Tsogo Sun parent HCI CEO Johnny Copelyn to retire in 2028 financial year
The investment group has begun its succession plan by appointing Kevin Govender as joint CEO ahead of Johnny Copelyn’s planned departure.
South Africa.- Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI), the parent company of South African casino and hotel operator Tsogo Sun, has announced that its chief executive Johnny Copelyn will retire during the group’s 2028 financial year after nearly three decades at the helm.
The company said Copelyn has informed the board of his plans, with long-serving executive Kevin Govender appointed co-chief executive from HCI’s upcoming annual general meeting to facilitate an orderly leadership transition.
Govender joined HCI in 1997 and was appointed an executive director in 2000. He served as chief financial officer between 2001 and 2019 before taking on other senior leadership roles within the investment group.
In HCI’s 2026 integrated report, Copelyn said Govender’s long tenure with the company gives him a strong foundation to lead the business through its next phase.
Copelyn has led HCI since 1997, overseeing its growth into a diversified investment group with interests across gaming, hospitality, media, transport and energy. In addition to its controlling stake in Tsogo Sun, HCI holds significant investments in Southern Sun, eMedia Holdings, Frontier Transport Holdings, Deneb Investments, Platinum Group Metals and Africa Energy, as well as several privately held businesses.
The group is currently valued at around R14.4bn (US$886.7m) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, reflecting its expansion under Copelyn’s leadership from a relatively small listed investment company into one of South Africa’s largest diversified investment groups.
