Speakers

Nangamso Matebese

Special Advisor to the Deputy President of South Africa

Presidency of the Republic of South Africa

South Africa

Having started her career at the PIC, in 2005, Nangamso Maponya is an Investment Banking and Project Finance Professional at the DBSA, responsible for infrastructure projects within the Transport, Logistics and Water sectors. She has also participated in project financing and monitoring of projects in Broadband, Oil & Gas, Student accommodation, Maritime infrastructure...

Stieneke Jensma

COO: Industrial Zones Programme (IZP)
Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
South Africa

Speaker Biography...

Anne Gabathuse

Executive Manager: Business Development and Commercialisation

Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)

South Africa

Anne Gabathuse currently serves as the Executive Manager for Business Development and Commercialisation at Smart Society. With a career that spans over 13 years in the field of technology transfer, her vast wealth of experience has equipped her with an impressive skillset for managing and commercialising intellectual property...

Jackwell Feris

Director | Head: Industrials, Manufacturing & Trade Sector
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH)
South Africa

Speaker Biography...

Muzi Shange

Chief Operations Officer
Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ)
South Africa

A seasoned professional who has extensive experience in both public and private sector.
His interests and knowledge extend to energy and water infrastructure, economic development,
geomatics, and environmental sustainability.

Justice Ngwenya

Chief Director: Infrastructure
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
South Africa

Speaker Biography

Prof. Joe Amadi-Echendu

Professor of Engineering & Technology Management
University of Pretoria
South Africa

Dr Najib Somoue

Financial Analyst, Professor of Finance
Parliament of The Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco

Speaker Biography

Thobekile Gambu

Environmental Scientist
UMngeni-uThukela Water
South Africa

Thobekile Gambu is an Environmental Scientist and International speaker, Enlit Africa Municipal Forum Advisory Board Committee Member, Green Building Council Task Force member, Women Economic Assembly KZN Energy Sector Lead (an initiative by The Presidency), Vice President of the South African Youth Parliament for Water, member of the Coordinating committee for the National Water Services Science Forum...

Regina Naicker

Founder & CEO
RegiNexus
South Africa

Regina is a seasoned business and supply chain professional with over 22 years of experience in driving operational excellence, strategic transformation, and sustainable growth. Her journey has been defined by a passion for innovation, collaboration, and integrity values that underpin everything I do as a leader and mentor...

Tshepo Kgobe

CEO
Gautrain Management Agency (GMA)
South Africa

Vishaal Lutchman

Group Chief Executive Officer
GIBB
South Africa

Hon. Bareo Hassen Bareo

State Minister for Transport and Logistics
Ministry of Transport and Logistics
Ethiopia

Mounir Lymouri

Mayor of Tangier
Member of the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa
Morocco

Albert Chibi

Director & Chairman SEZ Committee
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade
Kingdom of Eswatini

Albert Chibi is an international business economist with over 20 years’ experience working as a Macroeconomist in government dealing with infrastructure development, economic & data analysis, forecasting and outlook projections Currently, Mr. Chibi is an investment climate specialist that has been helping the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini to craft policies and comprehensive reforms...

Sahale Bawazir

Managing Director & CEO

Mombasa Investment Corporation (MIC)

Kenya

Ms. Bawazir has extensive experience spanning the public sector, private sector, and international development organizations, giving her a strong foundation in strategic management and economic development. She holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Kenyatta University and a BSc. in International Business Administration (Finance) from USIU–Africa...

Maidei Matika

Chief Investment Officer

OR Tambo Special Economic Zone

South Africa

Maidei is a Strategist, Programme Manager, and Investment Facilitator with over 20 years of experience across both the public and private sectors in South Africa. Since 2014, she has served as Chief Investment Facilitator at the Gauteng IDZ Development Company, where she drives multi-billion Rand investments into the OR Tambo International Airport SEZ...

Nomvula Gulwako

Acting Chief Executive Officer

Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP)

Eswatini

Ms. Nomvula Precious Gulwako is a distinguished Chartered Accountant and transformational leader with over two decades of experience spanning finance, auditing, and strategic management. Currently serving as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) in Eswatini, she plays a pivotal role in advancing the nation’s innovation ecosystem and positioning RSTP as a key driver of economic growth...

Anne Gabathuse

Executive Manager: Business Development and Commercialisation

Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)

South Africa

Nangamso Matebese

Special Advisor to the Deputy President of South Africa

Presidency of the Republic of South Africa

South Africa

Mr. Mohamed Ali

Director - Trade in Goods and Competition

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat

Ghana

Mohamed Ali, is the Director of Trade and Competition
at the AfCFTA Secretariat. In February 2021, he was appointed to be the First Director of Trade in Goods and Competition of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. Mohamed was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Business Management from Cairo University, Egypt...

