Leader’s Angle | BRICS Prospects for South Africa and the Continent
Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development, Stellenbosch Business School, and the Alumni Association are partnering together to host a series of face-to-face thought leadership events with prominent and influential panelists.
South Africa stands at the forefront of a momentous trade revolution that will shape the future of the continent encouraging innovation and promoting the development of value-chains, thereby spurring industrialisation and job creation across sectors.
For this special Leader’s Angle event, we invite you to engage with us and our panel of experts exploring ‘BRICS Prospects for South Africa and the Rest of The Continent: How BRICS Could Be a Big Boost for The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’.
Our event promises to bring together a diverse and influential audience, fostering meaningful discussions and networking opportunities. It is also a chance to engage with our Business School’s new Acting Director, Prof Charles Adjasi.
We look forward to having you join our conversation.
In association with:
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Prof Charles Adjasi
Head of Research: Stellenbosch Business School
Prof Charles Adjasi is the acting Director of Stellenbosch Business School as from 1 November 2023.
He is currently the Head of Research and Professor of Development Finance and Economics at the Business School. He also lectured at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and University of Ghana. He was a Research Fellow at Afreximbank and has consulted for institutions such as the World Bank, UNCTAD, African Union, and the African Development Bank.
He holds a PhD from Stellenbosch University, an MPhil (Economics) and a BA (Economics and Political Science), both from the University of Ghana.
He served as Programme Head for Development Finance from 2014 to June 2017. Prior to joining the the Business School in 2011, he was on the faculty of the University of Ghana Business School from 2001, serving one term as Head of the Department of Banking and Finance in 2011. From 2007 – 2011 he was Visiting Scholar at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, USA.
Prof Adjasi has consulted for various institutions, including the World Bank, Africa Centre for Economic Transformation, the Frederich-Ebert Stiftung Ghana, the Trades Union Congress of Ghana, Investment Climate Facility for Africa and the African Development Bank. In 2016, he served on a panel of experts in the Special Commodities Unit of UNCTAD, Geneva, and facilitated for Tariffs, Trade and Regional Integration within the West African Institute of Economic and Financial Management.
Prof Adjasi is a network member of the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) Nairobi, Kenya, and the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA. His general research focus is in the area of development finance/economics in Africa, with specific interests in financial markets, FDI and growth, household welfare, firm behaviour and productivity, and international trade and development. He has published widely: 31 articles in internationally reputable journals and three monographs, also contributing five chapters to edited book volumes.
At the Business School, Prof Adjasi teaches on the Development Finance programmes, in Research Methods in Development Finance and Issues and Banking and Finance.
Sean Ellis
Senior Consultant at BMA
- BMA is focused on growing manufacturing profitably and sustainably. The majority of its focus is on the facilitation of industrial clusters for firms involved in the automotive, chemicals, clothing, textiles, footwear, leather, and furniture sectors.
- Over the last two decades, Sean has enhanced his knowledge of World Class and Lean Manufacturing as a key driver of operational excellence.
- Sean’s current portfolio at BMA is Head of Shared Learning.
- Shared Learning is focused on facilitating and leading value-adding, engaging best practice webinar, factory, hybrid and study tour events that inspire and enable improvements and learnings around the core areas of competitiveness and Green Manufacturing.
- Sean also supports the Diagnostics and Benchmarking activities of BMA, which entails undertaking assessments of manufacturing firms to identify areas requiring attention to drive improvements and support sustainable growth.
- Sean also supports the Research, Policy and Strategy unit of BMA, with recent projects focused on Energy Wheeling and identifying Renewable Energy localisation opportunities.
- Sean is also involved in additional strategic projects undertaken by BMA.
Sithembile Ntombela
Acting Chief Executive Officer: Brand South Africa
Sithembile Ntombela has been part of the Brand South Africa team for over a decade. A prolific marketer with over 22 years of marketing experience in private and public sector and has a deep understanding of the marketing and brand environments. She has extensive classical marketing experience in FMCG, global marketing, and destination (Nation Brand) marketing. A leader with the mission to innovate and improve overall company performance.
She is a prudent decision-maker and an inspiring leader that strives to build high performing teams. Sithembile has held senior managerial positions from diverse companies and her experiences include developing and implementing impactful, successful, and sustainable brand strategies. Sithembile completed her Marketing undergraduate qualification at Mangosuthu University of Technology in KZN. She later pursued and completed a Post Graduate National Diploma in Marketing and BPHIL Honours in Marketing through the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) and a Masters in Commerce (MCOM) from MANCOSA.
She is a Chartered Marketer (CM-SA) with the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA) and a member of Black Management Forum. She is also an Advisory board member the CMO Council (Sub Saharan Africa) and City Nation Place where she continues to share her insights relating to dynamics in brand and marketing world.
Suben Moodley
Senior Vice President: Corporate Services at Toyota
Suben Moodley has more than 30 years’ experience in the Automotive Manufacturing Industry, with more than half in progressive leadership roles in Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources and Corporate Affairs. The learning and development opportunities created by his career progression at Toyota have enabled him to have a deep and holistic understanding of the entire industry and value chain. His roles have afforded him the opportunity of building key stakeholder relationships across a wide spectrum, from banks, to unions, audit firms, industry bodies, local, regional and national government, academic institutions, and other Toyota affiliates globally. It has also enabled him to acquire invaluable leadership training, both locally and globally, which is continuously evolving. He represents the Automotive Industry nationally as an Officer Bearer of the Automotive Industry Employers Organization (AMEO) & National Bargaining Forum (NBF) with NUMSA, is a Committee Member of NAAMSA’s Remuneration and Transformation Committee (REMTRA) and Chair of the Durban South Business Forum under the Durban Chamber of Commerce & Industries.
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Dr Sifiso Ntombela
Special Advisor: Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Dr Sifiso Ntombela is a South African Agricultural economist specialising in Agricultural Policy and International Trade. He currently serves as the Special Advisor to Minister, Thoko Didiza, in the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Ntombela is the President for the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa. He is a former chief economist for the National Agricultural Marketing Council. He was the coordinator for the Agricultural and Agro-processing Master Plan.