About Us

“Ata” is a verb in Sepedi. It means “to multiply.” It can be used to express concepts like growth, prosperity and success.

Ata Capital is a leading private equity investment management firm that invests private and institutional capital in private businesses across South Africa and the broader African continent. Founded in 2012, the firm manages several funds with a strong emphasis on sustainability and long-term value creation.

We are driven by a vision to be the leading investor in private business in Africa, and fuelled by a purpose to grow and transform private businesses that will, in turn, contribute to the prosperity of their economies.

Our team of seasoned investment professionals brings deep expertise, insight, and agility to every opportunity. We have built a strong track record in private markets and take pride in our dynamic approach to investing.

Our Team

Our team is committed to  serving our investors with dedication; and contributing meaningfully to the strategies and corporate governance of our investee companies.

Lelo Rantloane

Executive Director: CEO

BSc (Eng)(Hons), University of Cape Town, Financial Risk Manager (FRM), GARP

Lelo Rantloane is the founder and CEO of Ata Capital, under his leadership, the firm has raised three funds focused on driving growth and transformation within South Africa’s private sector.

In his role as Chair of the Investment Committee, he offers strategic insight and direction, strengthening business development efforts and advancing the company’s vision for Africa.

His career includes roles at Rand Merchant Bank, FirstRand, Makalani Management Company, Morgan Stanley in London and Deutsche Bank AG in Johannesburg. He served as Chairman of The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) from 2020 to 2023.

Lelo sits on the boards of Remgro Limited, Rain Group Holdings, SLG, Masana Petroleum Solutions, Imbewu Capital Partners, Ndalamo Resources, Acrux Resources, Respiratory Care Africa. He is also a trustee of the Click Foundation.

Cebile Hlophe

Executive Director: Finance

B.Com degree (Wits University), B.Com honours (UNISA), CIMA, CA(SA), Professional certificate in Tax Advisory and Opinions (The Tax Faculty), Leadership Principles (Havard business School Online), Certified Director (IODSA).

Cebile has overall financial responsibility for Ata Capital and its subsidiaries, including investment support, monitoring and reporting. Her blue-chip career has seen her accumulate significant expertise in investment accounting and investor reporting, enabling her to enhance Ata Capital’s reputation for transparency and accountability. She is deeply familiar with financial management and reporting requirements in South Africa.

Cebile serves on the Board of Ata Capital, Ata Private Equity and Novasun Products. She also serves on the Stakeholders and Fundraising Committee of the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) organisation.

Sharlinee Nayager

Head: Legal, Risk and Compliance

LLB
Postgraduate in Compliance Management

Sharlinee’s essential role involves managing and identifying legal, regulatory and operational risk for Ata Capital. She is a Legal, Risk and Compliance professional with over 15 years in Financial Services including experience in Banking, Insurance and Private Equity. Her career history includes companies such as the FirstRand Group and Momentum Metropolitan Limited (MML).
Sharlinee has in-depth experience and knowledge of implementing innovative approaches to risk management, plus embedding risk-aware culture within key business areas of major corporates. Sharlinee possesses the perfect blend of expertise and experience.

Sharlinee holds a LLB Post Graduate degree from the University of South Africa and a Post Graduate Certificate in Compliance Management from the University of Cape Town.
Sharlinee represents Ata Capital on the board of Respiratory Care Africa, is Chairperson of the RCA Social and Ethics Committee as well as Chairperson of the Jachris Hose and Couplings Board and she is a member of the Compliance Institute of South Africa (CISA).

Ticha Pfupajena

Investment Principal

BCompt (Accounting Science)
ACCA (Fellow)

As a senior member of the Investments team, Ticha is responsible for overseeing investment research and analysis, acquisitions and disposals for Ata Capital. Ticha is an investment professional with extensive experience in business valuations, mergers & acquisitions, capital raising, deal origination and execution, business development, financial modelling and project management.

