Our Team
The AEDS’ Board is made up of nine (9) polished professionals whose roles are to provide strategic guidance and oversight with a view to foster good governance and sustainable growth. The Board is made up of Dr Farai Matanhire (Chairman), Ms Latifa Kassim (Vice Chairperson), Dr Wonder Muchabaiwa, Mrs Abigail Nyahangare, Dr Nelson Chanza, Professor Laurine Chikoko, Professor Gift Mugano (Executive Director), Dr Tonderai Kapesa and Ms Rumbidzai Mashayahanya.
Dr Farai Matanhire is an accomplished international finance and administration executive with over 25 years of professional working experience in manufacturing, mining, FMCG, banking, technology, and media Industries. A corporate strategist and organisational performance advocate who develops and implements strategic and operational business policies and procedures. His wealth of experience was gained from working in Tobacco, Cement, FMCG and Media & Entertainment industries for reputable Stock Exchange-Listed companies that include BAT, Saralee H&BC, Lafarge, Dangote and Zimpapers. Over the years, he occupied various roles that had responsibilities in Finance and Accounting, Marketing, Performance Management, Legal, Administration, Supply Chain and Information Technology. He has been exposed enough to better understand the need for global competitiveness in a highly volatile global economy to ensure sustainable organisational performance. Over the years, he has been instrumental in some business re-engineering processes, total quality management systems and application of the Balanced Scorecard performance management tool to drive organisational performance. Therefore, the opportunity for competitiveness to maintain market dominance is my focus area as an executive to ensure the future growth of the organisation. Dr Matanhire hold Doctor of Philosophy degree in Corporate Strategy from Nelson Mandela University and other several qualifications which inter alia include MBA, B.Com, IoDSA, CA(ZA), FCMA, FIAC and ACTA.
Ms. Latifa Kassim is a Banking executive with over twenty years of experience. She is currently the Executive Head of Treasury, Marketing, and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank Zimbabwe Ltd. She holds a BSc. Honours in Economics, a Master of Science in Economics, and a Masters in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Zimbabwe. Latifa is also a holder of a Nedbank-Gibbs (University of Pretoria) Leadership Development Certificate and holds other Banking, Treasury-specific, and Leadership certifications. Latifa is the immediate past Chairperson of the Treasurers Forum under the Bankers Association and also a member of the CZI Macroeconomic Committee. She actively contributes to key policy issues that affect the country, providing input in Monetary and Fiscal Policy formulation. She is Christian, a proud wife, and a mother. Latifa’s dedication to her profession and her community is evident in her active involvement in various fora and her commitment to mentoring the next generation of leaders. Her contributions to the banking sector and her efforts to support and uplift vulnerable groups make her a respected and influential figure in her field.
Professor Gift Mugano (PhD) is a Professor of Economics and author with over 20 years of experience working on public policy, international finance, innovative finance, investment climate reforms, investment prospectus, regional integration, industrialisation master plans, special economic zones, value chain & trade analysis and academic work. He has consulted for the Governments of Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe; over 60 private sector companies and international organisations including the World Bank; United Nations; UKAID, BRICS; FAO; ILO; USAID; GIZ; National Opinion Research Centre at the University of Chicago (USA); GFA Consulting Group (Germany); Integration Consulting Group (Germany); COMESA; British Council; Adam Smith International (UK); IMC Worldwide LTD (UK); Cardno Emerging Markets (Belgium); KPMG (UK); Palladium Group (UK); Ecorys (UK); Syngenta (Switzerland); National Research Fund (SA); Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (Tanzania); Laws Africa (SA); and Transparency International Zimbabwe. He has published over 60 articles & book chapters with international peer reviewed journals and six (6) books with renowned international publishers [i.e., Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature and AOSIS]. Professor Mugano has supervised seven (7) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees to successful completion and examined 14 PhDs and several postgraduate theses. Over the years, he represented his country at various forums on trade negotiations, investment missions and conferences abroad (Heads of State and Government Summits, Council of Ministers, Senior Officials of Trade and Technical Committees) at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels in Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Botswana, China, South Korea, India, Tanzania, Thailand and Cameroon. Over the years, he acted as an external examiner for the University of Cape Town, University of Namibia, University of Western Cape, University of South Africa, North-West University, Durban University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, University of Zimbabwe and National University of Science and Technology.