Tefelo Majoro

Head: Investment Development

Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA)

South Africa

Tefelo Majoro serves as the Head of Investment Development at the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency, where she leads efforts to attract and facilitate strategic investments into the Gauteng Province. With a mandate to position Gauteng as a premier investment destination, Tefelo drives the design and execution of trade and investment strategies that showcase the province’s diverse opportunities to global and local investors...

Stieneke Jensma

COO: Industrial Zones Programme (IZP)
Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
South Africa

Speaker Biography...

Jackwell Feris

Director | Head: Industrials, Manufacturing & Trade Sector
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH)
South Africa

Speaker Biography...

Nozipho Booi

Chief Director: Economic Development and Tourism
Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism
South Africa

Nozipho Booi is a senior public sector leader and maritime strategist currently serving as Chief Director: Economic Development and Tourism at the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism. In this role, she spearheads strategic economic programs, industrial development, and investment promotion across key growth sectors including the oceans economy, energy, special economic zones and tourism...

Dante Mashile

Head: Provincial Strategic Investment Management
KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier
South Africa

Dante MASHILE is the Head of Provincial Strategic Investment Management in the Office of the Premier and a Member of the Premier’s Economic Advisory in KwaZulu-Natal. He Group
Executive Public Affairs at pharmaceutical manufacturing company Adcock Ingram Holdings, where he was a member of the Group Executive management and the Absa Group/Barclays
Africa Group Limited among others...

Mmamose Seloane

Director: Technology Localisation
Department of Science, Technology and Innovation
South Africa

Mmamose Seloane is a seasoned educator and physicist with over two decades of experience across the public sector and state-owned entities. She currently serves as Director: Technology Localisation at the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), where she leads strategic programs to strengthen South Africa’s industrial and technological capabilities.Her career began as an educator, teaching mathematics and science before transitioning into the energy sector...

Muzi Shange

Chief Operations Officer
Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ)
South Africa

Sandisiwe Mbutuma

Managing Director
Azzaro Quantity Surveyors
South Africa

Sandisiwe's career started in 1999 as a trainee at BWR (Bathuleng Wallace Raubenheimer) in Woodmead where she gained training in commercial building projects. She joined BTKM (Bham TayobKhan & Masunda) in Greenside in 2001 where she served as a Junior Quantity Surveyor on commercial building projects and also received special training in empowerment auditing Meropa Entertainment World and Casino in Pietersburg...

Renesh Thakoordeen

Energy Storage Testbed Lead
Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
South Africa

As the Project Lead for the CSIR Energy Storage Testbed since joining in 2021, Renesh Thakoordeen plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable energy solutions. Situated within the Energy Centre, he leads initiatives at the forefront of energy storage testing, research and innovation. Renesh is dedicated to driving the development and implementation of environmentally conscious practices within the field...

Tapiwa Samanga

Group Chief Executive Officer
Production Technologies Association of South Africa (PtSA)
South Africa

Tapiwa Samanga is the Group CEO of the Production Technologies Association of South Africa (PtSA). PtSA is the organised voice of the South African Tool, Die, Mouldmaking and Special Machining (TDM) sector. Tapiwa serves on the global board International Special Tooling and Machining Association as the Africa head...

Anathi Mlungwana

Unit Head: Trade Facilitation

Coega Development Corporation
South Africa

Ms. Anathi Mlungwana is a dynamic, seasoned professional with over 16 years’ experience in trade facilitation, logistics management, and stakeholder engagement across Special Economic Zones and national logistics platforms. She currently leads a Trade Facilitation portfolio that supports investors at the Coega SEZ, strengthening regulatory compliance, and oversees logistics and warehouse operations...

Héldio Dimande

Chairman

Mozambique-South Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIMOSA)
Mozambique

Héldio Dimande, is the current Chairman of the Board at the Mozambique-South Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIMOSA), supporting local and regional private sector to develop business in Mozambique and South Africa. He holds an Honors (BSc.) in Development Economics from ISM (Mozambique), and a Master in Business Administration in Strategic Finance from the University of Liverpool (UK)...

Vishaal Lutchman

Group Chief Executive Officer
GIBB
South Africa

With over 27 years of leadership and management experience in infrastructure-related
businesses, Lutchman brings a wealth of expertise to steer GIBB towards its ambitious
goals. His primary focus as Group CEO will be to accelerate business growth, double net
profit over the next five years, strengthen GIBB’s footprint across Africa, enhance talent
development, and foster a high-performance culture...

