Aerospace technology company Swerfvalk has appointed Nqobile Hadebe as CEO and equity shareholder, in a move that reinforces the company’s positioning as a women-owned, women-led technology firm.
It says the appointment comes as Swerfvalk advances development of hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms and artificial intelligence (AI)-orchestrated drone ecosystems for defence, border security, environmental monitoring and critical infrastructure protection.
Established last year, by technology entrepreneur Lindiwe Matlali, Swerfvalk is a Johannesburg-based deep-tech company focused on developing and deploying hydrogen-powered, mission-ready UAVs, AI and counter-drone systems for complex operational environments.
The systems are designed for dual-use applications across defence and industrial sectors, with sustainability engineered into the architecture from inception, it states.
The company also has offices in the UK.
Swerfvalk says Hadebe, who is also a minority shareholder, is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction, making major corporate decisions, and maximising the company’s profitability and market share.
She brings more than two decades of experience across technology, corporate investment and socio-economic development.
Hadebe is the founder of Qavah Impact Investments, where she designs funding models and impact measurement frameworks for a portfolio of investment clients.
Her previous experience includes serving as corporate citizenship lead at Microsoft South Africa, where she drove local relevance strategy and led interventions addressing the ICT skills gap and youth unemployment. She previously held the role of national corporate social responsibility manager at SAB Miller.
Additional senior roles at Dimension Data, the SA Sugar Association and McCarthyreflect a career spanning commercial execution and governance leadership, says Swerfvalk.
An IT undergraduate, chartered PR practitioner and holder of a Business Administration postgraduate qualification from the University of Cape Town, Hadebe combines technical grounding with strategic communication and executive oversight.
She currently chairs the Invincible Empowerment Fund Board and serves on the boards of Experian SA, Nation Builder and LIV Village.
Structural leadership shift
Matlali describes the appointment as more than a routine executive transition.
“This is not simply a leadership appointment. It is a declaration of intent. Nqobile Hadebe carries the combination of tech literacy, social conscience and boardroom authority that this industry urgently needs. Swerfvalk was built to disrupt − and with Nqobile at the helm, we are just getting started.”
Hadebe’s equity participation positions her as an invested partner in the company’s long-term growth trajectory, notes Matlali.
“Aerospace has long been a space that did not make room for women like me,” comments Hadebe. “Swerfvalk is changing that − not just in title, but in ownership, in strategy, and in soul.
“I am proud to step into this role as CEO and shareholder, and to help build a company that proves technology can serve both national security and the health of our planet.”
Swerfvalk is currently pursuing a Series Seed investment and expanding internationally, with partnerships across the UK and Africa.
By appointing Hadebe as both CEO and shareholder, Swerfvalk signals a governance model aligned with long-term value creation, emissions reduction and inclusive leadership within aerospace − a sector traditionally dominated by legacy defence contractors, notes the company.
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