PepsiCo Appoints Suraya Hamdulay As Corporate Affairs Senior Director For Southern Africa

PepsiCo has appointed Suraya Hamdulay as corporate affairs senior director for Southern Africa. Image supplied

Hamdulay officially assumed the role on 1 July 2026 and will oversee PepsiCo's corporate affairs strategy across Southern Africa, leading stakeholder engagement, public policy, sustainability initiatives and corporate reputation for one of the region's largest food and beverage businesses.

The appointment reflects PepsiCo's continued investment in strengthening its leadership capabilities while advancing its long-term growth strategy across African markets.

Driving PepsiCo Positive

In her new role, Hamdulay will play a central role in advancing PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the company's global transformation strategy designed to build a more sustainable food system while creating long-term value for consumers, communities and the business.

The strategy focuses on supporting sustainable agriculture, expanding positive consumer choices and embedding sustainability throughout PepsiCo's operations and value chain.

As part of her mandate, Hamdulay will also deepen relationships with government, industry and community stakeholders while leading engagement on key issues shaping the region's food sector, including nutrition, agriculture, environmental sustainability, investment and job creation.

Extensive cross-sector leadership experience

Hamdulay joins PepsiCo with an extensive track record spanning fast-moving consumer goods, telecommunications, government, sustainability and strategic advisory.

Her career has focused on navigating complex regulatory environments, strengthening corporate reputation and delivering environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies across multiple African markets.

Most recently, she served as corporate affairs director for Mars Southern Africa, where she led public affairs, regulatory engagement, ESG integration and strategic communications across the company's regional operations.

Prior to joining Mars, she was group executive head of sustainability and corporate citizenship at Vodacom Group, overseeing ESG strategy, integrated reporting and sustainability programmes across the telecommunications company's African footprint.

Her experience also includes extensive work in stakeholder management, public policy and corporate communications, positioning her to help shape PepsiCo's engagement with both the public and private sectors.

Supporting regional growth

The appointment comes as global consumer goods companies continue to strengthen their corporate affairs capabilities in response to evolving regulatory environments, increasing sustainability expectations and growing demand for responsible business practices.

For PepsiCo, corporate affairs has become an increasingly strategic function as the business works alongside governments, industry partners and communities to address broader issues affecting food systems, agricultural resilience and inclusive economic growth.

With Hamdulay joining the executive leadership team, PepsiCo aims to further strengthen collaboration across the region while supporting its broader business priorities through trusted stakeholder relationships and purpose-led leadership.

Her appointment signals the company's continued commitment to building a resilient, sustainable business while contributing to long-term development across Southern Africa.