About

Thabo Ngilande is a qualified and seasoned senior corporate lawyer with multi-jurisdictional experience and exposure in various areas of law. In addition to his legal qualifications, he also holds multiple science degrees in chemistry and environmental sciences. Currently, Thabo serves as a director and general counsel (head of legal) for 3M South and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a Johannesburg-based lawyer and part of 3M South Africa’s Executive and Management team.

Thabo’s role involves providing an extensive array of legal, compliance, commercial, and company secretarial services to 3M. Prior to his current role with 3M, Thabo practiced corporate commercial law at one of the largest international law firms in Sandton, Johannesburg. He has also held various in-house counsel roles and worked for the South African competition authorities (Competition Commission and Competition Tribunal). His remarkable legal career began at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, where he served as a judge’s associate in the chambers of the Former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo.

Thabo is a hardworking lawyer, highly competitive, analytical, and solution driven. He strongly believes in not only being a legal counsel, but a business partner, adding value to the business by being flexible, understanding the business and its vision, and most importantly, by providing sound, compliant, and objective legal counsel. Thabo keenly strives for integrity, mentoring, and continuous learning. He is driven by his passion to make a sustainable difference.

Thabo believes in certain principles that are reflected in his leadership practices. These include playing to win, innovation, fostering collaboration and teamwork, prioritising and executing, developing others and self, and, most importantly, acting with integrity and transparency.