The Market Theatre Foundation Appoints New Chief Financial Officer
The Market Theatre Foundation (MTF) is excited to announce the appointment of Devi Padayachee CA (SA) as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective from 11 August 2025.
Selected from a competitive pool of candidates, Devi’s appointment signals MTF’s ability to attract the best talent in the market—illustrating our status as an employer of choice.
Devi is a high-performing chartered accountant with vast experience across diverse industries, including the public sector. Among others, she was the CFO and Acting CEO at Ekurhuleni Housing Company, successfully leading the municipal entity’s turnaround strategy, achieving clean audits, designing innovative ways for increasing revenue and cutting costs, while significantly reducing audit findings. Her excellent record at Ekurhuleni Housing Company distinguished her as an exceptional public servant with strong competencies in public financial management and a deep love for serving communities.
As an iconic cultural institution, MTF is committed not only to bold storytelling, but also good governance guided by strong internal controls, financial sustainability, creative models for revenue generation. Devi’s background in public service will ensure that the organisation maintains its healthy financial status and meets its targets, while her experience in international financial reporting will be of great value to its internationalisation efforts.
The Market Theatre Foundation’s CEO, Tshiamo Mokgadi, congratulated and wished the new CFO well in her new position, saying: “I wish Devi a great time at MTF, filled with all the joys and challenges that come with the work we do. We’re excited that throughout Devi’s illustrious career, MTF marks her first role working in the cultural industry. Her dynamic career record – especially in the public sector – is exactly what we need as we approach our 50th anniversary at the forefront of telling authentic South African stories.”
The Market Theatre Foundation is an agency of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.