Nelson Chanza (PhD) holds a PhD in Environmental Geography, MSc in Environmental Policy and Planning, and BSc Honours in Biological Sciences. He once served as Director (Non-Executive) in the Environment Management Board, responsible for giving policy directions to the operations of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and to advise the Minister responsible for the environment in Zimbabwe. With country experience in Zimbabwe and South Africa, Nelson has greatly contributed towards advancing the knowledge of climate change, environmental and disaster mainstreaming in development programmes. He draws expertise from over 15 years of research and training in these fields, including poverty alleviation focused projects. He has knowledge and experience in participatory mapping and vulnerability assessment for managing adaptation barriers associated with environmental stress and climate change in Africa. He has participated in international and national development programmes in the fields of poverty alleviation, climate change adaptation, environment management and disaster management, including: 1) Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Managing Climate Change in Southern Africa, a project sponsored by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Wageningen, The Netherlands; 2) Development of Zimbabwe National Climate Policy, responsible for cross-cutting issues, a project supported by COMESA/UNICEF/UNDP; 3) Development of the Zimbabwe Youth Development Report, for the Zimbabwe Youth Council and co-sponsored by the African Capacity Building Foundation & UNFPA; 4) capacity building for CCARDESA staff on Monitoring and Evaluation of Agricultural Research and Development Projects as a co-consultant in Johannesburg, South Africa, targeting participants from Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique; 5) Capacity building for disaster management planning and risk reduction for UNICEF-Nigeria and government officials under the aegis of UNICEF; and many other development projects. Given the climate and environmental sensitivity of livelihoods targeted in this programme, Nelson will be responsible for environment, climate change and disaster mainstreaming.
Professor Laurine Chikoko (PhD) is distinguished scholar, with an established research and publication record in economics with over thirty articles in peer reviewed journals. Professor Chikoko has over 20 years of experience in administration of research grants, consultancy work and policy advisory. Currently, she is the Executive Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe and her key responsibilities include managing the entire research portfolio at the institution; ensuring ethical conduct in research; intellectual property and patent applications; research grants administration and training facilitation. Professor Chikoko has done consultancy work for international organizations such as Hand in Hand Zimbabwe and Sweden, Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Government of Canada (RoadMAPP). She has researched and produced technical and policy documents for these organizations. Over the years, Professor Chikoko acquired research skills that include: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research methodology; qualitative data analysis that uses computer-based software for analyzing qualitative data; research instrument construction; field-based data collection; report writing; presentation; project management and program evaluation. In the context of academia, government and industry collaborations, Professor Chikoko continues to make prolific and invaluable contributions to national policy formulation and reforms. She has distinguished herself academically by training and examining PhD scholars regionally and internationally. Outside the academic sphere, Professor Chikoko is a Board Member of the CEO Africa Round Table and participates in programs on economic policy issues run by international bodies such as Wilton Park (an executive agency of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office providing a global forum for strategic discussions) and she has been appointed recently as the Advisory Board Chair for Transforming Rural Agro-enterprises and Livelihoods Organisation (TRALO).
Tonderai Kapesa (PhD) is a seasoned accounting academic and financial sector specialist with over 16 years of diverse experience spanning higher education, credit analysis, and banking operations. Dr Kapesa hold a PhD in Accounting (Nelson Mandela University), Master of Commerce in Accounting (Midlands State University) and BCom Accounting (Chinhoyi University of Technology). In his PhD thesis, he developed a framework for public infrastructure financing, he possesses deep technical expertise in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), financial reporting, management accounting, treasury management, and corporate governance. Currently, serving as a Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, he bridges the gap between theoretical accounting frameworks and practical financial applications, drawing from his significant industry tenure as a Supervisor and Treasury Operations clerk in Zimbabwe. Beyond his core teaching and research portfolio, Dr. Kapesa has assumed significant leadership roles, having served as the Chairperson of the Department of Accounting and Finance and Acting Dean at the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University. His professional influence extends across the SADC region, where he actively serves as a Peer Reviewer and Chair of accreditation panels for the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Namibia. He is a key contributor to the standardisation of financial education, acting as an External Examiner for KwaZulu Natal University, the Institute of Bankers Zimbabwe (IOBZ), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Zimbabwe) and Gwanda State University, while also engaging in high-level capacity building for institutions such as the Parliament of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions.
