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Werner Duvenhage says sayonara to Rio Tinto after 13 "instrumental" years
After more than a decade, Werner Duvenhage is leaving Rio Tinto and stepping down as managing director of Richards Bay Minerals (RBM). Wilhemina Ngcobo, current RBM chief operating officer, will replace Werner as acting managing director when he officially departs the company on 31 July.
Werner Duvenhage, alongside International Atomic Energy Agency's Yukiya Amano, at Rossing Uranium Limited in Namibia, which he served from 2013 to 2018. Image credit: IAEA Imagebank, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Duvenhage joined Rio Tinto in 2013 as managing director of Rossing Uranium Limited in Namibia, leading the business until 2018.
He subsequently joined RBM and has since led the business through a period of extraordinary challenge and change — playing a central role in stabilising operations, strengthening relationships with host communities and rebuilding trust with stakeholders.
Together with his team, he helped establish the conditions necessary to restart the Zulti South project in March, extending the mine’s life to 2050 and supporting RBM’s long-term operational continuity.
Rio Tinto chief commercial officer, Bold Baatar, said: “Werner has achieved a great deal during his 13 years with Rio Tinto.
“Most recently, he has been instrumental in guiding RBM through a particularly challenging period with resilience and integrity.
“He is justifiably held in high esteem by our employees and partners, and his leadership has helped put RBM on a more stable footing for the future.
“We are very grateful for his contribution and commitment to Rio Tinto and RBM, and I wish him every success in the next chapter of his career."
Reuters reports that RBM mines the mineral-rich sands of KwaZulu-Natal, extracting mostly zircon, rutile, ilmenite, and titanium oxide used in the manufacture of paint, sunscreen, and smartphones.