The management and staff at uShaka Marine World would like to congratulate their chief executive officer, Mrs Stella Khumalo, on graduating with a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  

Her dissertation, entitled Exploring critical factors for effective corporate governance practices of the schedule three state-owned entities in KwaZulu-Natal, is particularly pertinent as state-owned enterprises (SOEs) tackle the challenges associated with good corporate governance on a daily basis.   “As the CEO reporting to a Board where there is shareholder and stakeholder involvement and other dynamics, understanding this is critical. My studies have given me good insight. My research has broadened my perspective. Completing this qualification enables me to better advise my Board and the Shareholder (the eThekwini municipality) and to perform my job as an accounting officer more effectively and efficiently, “she says. 

Khumalo approaches her responsibilities as CEO of Africa’s largest marine theme park with commitment, professionalism and passion. She has worked hard to ensure that uShaka has maintained its position as one of South Africa and KZN’s leading edu-tainment and tourist destinations.  

As the CEO, she assumes overall responsibility for the financial and administrative management of the Durban Marine Theme Park ensuring good corporate governance across all the business units of the entity.  She is particularly proud that uShaka Marine World has received clean audits for three years in a row since she has joined the organisation.   

This doctorate is a fitting addition to her career to date.

After matriculating from St. Francis College, Marianhill, in 1980, Khumalo began her tertiary education with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Zululand, followed by a Higher Education Diploma from the University of South Africa and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Zululand. She added a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the then University of Natal and has we would like to congratulate her on recently completing a Doctorate in Business Administration (PhD) at the University of KwaZulu Natal.  She began her career as a high school teacher specialising in science subjects, working her way up to be deputy principal of the Luthayi High School in Mpumalanga and then Head of Department (Science) at Phezulu High School in Mpumalanga. She went on to become a subject advisor in biology and general science for the Zululand region and then to work as a Director in KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Education.   She was appointed as Chief Director for Tourism Development in Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism in 2005 and went on to become Head of Department in 2007 before being appointed Chief Executive Officer of the ground breaking KZN Liquor Authority in 2012.

She joined uShaka Marine World as the CEO in 2014.  Khumalo acknowledges that juggling her work commitment as well as the demands of research and study presented a number of challenges along the way.   “Ultimately, a year into my studies, I worked out a schedule that I tried to stick to as much as possible. That meant spending at least an hour or two daily on my research, after hours. However, with my job demands, sometimes even that was impossible,” she explains.

 Khumalo says that she would definitely advise others in leadership positions to follow in her footsteps. “I believe that doing my PHD has taught me many things. Besides just having a more in-depth understanding of the subject of corporate governance which is very relevant for my job, it has also, surprisingly, taught me resilience and patience when working with a variety of people that were critical for the research.