Mrs Abigail Nyahangare is an accountant by profession with over 20 years of experience in financial accounting and overall management as head of finance. She is Grants and Finance Director at AEDS. She worked as a Bursar/Finance Director at Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU). She has worked extensively for 6 years in Forward in Faith Church with its various entities around the globe and has successfully pioneered in setting up financial systems in over 20 nations amongst them, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other nations. She was the team leader in setting up the accounting system (SAP) at the FIF Head office in Zimbabwe. She has managed various church projects, amongst them is a project that was worth more than US$10 million that has seen one of the remarkable University’s in Zimbabwe (ZEGU) being constructed with good infrastructure and a full backup of solar system. She manages and approves over 30 bank accounts of the Forward in Faith church in Zimbabwe. She acquired 10 years of experience at PG Industries in financial accounting reporting and was part of the team leaders in setting up the accounting system (Navision). Abigail hold a B Compt in Financial Accounting (University of South Africa, UNISA) and currently studying Master of Business Administration majoring in Finance (Midlands State University, Zimbabwe). She successfully managed COVID-19 related grants amounting to US$300,000 and US$24,000 with Nottingham University (UK) and National Research Fund (NRF), respectively.
Rumbidzai Mashayahanya is an award-winning journalist, strategic communications expert, governance practitioner and peacebuilding advocate with more than fifteen (15) years of experience spanning print, broadcast, electronic and digital media. She has worked with some of Zimbabwe’s leading media institutions including the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group (Zimpapers), various private media houses and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. She has also worked within the civil society sector as a Communications Specialist, contributing to strategic communication programming, policy communication and development-focused public engagement. Rumbidzai is a holder of a Bachelor of Social Science Honours Degree in Media and Society Studies from Midlands State University, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Governance from Africa University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from Makerere University (Uganda). She is a certified Data Journalist from Rhodes University (RSA), a certified Leadership Trainer from the Julius Nyerere School of Leadership (Uganda), an IEP Ambassador with the Institute of Economics and Peace (Australia) and a certified Mediator with Mediators Beyond Borders. These qualifications reinforce her expertise across governance, leadership, communication strategy, peacebuilding and conflict mediation. She has spoken on various international and regional platforms on public relations ethics, greenwashing and corporate social responsibility, leadership communication and media professionalism. Rumbidzai has also served on several institutional boards as a media specialist, demonstrating strong governance capability and advisory expertise. Passionate about media development and professional standards, she continues to champion the welfare and rights of journalists while mentoring young and emerging practitioners in journalism and communications. Bringing a unique blend of communication intelligence, governance insight, leadership grounding and peacebuilding experience, Rumbidzai strengthens the AEDS Board’s capacity to advance impactful development communication, policy engagement and evidence-driven socio-economic transformation across Africa.
Dr. Muchabaiwa is a Sociologist and an educationist who has worked with communities on different livelihood projects. Currently, he is a lecturer in the Department of Policy Studies and Leadership with Midlands State University. He has published on the circumstances of women in economic development issues in African societies. Dr. Muchabaiwa has also published articles on Education and development with particular focus on the informal sector, the curriculum, Mentorship in Education and gender issues in education. He is a distinguished academic and scholar with vast experience in Teacher Development and Gender Studies. To date Dr. Muchabaiwa has published more than 15 articles in refereed journals. In AEDS, Dr. Muchabaiwa brings in an educational dimension to development considering the symbiotic relationship between education and development. He also enriches the team composition by bringing a sociological background amenable with development issues. Dr. Muchabaiwa has participated in the Market survey on Food Provisions in Masvingo, Manicaland and Matebeleland provinces in Zimbabwe sponsored by USAID. He holds a PhD in Sociology, MSc Sociology and Social Anthropology, MEd, Sociology; Ed and DipEd.