Jared Gray

Executive Manager: Business Planning
Gautrain Management Agency (GMA)
South Africa

Jared Gray is currently the Executive Manager of Business Planning at the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA), which is the owner and manager of the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link, a USD 3billion urban rail PPP. With over 12 years experience in Professional Services and Rail related projects, Jared has gained substantial knowledge and expertise in leading major projects...

Warwick Lord

Chief Executive Officer
Cato Ridge Inland Port
South Africa

Warwick Lord is a qualified Chartered Accountant and the CEO of Cato Ridge Inland Port, where he is currently completing a 20-year project to develop the Cato Ridge
Inland Port. He also serves as the Chairman of the Multimodal Inland Port Association (MIPA). Previously, he was the Land Development Director for the Lord Trust, where he established and was appointed CEO of the land development branch, Lord Trust Developers...

Puleng Mothabeng

Associate: Tax & Exchange Control
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
South Africa

Puleng Mothabeng is an Associate in our Tax & Exchange Control practice. She is part of a predominately tax advisory, tax controversy and dispute resolution practice
in the areas of corporate income tax, individual income tax, employees’ tax and international tax. She also has transactional experience and experience in exchange
control matters...

Zeph Nhleko

Chief Economist and Group Executive: Strategy & Sustainability
Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
South Africa

Currently, the Chief Economist and Group Executive for Strategy and Sustainability at the DBSA, an adjunct professor at the University of South Africa and a member of the
South African Presidential Economic Advisory Council. Before this he served as a Deputy Director-General at the national Economic Development Department. This followed a role as a Deputy Director-General...

Justice Ngwenya

Chief Director: Infrastructure
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
South Africa

Speaker Biography

Dr. Luyolo Mabhali

Executive Cluster Manager: Future Production Manufacturing
Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
South Africa

Dr Luyolo Mabhali, Executive Cluster Manager for CSIR Future Production: Manufacturing, has over 15 years of expertise in driving innovation across manufacturing, and research. He holds two PhDs, one in Metallurgical Engineering and another in Innovation Management, as well as an MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand and Wits Business School.In his former role as a Research Group Leader...

Spha Ntombela

Senior Regional Specialist: Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Transport and Logistics
Absa
South Africa

Prof. Joe Amadi-Echendu

Professor of Engineering & Technology Management
University of Pretoria
South Africa

Lucas John Omollo

Chief Manager: ICT & Smart City Solutions
Konza Technopolis Development Authority
Kenya

Lucas is a visionary and results-driven ICT and Smart City leader with robust passion for leveraging customer-centric strategies and innovative technology solutions to drive business growth and operational excellence.
He has over 12 years of experience including 4 years in senior management in the tech industry with in-extensive expertise on software development, cloud computing, smart cities, applying emerging tech and cybersecurity...

Dr Najib Somoue

Financial Analyst, Professor of Finance
Parliament of The Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco

Speaker Biography

Rhavy Nursimulu

Founder, CEO & Chief Architect
LOGI-CONSULT
Mauritius

Rhavy Nursimulu is the Founder, CEO & Chief Architect of LOGI CONSULT, a Logistics & Trade Architecture Firm shaping Africa’s trade corridors through its three pillars — Trade & Development, Trade & Investment, and Trade Enablement — to accelerate the continent’s transition toward industrial and trade sovereignty. A Chartered Member (CMILT) of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, Research Associate at the Centre de Recherche Maritime...

Desiderio Fernandes

President
Federation of Clearing and Forwarding Associations of Sovereign Africa (FCFASA)
Mozambique

Mozambican logistics professional with more than 28 year’s experience in Logistics,
Shipping and Freight Forwarding.
Founder / Owner of a private Freight forwarding company since 2016 - Decom Limitada
FCFASA Executive Member since founding in 2006
FCFASA President since April 2020. ASANTROP - Association of Mozambique National Freight Forwarders since 2003...

Lee-Hendor Ruiters

Strategy and Innovation Manager
National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC)
South Africa

Lee-Hendor Ruiters is Portfolio Manager of Strategic Initiatives on Circular Economy and Industrial Spaces at NCPC-SA. He leads national programmes that integrate policy advisory contributions, multi-stakeholder engagement, and on-the-ground technical assistance and implementation, driving resource efficiency and climate resilience within industrial parks and special economic zones to advance South Africa’s transition to a green, inclusive economy...

Olga Mlaudzi

Infrastructure Compliance: Safety, Sustainability, Environmental and Development Analysis
Thero Services
South Africa

Speaker Biography...

