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Mavimbela will mainly be in charge of driving a continental expansion strategy.
"In particular, he will oversee our current growth into the rest of Africa and drive business strategy development for both Mvelaphanda Holdings and the Mvelaphanda Group," said Mvelaphanda chairperson Tokyo Sexwale.
Mavimbela joins the company with extensive experience from working in government and with what appears to be a keen interest in the continent.
Working in the background, as he puts it, was perfect for his job in intelligence. His new job will demand that he enters into direct negotiations, boardroom discussions and engaging extensively with political principals, he says.
As group executive director of business strategy at Mvelaphanda, Mavimbela will take on a much more visible role.
"I'm really looking forward to assisting in the growth of the business, and consequently to continue playing a role in SA's transformation of the economic sector. This is a new learning environment," said Mavimbela.
The move from the public sector to the private sector took some careful thinking, he says.
Mavimbela to fashion Mvela's strategy
Mavimbela left government at the end of last year after serving four years as political advisor to the then deputy president Thabo Mbeki. He then moved on to become special advisor on intelligence and security matters to the deputy president's office.
"I did not want to retire as a civil servant... I said to myself I didn't think this was what I wanted to do. I never wanted to be a party politician, I never had the temperament for it," he said.
Joining the corporate world was somehow inevitable for Mavimbela, it was only a matter of when to make the move.
"It has always been at the back of my mind to get into the corporate sector."
The move, is, however not a complete departure from politics.
"Getting into the corporate sector for people like me is not moving out of politics," he said.
He would like to think of his new position as linked to government's broader programme on the continent.
"The success of that programme rests on two legs. It's the politics and socio-economic transformation.
"If we want the continent to be liberated politically and economically, I want to believe that one of the important economic sectors that must play a role is the South African corporate sector. The South African corporate sector must begin to identify its role in the region," he said.
Mavimbela said he will help the company to "fashion" a strategy for expansion both locally and on the continent.
