President and Chairman, Central Region
Guru Redhi
Guru has been in the bookselling industry since 1968, when he took over the family business in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal and changed its core focus to bookselling.
Guru has been an active member in the KZN business community and has been involved the Tongaat and Durban Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
He was elected Chairman of the then Associated Booksellers of South Africa (ABSA) KwaZulu-Natal in 1985 and has been on the executive committee of SABA since its inception in 1998. Guru is now three years into his second term as SABA’s President.

Vice President and Chairman, Southern Region
Hentie Gericke
Hentie Gericke did some time at Trust Bank and Total Oil Company amongst some teaching stints before finding his niche in the book industry with Naspers 19 years ago. Until very recently, Hentie was the regional manager for the Southern Provinces at Afribooks. In August this year, however, Hentie started his own business called 24 / 7 Boeke / Books. Hentie has been on the National Executive since 1998. Hentie acted as President in between Guru’s first and second term, and has now been Vice President for 3 years

Secretary and Chairman, General Trade
Peter Adams
Peter is a third generation bookseller and joined the family business as soon as he had finished his first degree at the University of Natal. While working at Adams Bookshop in West Street Durban, Peter continued to study, adding a B. Comm. to his BA and also studying botany and history when he had the time. With Peter, the family business grew from a single shop entity to a group of seven specialist bookshops in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town. Peter joined the executive1998 and has been secretary ever since.

Honorary Treasurer and Chairman, Academic
Dirk Uys
Dirk Uys entered the Bookselling trade in 2003 when he joined the Van Schaik Bookstore chain. Prior to this, Dirk spent many years with Media24 in their newspaper division as Marketing Manager at the daily, Beeld, in Gauteng. He holds a B. Mil degree from the US as well as an MBA obtained at the North West University. Dirk joined the executive in 2005 and has been honorary treasurer since then.

Chairman, Libraries
Maureen Hargraves
Maureen had an early start in the book trade, joining Pilgrims Booksellers in 1963. In 1976, together with Philip Joseph (then of Exclusive Books Hilbrow), she opened the first Cape Town Branch of Exclusive Books. In 1996, Hargraves Library Service was launched as a specialist library supplier, and Maureen was joined by her son Richard a year later: he opened a Hargraves branch in KwaZulu-Natal. Hargraves later acquired Books Only in Gauteng. Maureen was president of ABSA (Associated Booksellers of South Africa) for nine years and is an honorary life member of SABA. She has served as a member of the SABA Executive in various capacities since its launch.

Chairman, Education
Joseph Klassen
Joseph Klassen entered the bookselling & stationary trade in 1973 with Premfare / Paperbacks and Octo Booksellers in Athlone. He is co-owner of Rynew Educational Enterprises since 2000. Joseph was a member of SABA from 1978 – 1982 and rejoined again in 2003. He has been on the executive since 2005.

Chairman, Eastern Region
Clifford Vazi
Clifford Vazi is a teacher by profession. After working as teacher for a number of years, he became an inspector and then a director of education in the former Ciskei. In 1995 Clifford started Khulani Bookshops, which is a business that has grown to be one of the most respected black owned bookshops in East London. Clifford joined SABA in 2005 in a move to begin interacting more seriously with the major role players in the industry. This is his first year as a member of the executive, and he plans on using the position to make a contribution to society

Chairman, Northern Region
Caroline Nixon
Carline has been with Edcon since 1986, although she did have a bit of a break from 1990 – 94. Caroline has extensive buying and planning portfolio experience mostly on the fashion side of the business. When Edcon procured CNA in 2002, she moved across as the Divisional Buying Manager of the Stationery, Toys, Gifting and Photographic Division. Then two and a half years ago was moved across into the Book and Newsstand Division. Caroline sees herself as a vivacious, friendly, and honest extrovert. “I am always on the lookout for new challenges. The Reading division has definitely offered me excitement and some interesting challenges over the past two years. I am a person who strives to balance work with home life and friends. I enjoy traveling and getting out of Johannesburg over weekends to recharge my batteries for the week ahead.”

SABA National Manager
Frikkie Nel
Frikkie Nel began his career in the booktrade when he joined Nasionale Boekhandel in Port Elizabeth in 1965. He managed branches in Umtata, Durban and Johannesburg before becoming National Marketing Manager of Van Schaik Bookstore, and later Manager of Nasionale Boekhandel Wholesale (Now On the Dot). He retired in 2004. Frikkie joined SABA in 2004 as National Manager although he had been on the National Executive since its inception in 1998 – and before that on the Associated Booksellers of South Africa (ABSA) Central Council from 1983.