Professor Gift Mugano (PhD) is a Professor of Economics and author with over 20 years of experience working on public policy, international finance, innovative finance, investment climate reforms, investment prospectus, regional integration, industrialisation master plans, special economic zones, value chain & trade analysis and academic work. He has consulted for the Governments of Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe; over 60 private sector companies and international organisations including the World Bank; United Nations; UKAID, BRICS; FAO; ILO; USAID; GIZ; National Opinion Research Centre at the University of Chicago (USA); GFA Consulting Group (Germany); Integration Consulting Group (Germany); COMESA; British Council; Adam Smith International (UK); IMC Worldwide LTD (UK); Cardno Emerging Markets (Belgium); KPMG (UK); Palladium Group (UK); Ecorys (UK); Syngenta (Switzerland); National Research Fund (SA); Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (Tanzania); Laws Africa (SA); and Transparency International Zimbabwe. He has published over 60 articles & book chapters with international peer reviewed journals and six (6) books with renowned international publishers [i.e., Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature and AOSIS]. Professor Mugano has supervised seven (7) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees to successful completion and examined 14 PhDs and several postgraduate theses. Over the years, he represented his country at various forums on trade negotiations, investment missions and conferences abroad (Heads of State and Government Summits, Council of Ministers, Senior Officials of Trade and Technical Committees) at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels in Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Botswana, China, South Korea, India, Tanzania, Thailand and Cameroon. Over the years, he acted as an external examiner for the University of Cape Town, University of Namibia, University of Western Cape, University of South Africa, North-West University, Durban University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, University of Zimbabwe and National University of Science and Technology.
Nelson Chanza (PhD) holds a PhD in Environmental Geography, MSc in Environmental Policy and Planning, and BSc Honours in Biological Sciences. He once served as Director (Non-Executive) in the Environment Management Board, responsible for giving policy directions to the operations of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and to advise the Minister responsible for the environment in Zimbabwe. With country experience in Zimbabwe and South Africa, Nelson has greatly contributed towards advancing the knowledge of climate change, environmental and disaster mainstreaming in development programmes. He draws expertise from over 15 years of research and training in these fields, including poverty alleviation focused projects. He has knowledge and experience in participatory mapping and vulnerability assessment for managing adaptation barriers associated with environmental stress and climate change in Africa. He has participated in international and national development programmes in the fields of poverty alleviation, climate change adaptation, environment management and disaster management, including: 1) Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Managing Climate Change in Southern Africa, a project sponsored by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Wageningen, The Netherlands; 2) Development of Zimbabwe National Climate Policy, responsible for cross-cutting issues, a project supported by COMESA/UNICEF/UNDP; 3) Development of the Zimbabwe Youth Development Report, for the Zimbabwe Youth Council and co-sponsored by the African Capacity Building Foundation & UNFPA; 4) capacity building for CCARDESA staff on Monitoring and Evaluation of Agricultural Research and Development Projects as a co-consultant in Johannesburg, South Africa, targeting participants from Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique; 5) Capacity building for disaster management planning and risk reduction for UNICEF-Nigeria and government officials under the aegis of UNICEF; and many other development projects. Given the climate and environmental sensitivity of livelihoods targeted in this programme, Nelson will be responsible for environment, climate change and disaster mainstreaming.
Professor Hlalefang Khobai (Ph.D) is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Johannesburg. He has over ten (10) years of comprehensive expertise in policy advisory, consulting, and academic work. He is a respected scholar and global authority on energy economics and environmental issues. Using various economic modelling and simulation, he has published several articles in international journals and local journals on renewable energy usage. Professor Khobai supervised two (2) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees to successful completion and other several postgraduate students in the field of Economics and Bussiness Administration; and examined six (6) masters theses and several postgraduate theses. He has consulted for the Government of South Africa under the department of Human Settlement (DoHS) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on the issues of climate change.
