Gibela Rail confirms Reggie Boqo as CEO as company marks major milestone

The Gibela Rail Transport Consortium has confirmed the appointment of Reggie Boqo as CEO, effective 1 October 2025, after acting in the position since April 2024. 

Before stepping into the acting role, Boqo was Gibela’s chief financial officer (CFO) from 2018, where he provided robust financial leadership and contributed to the company’s localisation strategy.

Announcing the appointment on Monday, Gibela Rail board chairperson, Irene Charnley, praised Boqo’s leadership qualities and track record.

“Mr Boqo has demonstrated the vision, leadership and integrity that we require to take Gibela Rail into its next chapter,” Charnley said.

“Under his stewardship, Gibela Rail has continued to perform to our expectations. His permanent appointment signals our confidence in his ability to deliver on our long-term commitments and build on the strong foundation laid in recent years.”

The leadership change comes as Gibela celebrates the completion of its 300th train set for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa)—the halfway mark in a 600-train contract.

The milestone underscores the company’s progress under a lean manufacturing model, while also reflecting Boqo’s leadership during his acting tenure.

Accepting the appointment, Boqo said he was honoured to lead the consortium at a pivotal time.

“I am deeply proud of what our team has achieved and I am committed to ensuring that we continue to deliver modern, safe and reliable trains for South Africa,” he said.

“This role is not just about building trains; it is about contributing to the revitalisation of South Africa’s passenger rail system and supporting the country’s broader industrialisation goals.” 

Boqo brings more than 25 years of experience in finance, infrastructure funding, and leadership across both the public and private sectors.

Before joining Gibela, he was group CFO for the City of Johannesburg. He also served as group financial director at the Infrastructure Finance Corporation (INCA) and held senior roles at the Central Energy Fund (CEF). 

A qualified Chartered Accountant (SA) and Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA), Boqo holds a BCom in Accounting from North-West University, a BCompt Honours in Accounting Science from UNISA, and has completed executive programmes at Wits Business School and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).

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