Speakers

001 - Mr Walter Odhiambo
Chief Development Policy Economist with the Operational Resources and Policies, Department of the African Development Bank -

Walter Odhiambo is Chief Development Policy Economist with the Operational Resources and Policies Department of the African Development Bank. He has previously worked for the Agriculture and Agro-industry department
of the same bank and has extensive experience in the formulation and implementation of rural development projects. He also has extensive experience in policy research and analysis at both international and national levels. His areas of research included regional trade, agricultural trade and financing and poverty analysis. Walter Odhiambo is a Kenyan national with a PhD in agriculture and rural development from the University of Hohenheim, Germany and a MA …

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002 - Malungisa Eric Zwane
Fund Manager: Rural and Community Development Fund, National Empowerment Fund -

Mr. Eric Zwane is the Rural & Community Development Fund Manager at the National Empowerment Fund. He previously worked for the KZN Growth Fund where he was responsible for the Power, Manufacturing, Bulk Infrastructure and Tourism projects of the Fund. He was also instrumental in designing the operational strategies as well as the policies and procedures of the Growth Fund. Eric has experience which spans over 15 years, the
majority of which was spent with financial institutions. He possesses a Masters of Science (MSc.) degree from the University of North Texas – USA.

He also holds a BA degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of …

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003 - Mr Stefan Conradie
Chief Directorate Rural Development: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Government -

Agricultural Relationship Manager – ABSA bank – 2 years
Marketing Manager – Fruitways fruit exports – 4 years
Product Manager SA Pome and Stone fruit – Hortgro Services – 3 years
Currently Chief Director Rural Development Western Cape Government
 

Tertiary qualifications
• Hons. B. Agric Admin – University of Stellenbosch –completed in 1998
• MBA – University of Stellenbosch – completed in 2008



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004 - Dr Chan Makan PhD, MBA, BSc, BPhil
Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Foundation -

Academic training in South Africa, United Kingdom and United States. Between 1971 and 1993, worked in the private sector, in industries ranging from synthetic fibers and yarns, tires and rubber to petroleum, in senior management positions. From 1994 to the present, worked in the non-profit (NPO) sector as chief executive of various organizations. Has also provided voluntary and consultative support to other NPOs. Most work since 1994 has been aimed at ameliorating the consequences of poverty through addressing issues relating to health, substance abuse, lack of sporting activities and recreational facilities, job creation and entrepreneurship …

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005 - Prof Gerhard Coetzee | General Manager
Inclusive Banking, ABSA & Director: Centre for Inclusive Banking in Africa, University of Pretoria -

Prof. Gerhard Coetzee (PhD Agric Econ, UP) is the General Manager:Inclusive Banking at Absa (the largest bank by number of customers in South Africa, owned by Barclays PLC) and founder and Director of the Centre for
Inclusive Banking in Africa at the University of Pretoria. He is also an Extraordinary Professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development at the same University where he established the first focused academic rural and agricultural finance programme in Southern Africa. At Absa he led the team that conceptualized, designed and established the Micro Enterprise Finance Unit, a first for commercial banks in
the region. He …

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006 - Mr Mike de Klerk
Agricultural and Rural Finance Consultant, FinMark Trust -

Mike has an M.A. (Economics) from UCT, where he also taught Economics. His consultancies as a lecturer focused on land reform, agriculture and rural development for the Urban Foundation, IDASA, The World Bank, the Overseas Development Agency, the DBSA, the Department of Labour and the Presidency. Subsequent positions included General Manager: R&D, Land Bank; Executive Director: Integrated Rural and Regional Development and COO, Human Sciences Research Council; Agribusiness Programme Manager, ComMark Trust and Eastern Cape Red Meat Project Manager, National Agricultural Marketing Council. Recent assignments, as an independent consultant, have been for: FAO/SADC; IFAD; the Association …

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007 - Dr Lawrence Patrick McCrystal
Director, AGRIFICA (Pty) Ltd -

