumba in plant, production , engineering, logistics and strategy and then moved to the position of CEO of a junior iron ore mining company for 4 years prior to joining STRATA and brings a wealth of experience to the management team.
Operations
Nico Smit holds a B.Eng (Metallurgy) and MBA from Pretoria University and has been involved in the mining industry since 1993 as a plant operator, process and metallurgical engineer.
Nico gathered extensive and valuable experience from his years at Iscor and Kumba in plant, production , engineering, logistics and strategy and then moved to the position of CEO of a junior iron ore mining company for 4 years prior to joining STRATA and brings a wealth of experience to the management team.
Herman Leach
Finance, Strategy & New Business
Herman Leach is a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA) for more than 25 years. He is an expert in business strategy, deal brokering, contract negotiations, change management and policy development. Herman’s earlier work experience was at the Special Investigating Unit of SARS and The Office of the Auditor General of South Africa. He was a director of SisweNthalubaGobodo Inc. for 15 years and business unit leader for 2 provinces in South Africa. Herman was the full time CFO at the 3rd largest Iron Ore Mine in South Africa, focusing on implementation of finance strategy.
Currently, Herman is the financial, strategy and new business consultant to Strata. Herman is also involved in pursuing mining and mining related opportunities in South Africa and Sub Sahara Africa, involved in the due diligence and commercializing these opportunities.
Finance, Strategy & New Business
Herman Leach is a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA) for more than 25 years. He is an expert in business strategy, deal brokering, contract negotiations, change management and policy development. Herman’s earlier work experience was at the Special Investigating Unit of SARS and The Office of the Auditor General of South Africa. He was a director of SisweNthalubaGobodo Inc. for 15 years and business unit leader for 2 provinces in South Africa. Herman was the full time CFO at the 3rd largest Iron Ore Mine in South Africa, focusing on implementation of finance strategy.
Currently, Herman is the financial, strategy and new business consultant to Strata. Herman is also involved in pursuing mining and mining related opportunities in South Africa and Sub Sahara Africa, involved in the due diligence and commercializing these opportunities.
Chris van der Merwe
Group Exploration Geologist
Chris van der Merwe is a qualified and certified Natural Scientist (Geology) registered with SACNASP with 24 years experience
as an exploration geologist. Chris’s passion for geology was inspired by his late father who was himself a renowned and respected geologist. Chris has been instrumental in the discovery, exploration and mining of numerous well known ore bodies within the Kalahari Manganese Basin, Postmasburg and surroundings as part of the Orex Exploration team. (UMK; Tshipi, Northern Cape Manganese Mine; Sebilo Manganese Mine).
Chris is also the founder of Gamagara Resources which has been highly successful in further discoveries, and mining of numerous well known ore bodies within the Kalahari Manganese Basin, Postmasburg and surroundings since 2016. (East Manganese; Mokala Manganese; Koedoeskloof Iron Ore; Nuberry – Kameelhoek Iron Ore; ASR&L).
Group Exploration Geologist
Chris van der Merwe is a qualified and certified Natural Scientist (Geology) registered with SACNASP with 24 years experience
as an exploration geologist. Chris’s passion for geology was inspired by his late father who was himself a renowned and respected geologist. Chris has been instrumental in the discovery, exploration and mining of numerous well known ore bodies within the Kalahari Manganese Basin, Postmasburg and surroundings as part of the Orex Exploration team. (UMK; Tshipi, Northern Cape Manganese Mine; Sebilo Manganese Mine).
Chris is also the founder of Gamagara Resources which has been highly successful in further discoveries, and mining of numerous well known ore bodies within the Kalahari Manganese Basin, Postmasburg and surroundings since 2016. (East Manganese; Mokala Manganese; Koedoeskloof Iron Ore; Nuberry – Kameelhoek Iron Ore; ASR&L).
Johann Loots
Corporate Administration, Governance & Strategy
Johann Loots is currently finalizing his CGISA and has been involved in the mining sector since 2020 when he joined the company. Johann has built-up extensive experience in administration, corporate governance, project acquisition and planning.
Johann has implemented new administration and governance protocols throughout the company and organization and has become key in administering these protocols from management to production. Johann has also gained extensive experience in project acquisition, evaluation and feasibility, market placement, strategy and procurement.
Corporate Administration, Governance & Strategy
Johann Loots is currently finalizing his CGISA and has been involved in the mining sector since 2020 when he joined the company. Johann has built-up extensive experience in administration, corporate governance, project acquisition and planning.
Johann has implemented new administration and governance protocols throughout the company and organization and has become key in administering these protocols from management to production. Johann has also gained extensive experience in project acquisition, evaluation and feasibility, market placement, strategy and procurement.
Cascar Setlhoke
Logistics and Procurement
Cascar Setlhoke is qualified project manager and holds a degrees in project management and public administration and law and a national diploma in the same field. Cascar has specialized in the mining procurement and logistics sector for the past 10 years , where his dynamic skills and experience have assisted in ensuring the co-ordination and completion of a number of strategic projects.
Cascar also acts as a consultant to junior iron and manganese mines to assist them with all the legislative requirements of the DMR / DME.
Logistics and Procurement
Cascar Setlhoke is qualified project manager and holds a degrees in project management and public administration and law and a national diploma in the same field. Cascar has specialized in the mining procurement and logistics sector for the past 10 years , where his dynamic skills and experience have assisted in ensuring the co-ordination and completion of a number of strategic projects.
Cascar also acts as a consultant to junior iron and manganese mines to assist them with all the legislative requirements of the DMR / DME.
Daniel de Canha
Legal
Daniel de Canha has a B.Comm LLB (Stellenbosch University) and a Higher Diploma Tax (RAU) and has been involved in the legal side of the resource development and mining industry since 2003.
Daniel has worked for prominent firms such as Bowman Gilfillan , Bell Dewar & Hall and Allen Levin & Associates and is dynamic and skilled in mining and resource contacts.
Legal
Daniel de Canha has a B.Comm LLB (Stellenbosch University) and a Higher Diploma Tax (RAU) and has been involved in the legal side of the resource development and mining industry since 2003.
Daniel has worked for prominent firms such as Bowman Gilfillan , Bell Dewar & Hall and Allen Levin & Associates and is dynamic and skilled in mining and resource contacts.
Igobe Tamapo Pie
Botswana
Igobe is a legal practitioner and businessman in Botswana. He obtained his law degree from the University of Botswana in 1991. He began his private practice career in one of the oldest and biggest firms in Botswana in 1992 until 1996 when he joined Air Botswana as Corporation Secretary and General Counsel. Igobe then joined then went back to went back into practice at partnership level with a high profile law firm until 2004 when he joined the business world.
He has also acted for and represented a number of mining houses in the negotiations and acquisitions of mining rights and tailings in a number of African countries and holds board positions in a number of Government entities in Botswana.
Botswana
Igobe is a legal practitioner and businessman in Botswana. He obtained his law degree from the University of Botswana in 1991. He began his private practice career in one of the oldest and biggest firms in Botswana in 1992 until 1996 when he joined Air Botswana as Corporation Secretary and General Counsel. Igobe then joined then went back to went back into practice at partnership level with a high profile law firm until 2004 when he joined the business world.
He has also acted for and represented a number of mining houses in the negotiations and acquisitions of mining rights and tailings in a number of African countries and holds board positions in a number of Government entities in Botswana.