Sipho Ngwema, Head of Communications at Competition Commission, is a well-renowned South African media and reputation management strategist with a wealth of knowledge of private, public and the NGO sector.

Ngwema was recently seconded to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)to join the newly appointed National Director of Public Prosecutions (The NDPP) which was “confident that Ngwema, with the experience that he brings, will be invaluable on this challenging trajectory of rebuilding the NPA to be the independent, professional, accountable and credible institution that all South Africans can truly be proud of…”

Ngwema rose to prominence as the Head of Communication and Spokesperson of the NPA and erstwhile South Africa’s elite corruption investigative arm, the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), affectionately known as the Scorpions.

He almost single-handedly raised the profile of the two institutions becoming the most well-known public face not just of the two institutions, but of law enforcement in general in the country.

Respected by the media and his peers, Ngwema was awarded the inaugural co-Government Communicator of the Year in 2002. The following year, the most credible and independent news channel, etv, bestowed the same honour on him. He went on to represent the NPA and National Director of Public Prosecutions well at the Hefer Commission, a judicial inquiry established by the president to verify allegations against the head of prosecutions.

He left government and joined business in 2005 and subsequently joined the boards of the following entities: PA Media; Vuwa Investments; Future Digital Media Holdings; Sail; Afrifresh; Ukwanda Leisure Holdings; Siyenza Management; Chrushco (Pty) Ltd; Witdeep Sand and Stone; Benoni Sand and Buildware. He served as an independent trustee at Old Mutual Foundation and Mutual and Federal Foundation.

Ngwema gave strategic communication and reputation management to prominent personalities and private institution through the company he headed, Ngwema & Associates.

He started his career at the now defunct People’s Express community newspaper in Cape Town after qualifying as journalist. Subsequently, he joined the advertising department of Sanlam, later became an internal communications manager at Protea Assurance. He left Protea for Idasa and later joined parliament as media officer for the National Councils of Provinces (NCOP).

In 1998 he became one of the three first people, initially seconded by parliament to assist, to join the newly appointed head of the NPA to establish his new office.

Ngwema joined the Competition Commission in September 2016 as the Head of Communications.