Dr Richard Kamidza, an Independent International Development Consultant, holds a BSc (Honours) Economics (University of Zimbabwe), MA in Policy Studies (Southern African Regional Institute for Policy Studies, an Associate of the Universities of Fort Hare and Zimbabwe), and PhD in Development Studies (University of KwaZulu Natal). He has more than 27 cumulative years of working experience in the Eastern and Southern Africa’s regional integration processes (COMESA, EAC, SACU and SADC), focusing mainly on bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiations, and the implementation of trade agreements thereof; trade issues and trends, and trade and regional integration analysis; institutional capacity development and advocacy; and national and regional policy making processes. In particular, Dr Kamidza has since 2004 been working on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations between the EU, and the ESA and SADC groups, and subsequent implementation of the new bilateral trade regime, and regional and multilateral trade agreements. In this respect, firstly, he coordinated and facilitaed dialogue sessions on ESA civil society during the EPA negotiations with the EU. Secondly, as a seconded Commonwealth Secretariat’s Regional Trade Policy / Trade Advisor to the SADC Secretariat, he was directly involved in the EPA negotiations between the EU and SADC-EPA countries. Thirdly, he was directly involved in trade negotiations and building the technical negotiation capacities of government officials and non-state-actors (NSAs) representatives; and convening and/or facilitating EPA policy dialogue sessions on trade and industrial policy formulation; trade facilitation including informal cross-borders and trade-related issues. Fourthly, his research interest on bilateral/regional trade and integration culminated in several authored EPA oriented publications, namely, advisory and policy briefs, policy dialogue sessions’ papers, book chapters and a book; socio-economic situational analysis reports; and related capacity building with state officials and NSAs’ trade representatives and activists. Fifthly, he worked closely with some COMESA, EAC, SACU and SADC governments’ Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) officials, Trade and Development Committee Members of Parliament, and NSAs’ representatives. Lastly, as explained below, he has been coordinating EPA trade negotiations programmes; managing Development Partners (DPs)’ funded National and regional technical assistance (TA) programmes/ projects; building/developing institutional technical capacity and skills on trade and industrial policy formulation and export competitiveness; evaluating DPs’ funded programmes and projects; and identifying and formulating trade agreement-oriented technical assistance projects.
Godfrey Chagwiza is a seasoned researcher. He has vast experience in consultancy, grant management, fieldwork, data collection, verification, cleaning and analysis. Godfrey has extensive experience in report writing and has authored over 20 refereed journal papers, more than 10 technical reports. He has been providing consultancy services for several UN agencies such as World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and developmental organisations such as USAID, NGOs, DFiD and SDC. He holds a PhD in Operations Research & Statistics, MSc Operations Research, MSc Biostatistics & Epidemiology, BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Diploma in Business Studies. Godfrey is also a Certified Analytics Professional and a Chartered statistician. In AEDS, Godfrey bring in vast experience in project management, research and knowledge management. He will be in charge with research, knowledge management, training and capacity building programmes with a view to cause replication.
A research analyst with more than 5 years of experience in data collection, data entry, data analysis, report writing, and academic research, working with different organizations including Africa Economic Development Strategies (AEDS), Bureau of Economic and Social Research (BESR), ARUP and Ruzivo Trust. Currently, studying under Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics (CMMAE) with Shared Facility for Specialization and Electives (SFSE) co-hosted with the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Primrose is a holder of Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Agriculture and Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Zimbabwe. She is studying towards a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Management with Durban University of Technology. She has done an economic profiling survey for ZimTrade, conducted econometric analysis for the Food and Nutrition Council (FNC). She carried out a survey to unpack the state of agriculture sector in Zimbabwe on behalf of Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) and Financial Gazette. She also conducted a market analysis and a food security analysis in Manicaland, Masvingo and Matebeleland North provinces under National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago and USAID, Washington DC, USA. In addition, she also did data analysis and report writing with International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in conjunction with Faculty of Agriculture at University of Zimbabwe. She also worked as an Intern-Trainee in cattle and poultry management with deRust Farm Somabhula. Throughout the years of experience, she has gained several technical skills including Economic modelling, use of statistical tools like CSPRO, STATA, SPSS and excel.
