Board of Directors

Simon Farrell (Chairman)

Simon is a South African citizen who was based in Cape Town for about eight years as a foreign correspondent for US and UK publications. He also reported on business, crime, and lifestyle for the local press. Simon was inspired to write two books: South Africa Chic, published by Didier Millet in 2008, and Top Getaways in Southern Africa, published by Reader’s Digest in 2000. Simon's fondest SA memory is being introduced to President Nelson Mandela at Cape Town Press Club in October 1996. He is also co-founding publisher of a medium-size media and communications company in Tokyo; statutory auditor of The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan; and a director of the Japan Market Expansion Competition, William Adams Club and Animal Refuge Kansai.

Francois de Villiers (Vice-Chairman)

Francois is from Port Elizabeth and has been in Japan for over 20 years. Currently he is working in the shipping segment looking after  Japan. Linkedin profile

Mark Minter

President & CEO, PROTEA JAPAN CO. LTD. A SA national and UCT graduate, Mark has spent most of his career in the healthcare and fitness industry, successfully leading businesses, private and public, in South Africa, the UK, Europe and the USA. Mark joined the board of Protea Japan in 2015 and was appointed CEO a year later. His role focuses on consolidating Protea’s pre-eminent position in the Japanese cosmetic skincare segment, digitalisation, and product diversification within the niche Active Ageing market. His commercial leadership has been exemplified by governance, mediation, and cross-cultural integration.

Michael Hofmeyr

Linguist, Researcher, Teacher at Tokyo University of Science.  Michael is a tenured faculty member at Tokyo University of Science, where he conducts research in computer-assisted language learning, as well as teach linguistics and English for academic purposes. He holds a PhD in applied linguistics from Kyoto University and his current research focusses on the use of generative AI and digital games to improve language learning outcomes.

Paul Siljeur / Director Ex officio

Mr. Siljeur acts as liaison between the SACCJ Board and the South African Embassy in Japan.