Johan De Jager

Director & Chief Operating Officer
AIH Group
South Africa

Johan is the Chief Operating Officer of the AIH Group, a global collective of consulting companies and manufacturing organisations with a focus on business and industry development. He is an experienced project manager and an industry expert with more than 20 years' experience in the automotive industry in South Africa and abroad. His experience includes projects in Europe, Asia, North America...

Thobekile Gambu

Environmental Scientist
UMngeni-uThukela Water
South Africa

Jeff Blackbeard

Global Director: Sectors & Markets
Moore Global
South Africa

Jeff commenced his professional career working in the financial services, education and then management consulting sectors when joining EY in 1988. From 1995. Jeff’s focus in Deloitte as Africa Operations Director was supporting trade and investment across Africa, ME, Europe and Asia Pacific with clients and multinational business development organisations...

Thabo Sepuru

Acting Chief Operations Officer
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)
South Africa

Thabo Sepuru has more than 20 years of experience in the conformity assessment field, primarily within the testing environment. He joined the SABS 21 years ago and has progressed steadily through the ranks, spending over 12 years in senior and general management roles. He currently serves as the Acting Chief Operations Officer and is responsible for all testing operations of the SABS...

Kondwani Kaonga

Business Lead - OHS. Env & Sustainability
THERO SERVICES
South Africa

Kondwani is a technically versatile professional with a Professional Master's Degree in Management of Large International Projects (EPC) and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Engineering Geology (UKZN). Strategically leveraging this multi-disciplinary expertise, Kondwani applies a strong Strategic Business Acumen, honed through the Scaling Up Master Business Course (Growth Institute)...

Ruslan Altaev

Director: International Development
LifeDX SA
South Africa

Ruslan Altaev is the Director of International Development at LifeDX SA, a global science-based company focused on creating and localizing diagnostic technologies for low- and middle-income countries. He combines extensive experience in the medical technology and diagnostics industry with a solid professional background gained from working within management companies operating special economic and innovation zones...

Khaya Mantengu

Director - Dispute Resolution
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
South Africa

Khaya Mantengu is a Director in our Dispute Resolution practice, specializing in construction and engineering matters. Khaya has extensive experience in providing
advice and assisting clients in mediation, adjudication, arbitration and High Court matters. This experience includes several disputes involving the construction of
power stations, dams, large-scale accommodation facilities, schools, roads, mines, water and sanitation projects and smelters throughout Africa...

Thami Klassen

Director: Regional Industrial Development
Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (the dtic)
South Africa

Thami Klassen is a Director and strategic development leader currently serving at the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (the dtic) in Pretoria, where he has been driving economic development initiatives since 2010. He has built a distinguished career spanning over three decades across mining, tourism, renewable energy, and economic development sectors...

Thandeka Zondi

Founder & Managing Director
Ubukhosi Technology
South Africa

Thandeka Zondi is an accomplished Chartered Accountant and CEO with over 16 years of experience in driving financial innovation, strategic leadership, and digital transformation across multiple sectors, including short-term insurance, retirement funds, ICT, and investment management. As the founder of Thandeka Zondi and Associates, she has spearheaded impactful digital finance initiatives...

Philip Krause

Consulting Manager: Transport
Pegasys Global Consulting
South Africa

Philip is a Consulting Manager at Pegasys, a public-impact advisory group working across Africa on sustainable development and infrastructure. He is an Electro-Mechanical Engineer with an MSc in Engineering and over 14 years’ experience spanning transport planning, electric mobility, data-driven advisory work, and engineering design...

Gideon Musato

Chief Executive Officer & Software Architect
Musato Technologies
South Africa

Gideon Musato is the visionary CEO of Musato Technologies, a leading South African ICT solutions provider renowned for driving digital transformation across businesses of all sizes. With a strong background in technology leadership, innovation, and strategic development, Gideon has dedicated his career to empowering organizations with cutting-edge digital solutions that enhance efficiency, competitiveness, and growth...

Hlengiwe Mvubu

President
Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZCCI)
South Africa

Hlengiwe Mvubu is the current and second female President of the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with over 23 years of experience in both the private corporate and public sectors. Her career spans developing strategies to support business growth, driving internal and external transformation, enhancing communication, and fostering stakeholder relations across the mining, chemical, and pulp & paper industries...

Nozipho Booi

Chief Director: Economic Development and Tourism
Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism
South Africa

Nozipho Booi is a senior public sector leader and maritime strategist currently serving as Chief Director: Economic Development and Tourism at the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism. In this role, she spearheads strategic economic programs, industrial development, and investment promotion across key growth sectors including the oceans economy...