Pretty is a proactive and dedicated Economist and committed Monitoring and Evaluation specialist with experience in facilitating both local and foreign investment, implementing, monitoring investment processes and development programs that qualify to enhance industrial development and livelihood programs. She has more than 10 years’ experience on economic assessments. She has vast experience in development initiatives, particularly in the areas of trade, economic integration, and industrial development in emerging markets, and frontier economies. She has carried out evaluation projects that include Multi sectorial needs assessment to establish the needs of the community, Mid-term review, Impact Assessment and End-line evaluation with non-profit making organization. Over the years, she has provided policy recommendations to promote industrial development, designed and implemented M&E systems to monitor the effectiveness of government programs. Pretty has an advanced command of Excel and data packages like STATA, SPSS, E-VIEWS, NVivo and other research tools like Kobo Collect, ODK, etc. She holds Master of Science in Economics, Bachelor of Science in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Monitoring and Evaluation. She is a finalist of a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Management at the Durban University of Technology.
Thabani is a Programme Management, M&E and Learning professional with 20 years’ experience managing and providing technical, practical and strategic direction in areas of Food Security, integrated Agriculture, WASH, Livelihoods, Private Sector development, Economic Growth & Governance, Business Enabling Environment Programs, Gender and HIV/AIDS mainstreaming. He has used various approaches in Programme Management and M&E with a focus on Results Improvement and Knowledge gathering within a wide range of implementation approaches which include but not limited to; Issue based Programming, Participatory Market Systems Development, Value Chain Development and Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P). He has built, adapted and used Programme Management and Learning approaches that put emphasis on the use of results (evidence data) collected in real time and lessons learned to inform programming decisions and foster a Learning Culture within organisations and/or Implementing Teams. For the last three years (2017-2020), Thabani was involved in a German Government (BMZ) funded project being implemented by the Midlands AIDS Service Organisation (MASO) in Lower Gweru, Zimbabwe and Environment Africa in Kazungula, Zambia. In this project, Thabani designed the project’s combined Programme and MEL system used by both Organisations in conformation with the German Government’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) requirements guided by but not limited to the DCED standard for results measurement. He designed and led the project’s baseline study in both Zambia and Zimbabwe to finalise the designing of the overall project Logframe as well as measure and document the overall project indicators’ baseline figures. In addition, provided on-going coaching and training to both MASO in Zimbabwe and EA in Zambia in tool development, managing and implementation of the MEL system to encourage quality in data collection and ensure use of collected data to feed into programming design. He developed the project Knowledge management system which emphasised on cross learning between the two countries and adopting and implementing the best practices. He periodically conducted data quality assessments and consolidate the project performance reports from the two implementing partners in Zambia and Zimbabwe into one that is submitted to the donor (BMZ).
Tonderai Kapesa (PhD) is a seasoned accounting academic and financial sector specialist with over 16 years of diverse experience spanning higher education, credit analysis, and banking operations. Dr Kapesa hold a PhD in Accounting (Nelson Mandela University), Master of Commerce in Accounting (Midlands State University) and BCom Accounting (Chinhoyi University of Technology). In his PhD thesis, he developed a framework for public infrastructure financing, he possesses deep technical expertise in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), financial reporting, management accounting, treasury management, and corporate governance. Currently, serving as a Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, he bridges the gap between theoretical accounting frameworks and practical financial applications, drawing from his significant industry tenure as a Supervisor and Treasury Operations clerk in Zimbabwe. Beyond his core teaching and research portfolio, Dr. Kapesa has assumed significant leadership roles, having served as the Chairperson of the Department of Accounting and Finance and Acting Dean at the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University. His professional influence extends across the SADC region, where he actively serves as a Peer Reviewer and Chair of accreditation panels for the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Namibia. He is a key contributor to the standardisation of financial education, acting as an External Examiner for KwaZulu Natal University, the Institute of Bankers Zimbabwe (IOBZ), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Zimbabwe) and Gwanda State University, while also engaging in high-level capacity building for institutions such as the Parliament of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions.
