The Land Bank has appointed Andrew Makenete as its chief strategy officer with effect from 28 September it said on Tuesday.

Makenete was formerly Absa's general manager for Large Business, Mpumalanga province and Public Sector.

"A former Land Bank board member, Makenete has wide-ranging experience in the agricultural sector in various positions including his current positions as the President of Southern African Biofuels Association," the bank said in a statement.

He has also held numerous positions in the private sector including managing director of Decillion Agricultural Services, director of ECIAfrica, and CEO of NAFU.

Makenete was also past deputy chairman of the Agricultural Business Chamber and chairperson: Maize Trust.

The Land Bank said Makenete held a Masters of Science Agricultural Management degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Bachelor of Science Agricultural Economics from the North Carolina A&T State University.

"Makenete will be responsible for the new Strategy Unit, AERIS as well marketing and communications," the Land Bank said, adding that it was excited that Makenete had joined the organisation as it moved from the stabilisation to the sustainability phase of its strategy.

"He will add a lot of value as we begin to chart the future direction of the Bank for the next couple of years," Land Bank's CEO Phakamani Hadebe said.