Hamilton Ndlovu

Manufacturing and engineering executive with 23+ years of progressive experience across cable manufacturing, process engineering and operational leadership. Progressed from hands-on technical engineering into General Management and Acting COO responsibility, with a record of building functional departments, improving factory flow, industrialising products, commissioning major equipment and delivering measurable gains in productivity, quality, turnover and material utilisation.

Acting Chief Operations Officer at Manufacturing Operations (2025-11 – 2026-03)

• Led three manufacturing plants: two cable manufacturing plants and one conduit pipe manufacturing plant; responsible for 575 employees through 12 direct-report managers.
• Drove alignment across manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, quality and operational performance.
• Supported achievement of a record R300 million plant turnover for the month of October.
• Reason for leaving: Resignation.

General Manager at South Ocean Electrical Wire (2024-01 – 2025-12)

• Created Planning, Scrap/Waste Management and Stores departments, developing SOPs and controls to make each function operational.
• Improved machine run time from 50% to 65% and contributed to the company's first annual turnover of R3 billion.
• Implemented short-interval production controls requiring four-hourly output-versus-target reporting by team leaders and managers.
• Designed practical factory-floor KPIs using real production figures to make performance simple, visible and actionable.
• Used value stream mapping to understand capacity and constraints, redesign layouts, optimise product flow and establish realistic production targets.

Process Engineering Manager at CBI-African Cables (2022-01 – 2024-12)

• Led process engineering, production improvement and major equipment projects.
• Successfully installed and commissioned a Conform line with the engineering team.
• Travelled internationally to identify and purchase manufacturing machinery, then led installation, commissioning and operator training.

Manufacturing Manager / Production Manager (Airdac) / Senior Process Engineer at Aberdare Cables (2008-01 – 2021-12)

• Progressed through senior engineering, production and manufacturing leadership roles; became the youngest and first Black Manufacturing Manager in Aberdare Cables' history.
• Improved machine run time from 50% to 83%.
• Reduced copper scrap from 12% to 3.5%, saving at least R2 million per month.
• Designed, trialled and industrialised solar cables, Saferdac cables and other products.
• Led factory layout design and the relocation, installation and commissioning of 500+ machines during the 2012 factory relocation.
• Redesigned factory layouts using value stream mapping and capacity analysis to improve production flow and optimise manufacturing efficiency.
• Implemented Green Stage Testing and an SOP for early defect detection, reducing customer complaints to almost zero.

Process Engineer / Electronics Technician Trainee at Aberdare Cables (2003-01 – 2008-12)

• Built a strong technical foundation in cable manufacturing equipment, process optimisation, machine settings, breakdown response and electrical systems; progressed into process engineering responsibility.

N.Dip in Engineering – Electrical (Heavy Current) – Technikon Witwatersrand (2004-12)

Certificate in Management Development Programme – University of Stellenbosch (2016-01 – 2016-12)

Certificate in National Senior Certificate (1998-12)