Dr Mpoti Ralephata

Dr Mpoti Ralephata,
Chief Operating Officer, University of Johannesburg

Dr Mpoti Ralephata has been Chief Operating Officer of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) since 2021. He sits on UJ's Management Executive Committee and leads the University's operations, including facilities management, infrastructure development and campus services across its four campuses.

He came to higher education from the mining and industrial sector, where he built a career in engineering, operations and large-scale project delivery. This included time at the global resources group BHP and general management roles in waste management. That background shaped one of his main initiatives at UJ: OnePMO, a single project-management office that sets one standard for how projects are planned and delivered across six operational departments.

Under his leadership, UJ has invested in sustainable and community-focused infrastructure. Projects include the grey-water recycling plant on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus and a donor-funded facility shared with the Devland community. He describes the Devland facility as proof that "institutions of higher learning and communities can have spaces to share for the benefit of all." The Vice-Chancellor has credited him with strengthening operational efficiency and advancing the University's strategic priorities.

An engineer by training, Dr Ralephata holds a BSc (Engineering) from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MBA from the University of the Free State and a Doctor of Business Administration from Heriot-Watt University. His interests include strategic management, organisational development, change management and leadership.