Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, May 2026 — Palesa Ntoagae has been appointed as Chief People Officer: Personal and Private Banking Pan-Africa at Absa Group, marking a strategic move by the organization to strengthen its human capital leadership across the continent.
In her new role, she will lead the people agenda for Personal and Private Banking across Africa, focusing on talent, culture, and leadership depth—critical levers of competitive advantage in today’s evolving financial services landscape.
Palesa Ntoagae joins Absa Group from Old Mutual Insure, where she served as Executive: Human Capital and Facilities Management, leading the organization’s people strategy and facilities portfolio.
Prior to this, she held the role of Human Resources Director at the JSE, Africa’s leading stock exchange, where she led HR transformation initiatives in a highly complex and regulated environment.
She spent close to nine years at Standard Bank Group, taking on multiple senior Human Capital leadership roles, including People and Culture Lead: Southern Region and Head of Human Capital: Personal and Business Banking, Africa Regions, where she drove large-scale talent and culture initiatives across geographies.
Earlier in her career, she gained consulting and HR expertise at Deloitte and KPMG South Africa, building strong foundations in human capital advisory and organizational effectiveness.
Palesa Ntoagae holds an MBA Essentials certification from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a Postgraduate Management Diploma from GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science), and a Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Commercial Law from Rhodes University.
Absa Group is a leading African financial services organization with a strong presence across multiple countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, and others.
Driven by a commitment to growth, innovation, and financial inclusion, Absa continues to build a future-focused banking ecosystem across the continent and beyond.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
