Key points
- Mncwango takes over as MD in October 2026, succeeding Wilhemina Ngcobo, who has acted in the role since July.
- He brings 25 years in platinum, heavy minerals and copper, most recently as COO of Glencore’s Kamoto Copper Company in the DRC.
- Rio Tinto’s Sophie Bergeron says he arrives as RBM advances the Zulti South project and its decarbonization program.
Richards Bay Minerals has appointed Bayanda Mncwango as managing director, bringing back a former chief operating officer to lead the KwaZulu-Natal mineral sands producer from October 2026.
Mncwango succeeds Wilhemina Ngcobo, who has served as acting MD since July and now returns to her role as COO. The pair will work together, according to Rio Tinto, which controls RBM through its Iron & Titanium division.
The appointment is a homecoming. Mncwango was RBM’s COO from 2019 to 2022, running operations across the full value chain, from mining and processing to logistics.
In that role, he carried responsibility for safe operational performance, technical development and long-term strategic planning.
A career across three metals
Mncwango began his career at Anglo American’s platinum division before joining Rio Tinto in 2019. After leaving RBM, he moved to Glencore Copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he served as COO and director of operations at Kamoto Copper Company, one of the world’s largest copper and cobalt producers, before taking on a regional leadership role.
In total, he brings 25 years of mining experience spanning platinum, heavy minerals and copper. That mix matters for RBM, which produces titanium dioxide slag, rutile, zircon and pig iron and has faced a demanding operating environment in recent years.
Timing and priorities
Sophie Bergeron, managing director of Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium, said Mncwango rejoins at an important moment.
“We advance the Zulti South project, our decarbonisation programme and the ongoing investment in local procurement, enterprise development and community partnerships,” she said.
Zulti South, a long-planned expansion designed to extend RBM’s mine life, has been on and off the agenda for years amid community and security challenges around the operation.
Consequently, steering that project forward while managing relationships with host communities is likely to define the new MD’s early tenure.
Bergeron also thanked Ngcobo for her stewardship since July, noting she maintained a strong focus on safety, operational performance and partnership during the interim period.
Meanwhile, the appointment leaves RBM with two senior leaders who know the operation intimately, which may reassure stakeholders after a period of interim leadership.
