Ton Vosloo has retired after 59 years of service to Naspers media group. He joined as a cub reporter in 1956, and left the company as its non executives chairman on Friday. Koos Bekker returns to the board to take Vosloo’s place after a year’s sabbatical.
“I bid you farewell. It has been my great privilege to be associated with Naspers since May 1956, when I joined Die Oosterlig (now Die Burger-Oos) as a cub reporter. I leave you with a heavy heart but also with a light tread: Naspers and associates are in very good shape,” he wrote in a letter to staff.
Media academic Professor Lizette Rabe told The Media magazine, in a story published in July 2013, that to understand Vosloo’s career, one needed to see him as the role-model journalist, the ‘supremo media manager/strategist’ and the philanthropist.
The Stellenbosch University professor said, “He was such a catalyst for so many developments (at Naspers)”.
At the time, Vosloo told The Media that although he was retiring, “There’s a book in me waiting to burst forth”.
Vosloo wasn’t the only board member to retire on 17 April. He was joined by independent non-executive directors Boetie van Zyl and Yuanhe Ma.
“The board expressed its deep gratitude to these three directors for their commitment to our group over many years. Their unique contributions were highly valued and will be missed,” said incoming chairman, Bekker.
Vosloo served on the Naspers board from March1983. He was chairman of the global media giant for 23 years, also various group companies and board committees. Van Zyl joined the Naspers board in January 1988. He served as independent lead director and on various other group structures. He also chaired the Naspers audit and risk committees. Ma served on the boards of Naspers group companies and committees since February 2003.
The Naspers board now comprises: Koos Bekker (chairman), Bob van Dijk (CEO), Basil Sgourdos (CFO), Fred Phaswana (lead independent director), Ben van der Ross, Cobus Stofberg, Craig Enenstein, Debra Meyer, Don Eriksson, Fran du Plessis, Mark Sorour, Nolo Letele, Rachel Jafta, Roberto Oliveira de Lima and Steve Pacak.
