ZA BIOTECH (PTY) LTD is a private company based in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.The company was registered in 1999 and since then has been building a portfolio of intellectual property and technology in the enzymes domain based on C.S.I.R, South African universities and external sources. The current ZA Biotech products are Lipase, Laccase, Nitrile Hydratase, Esterase, Chitinase and subtilisin enzymes. The company markets SphereZymes™, an immobilised enzyme technology.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr Robert Gordon (Acting Chair & CEO ZA Biotech)

DR Robert Gordon graduated from the University of Leeds (UK) with a B.Sc in 1979 and obtained his PhD at the University of London in 1982. He has over 27 years experience in research, marketing and management in the Pharmaceutical /Biotechnology enzyme field worldwide, including Germany, U.K, U.S.A and South Africa. He has been an invited speaker and chairman at numerous scientific meetings and has published 30 scientific papers.

Mr Rodney Blower (Novozymes SA)

Rodney Blower graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a B.Sc. Industrial Chemistry in 1973. He has 34 years experience in research and management including 24 years in the enzymes field. In 1975 he joined A.E.C.I as a Research Chemist after a short time in the specialty oils industry. After 10 years with A.E.C.I and a switch from Research Development to National Sales Manager PVC Flexible, he joined NOVO Industry A/S as the Manager of their Enzymes Division in 1985. After a few years in this position supplying industrial enzymes to the South African Market, he led a management buy-out of the Enzymes Division together with his colleagues. He has held the position of Managing Director Enzymes SA since 1 December 1986. In 2001 he was asked to join the interim committee for the formation of eGoli BIO and now chairs the board of trustees of eGoli BIO.

Mr Christopher Whitfield (CEO, Batswadi Pharmaceuticals)

Christopher Whitfield graduated  as a Bachelor of Psychology from the College of Wabash, U.S.A, in 1988, and obtained his MBA in 2000 from Duke University, U.S.A, and in 2006 he obtained a Fellowship leadership and Public Values degree at U.C.T/Duke University. He has had 21 years experience in marketing, business analysis and management and has been a director of various companies in the U.S.A and South Africa (including e-Business, Eli Lilly-U.S.A). He held the position of C.E.O of Lilly South Africa for 8 years and is also a member of the  Young President's Organization.

Dr Bonginkosi Gumede (TIA)

Dr Bonginkosi Gumede obtained a PhD degree in Pharmacology from UCT. He studied part of his PhD at Oxford University. He has published in reputable journals and has presented at international conferences.
He  joined CSIR in October 2006 as a manager of a Pre-clinical drug development platform and then was appointed Competency Area Manager for Drug and Therapeutic Discovery. He managed the drug discovery activities contained in the bioprospecting, aptamer, structural biology, systems biology, discovery chemistry and analytical research groups in order to raise local and global funds for R&D in HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis. He was then appointed the Executive Health Portfolio Manager at TIA.