Leadership

Key people and their roles

Tropic is led by an experienced executive team that combines deep industry knowledge with professional governance discipline.

Executive Leadership

The team steering Tropic Plastic

Ismail Simjee

Chief Executive Officer

Ismail leads the business from a strategic perspective and is the public face and cultural steward of the organisation, consistently championing Tropic’s founding values of quality, service and employee wellbeing. In 2025 he was recognised as Business Person of the Year by the Minara Chamber of Commerce.

Yasmin Essop

Chief Financial Officer

Yasmin oversees financial management and procurement, ensuring Tropic’s financial controls and commercial disciplines underpin the company’s growth ambitions.

Shanay Singh

Chief Operations Officer

Shanay focuses on operational efficiencies, new product development, commercial growth and merger & acquisition activity — a key driver of Tropic’s strategic evolution.

Mohamed Ganey

Operations Executive

Mohamed drives the day-to-day operational performance of the organisation, ensuring production targets, quality standards and delivery commitments are consistently met.

Blake Walker

HR & Compliance Executive

Blake integrates HR, legal and governance practices to enhance workforce performance and manage risk — a critical function in a company of Tropic’s complexity and regulatory profile.

Kolden Suttle

National Sales & Marketing Director

Kolden drives commercial strategy and key account management, maintaining and growing Tropic’s relationships with blue-chip clients across South Africa.

Board & Founding Family

Governance with institutional memory

The Board includes representation from Nedbank Private Equity, the Mineworkers Investment Company, and the founding Bhabha family — represented by Fazel Bhabha, an industry stalwart who provides continuity and institutional memory. This blended governance model ensures both strategic ambition and a deep respect for the culture on which Tropic was built.