In previous roles Ticha has led advisory mandates for various blue-chip professional services and investment banking firms. He has significant experience advising C-suite professionals across a myriad of sectors in various locations including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

Ticha holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science and is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Mmatumelo Monageng

Senior Accountant

B.Com Internal Auditing

With over 10 years’ asset management experience in the Financial Services Sector, Mmatumelo brings a valuable skillset to our team. Prior to joining Ata Capital, Mmatumelo spent 9 years at STANLIB where she held key positions including Reconciliation Specialist, Financial Accountant and Senior Investments Accounts Specialist.

She also played a vital role in the STANLIB project team that delivered a new investment platform (Group Investment Platform/INN8) for the company’s Finance and Investment Admin teams. This saw her collaborate extensively on building, implementing and testing processes and helped hone her teamwork and leadership skills.

After completing her BCom degree at the University of Pretoria, Mmatumelo began her career as a Bookkeeper at Universal Property/Kyalami Events.

Karabo Rathokolo

Investment Analyst

B.Com Finance

As an Investment Analyst at Ata Capital, Karabo is responsible for analysis, investment research, execution and post-investment research. This is a vital role which provides the foundations for investment decisions, and ensures that we can always negotiate and invest from an informed position.

Karabo’s background in corporate finance has given her invaluable experience in mergers and acquisitions, as well as Black Economic Empowerment transactions of the kind that we specialise in.

Her level of experience and expertise makes Karabo a highly valued member of the Ata Capital team, and enhances our capacity to identify opportunities and close deals that have the potential to deliver both financial and transformative returns.

Nontokozo Luthuli

Office Manager

N4-Mechanical

Having been both an entrepreneur and bookkeeper, Nontokozo brings a deep, diverse skillset to her role as office manager at Ata Capital. Her calm, unruffled management of all our essential ancillary and support services enables us to concentrate on our core business of delivering impactful stakeholder value and engineering transformative economic outcomes.

Mbali Seaba

Office Receptionist

Mbali is a dedicated and professional Receptionist with a qualification in Office Administration. As the first point of contact at Ata Capital, she plays a key role in creating a warm, welcoming, and professional environment for all visitors and clients. Mbali is responsible for greeting guests, managing incoming calls, coordinating schedules, and ensuring seamless front-office operations. Her responsibilities also include directing visitors, maintaining an organised reception area, and overseeing stationery requirements for the office. With her positive attitude, strong communication skills, and commitment to service excellence, Mbali consistently upholds the company’s standards and contributes to an efficient and well-managed workplace.

Non-executive directors

Imogen Mkhize

Chairperson of the Board

BSc Information Processing
MBA

Recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Global Leader of Tomorrow (2001) and accredited as a Chartered Director (IoDSA, 2013), Imogen brings extensive governance insight and board leadership experience across diverse industries.

A former Chair — and current director — of The Ethics Institute, she subscribes to ethical, transparent, and accountable governance. She also champions digital innovation, advancing Ata Capital’s use of secure, technology-enabled platforms that streamline board information flows, elevate decision-making, and support effective oversight of portfolio performance.

Mochele Noge

Chairperson of the Audit
and Risk Committee

Member of the Investment Committee

B.Com (Econ), H Dip (Corp Law), Hons (Acc), PGD (Tax Law), PGD (International Tax), M Com (SA and International Taxation), LLB, CA (SA)

Mochele Noge is the Managing Director of Gioberti Investments, primarily focusing on project management and business development, alongside other important directorships. An experienced chartered accountant, valuer and modeller, he was appointed as a Member of the Tax Court by the President of South Africa.

Mochele is a member of the Institute of Directors of South Africa (IoDSA) and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Kevin Harris

Non-Executive Director

B.Com Honours in Finance & Economics

Kevin began his career at Old Mutual in its specialised finance division, working on the interest rate and scrip lending desk, before joining Rand Merchant Bank’s equity proprietary trading unit in South Africa and London.

A Level III CFA candidate, Kevin now manages a portfolio of private investments across listed assets and private equity, with a focus on opportunities in the technology, telecommunications, and energy sectors across Africa.