Dr McCrystal is an economist with interest in Agricultural Development. He is currently the Director of AGRIFICA (Pty) Ltd. He has worked at Unilever in Durban as an Economist, Lecturer and researcher in Economics at the
University of KwaZulu-Natal and Chief Economist at IDC. He is the Chairman, CEO and or Director at various bodies and companies including; Lesotho National Development Corporation, Regional Development Corporations, Two South African Bank groups, Board of Trade and Industry, Competition Board, President`s Economic Advisory Council, Agricultural, industrial and service companies, Refilwe Community Development Project, Radio Pulpit Christian Broadcaster. He is a Trustee …

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008 - Prof. Niranjan Sahoo
Department of Rural Management: Xavier Institute of Social Service Ranchi, India -

Prof. Niranjan Sahoo specialises in the rural development domain and in Disaster Management, Livelihood Promotion & Management, NGOs Management and Corporate Social Responsibilities in particular. In his 15-years of job experience, he joined a Germany based funding agency located in Calcutta, India in 1997 as his first job and then left the organization for research (M.Phil /PhD). After completion of his research he joined the Government of Tripura’s Academic Training Institute in 2000 where he was extensively involved in grass-root level rural development training programmes. After 8 years he joined one of the renowned business schools of India namely Xavier Institute of …

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009 - Mr Chris Mkhize
Chief Executive Officer, Uthungulu Community Foundation -

Chris Mkhize is currently CEO of Uthungulu Community Foundation, a non -profit organization. He is a proven research practitioner, fund developer, speechwriter, book author, and a consultant on organization development
& management. His vast experience in management of private and public sector organisations include holding management, executive and administrative positions at various institutions such as hospital and postal services, including the University of Zululand. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Public Administration, a B. A. degree and a B. A. (Hon) degree from the University of South Africa. He has also been a member of four professional bodies: Natal Sharks Board Audit …

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010 - Mr Wellington Ntshangase
Head: Small Scale Grower - Rural Development Unit, Tongaat Hulett Sugar South Africa -

Wellington Ntshangase currently heads a Small Scale Grower Unit which is part of Tongaat Hulett’s Cane and Rural Development Unit. He is responsible for the development of small-scale growers that supply Tongaat
Hulett. He also works with land reform beneficiaries. Before joining Tongaat Hulett he co-founded a company that provided consulting, research, human resources and training services to both public and private sectors.
Before that he occupied various management positions such as Mass Housing Manager, Marketing Manager and Special Projects Manager.

He holds the following qualifications:

• Bachelor of Administration - UNISA
• Honours …

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011 - Mr Rajen Suntoo
Senior Lecturer: Sociology, University of Mauritius -

Rajen Suntoo is a full time academic at the University of Mauritius where he teaches Sociology. He undertakes extensive local travel to give talks and help raising awareness among vulnerable groups on the opportunities
available to combat poverty. He is often interviewed by journalists regarding societal problems and emerging challenges facing society. His participation in various worldwide conferences has enabled him to encounter
different cultures. Consequently, the plight of the poor has become one of his concerns. His ambition is to see a just and fair Africa, which will enable everyone, more particularly the vulnerable population, to obtain decent
jobs, quality …

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012 - Ms Mavis Mathabatha
Director, Sedikong sa Lerato Community Transformation & Director, Lammangata Moringa -

 

She was a teacher for nearly 20 years and then a businesswoman before she went back to Tooseng, the village she originating from. In 2005, she identified the community’s orphans and most vulnerable children and founded Sedikong sa Lerato Drop in Centre as a safe haven for them. She then secured funding in 2006 to implement a feeding scheme for nearly 400 orphans and vulnerable children in the village, some of those children are orphans and growing up in a child headed or granny headed households. She loves spending time with her family,catering and planning new community development projects to improve the community of Tooseng.Her major
achievements was the Director of Lammangata Moringa Project which made …

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013 - Dr Jennifer Day
Lecturer, Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning, The University of Melbourne -

Jennifer Day received her PhD in 2009 from the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work focuses on economic development in Asian, American, and Australian cities.



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