Getting to know the person behind the title: Tandiwe Cimela

On 1 April 2026, Tandiwe Cimela stepped into the role of executive of Elite Risk Acceptances, one of South Africa’s leading specialist high-net-worth insurers. Her appointment reflects both continuity and confidence in a leader who has played a central role in shaping the business since joining as chief operations officer in 2022.

“I’m an action netball goalkeeper, and very competitive,” says Cimela, with a smile. “Experience counts. I played from my school days, and that edge never really leaves you.”

It’s a revealing insight into a leadership style grounded in discipline, teamwork and the ability to stay composed under pressure – qualities that have defined her professional journey.

“There is often a lot of attention given to short-term wins,” she reflects. “But the qualities that truly build sustainable businesses are consistency, judgement and follow-through.”

With nearly two decades of experience across the short-term insurance value chain, Cimela is no stranger to complexity. Her career spans marine and liability insurance, bancassurance, broker and insurer environments, and senior leadership roles in multinational settings.

Most notably, she spent five years as general manager for Insurance: Sub-Saharan Africa at Nacora, the insurance arm of global logistics group Kuehne + Nagel. In that role, she was responsible for multi-country insurance operations, complex risk placements and stakeholder engagement across diverse regulatory and commercial environments.

“That role shaped how I think about risk,” she says. “You operate across jurisdictions with different rules, cultures and expectations, but the requirement for accountability and sound judgement never changes.”

The focus on responsibility is something Cimela traces back to advice she received early in her career: “If your name is on it, it must represent you,” she recalls. “That stayed with me because accountability doesn’t start at seniority, it starts with ownership. Reputation is built in how you show up, what you tolerate and the standards you hold when no one is watching.”

Since joining Elite Risk, she has been closely involved in strengthening operational resilience and governance frameworks, applying a leadership philosophy that balances structure with decisiveness. “I often ask: What’s the context, what does it look like when it’s solved, and what’s the plan?” she says. “Clarity on the end state creates flexibility; it gives you a reference point for decision-making and helps distinguish between symptoms and the real problem.”

Outside of work, Cimela enjoys reading when time allows and is part of a very social book club. Her reading tastes are varied across genres: from contemporary fiction such as The Covenant of Water and Children of Blood and Bone to strategic pocketbook classics like The Art of War.

“Reading broadly helps connect context, culture and strategy,” she says. “But it’s less about being intentional and more about enjoying the story and the conversation around it. That’s where new outlooks come from.”

Outside of work, perspective comes from home. Cimela became a mother in 2025, an experience that sharpened her sense of responsibility. “I want my son to grow up seeing effort, resilience and growth in action,” she says. “To understand that improvement is continuous, failure is feedback and hard work matters.”

Asked what keeps her up at night, her answer is immediate: the world in which her son will grow up. “There is so much uncertainty – economic, geopolitical as well as environmental,” she says. “I spend a lot of time thinking about what I can and cannot control, and how to prepare responsibly while remaining optimistic and purposeful.”

That sense of responsibility also informs Cimela’s view of the future of insurance. While optimistic about the efficiencies unlocked by technology and artificial intelligence, she is clear about their limits. “Technology should enhance judgement, not replace it,” she says. “The leadership challenge is ensuring intelligence builds resilience rather than fragility.”

It is this measured, disciplined outlook, shaped by regional leadership experience and informed judgement, that is likely to define Cimela’s leadership as Elite Risk Acceptances enters its next phase of growth.