Nyasha is a results-driven strategist and business development expert with over five years of proven experience in the advertising and marketing industry. She also currently serves as a Business Development Officer at African Economic Development Strategies (AEDS), where she focuses on growing the organisation's portfolio while cementing strategic alliances and partnerships. In addition, she operates in the real estate sector, where she buys, sells, and provides expert advisory services on behalf of property buyers and owners. With a strong track record of driving growth, building strategic partnerships, and developing impactful brand and business strategies, she continues to deliver value across multiple sectors. Beyond the corporate sphere, Nyasha has demonstrated exceptional leadership and governance capabilities through her service as a board member and administrator at a local orphanage. In this role, she spearheaded the development of robust policies, strengthened operational systems, and championed sustainable growth initiatives to ensure long-term organisational resilience. A seasoned gemologist with both local and international exposure, Nyasha brings deep industry expertise to her role as an Associate Lecturer at the Zimbabwe School of Mines. She is committed to nurturing the next generation of professionals by delivering high-quality training and sharing practical, research-driven insights into the global gem industry. Nyasha’s multidisciplinary background—spanning business development, governance, education, real estate, and gemology—positions her as an influential professional dedicated to creating sustainable impact and driving excellence across every sphere she serves.
Rumbidzai Mashayahanya is an award-winning journalist, strategic communications expert, governance practitioner and peacebuilding advocate with more than fifteen (15) years of experience spanning print, broadcast, electronic and digital media. She has worked with some of Zimbabwe’s leading media institutions including the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group (Zimpapers), various private media houses and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. She has also worked within the civil society sector as a Communications Specialist, contributing to strategic communication programming, policy communication and development-focused public engagement. Rumbidzai is a holder of a Bachelor of Social Science Honours Degree in Media and Society Studies from Midlands State University, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Governance from Africa University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from Makerere University (Uganda). She is a certified Data Journalist from Rhodes University (RSA), a certified Leadership Trainer from the Julius Nyerere School of Leadership (Uganda), an IEP Ambassador with the Institute of Economics and Peace (Australia) and a certified Mediator with Mediators Beyond Borders. These qualifications reinforce her expertise across governance, leadership, communication strategy, peacebuilding and conflict mediation. She has spoken on various international and regional platforms on public relations ethics, greenwashing and corporate social responsibility, leadership communication and media professionalism. Rumbidzai has also served on several institutional boards as a media specialist, demonstrating strong governance capability and advisory expertise. Passionate about media development and professional standards, she continues to champion the welfare and rights of journalists while mentoring young and emerging practitioners in journalism and communications. Bringing a unique blend of communication intelligence, governance insight, leadership grounding and peacebuilding experience, Rumbidzai strengthens the AEDS Board’s capacity to advance impactful development communication, policy engagement and evidence-driven socio-economic transformation across Africa.
Dr Carren Pindiriri has over 20 years research experience and possess vast research experience in the areas of agricultural, environmental and development economics. He is a holder of PhD in Economics from University of Zimbabwe, MPhil in Environmental Economics from the University of Oslo, MSc in Economics and BSc Economics from the University of Zimbabwe. Over the years, Dr Pindiriri worked as a consultant for the private sector, the Government of Zimbabwe and international organisations including World Bank, United Nations, SNV, African Development Bank, ODI, GIZ, and AERC, International Trade Centre and NGOs. Over the years, he worked as coordinator and a member of the national and regional technical committees on national census and IDRC survey on upscaling Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa (Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania). Dr Pindiriri is a Senior Lecture at the University of Zimbabwe and polished researcher with several publications in international peer reviewed
Godfrey Chagwiza is a seasoned researcher. He has vast experience in consultancy, grant management, fieldwork, data collection, verification, cleaning and analysis. Godfrey has extensive experience in report writing and has authored over 20 refereed journal papers, more than 10 technical reports. He has been providing consultancy services for several UN agencies such as World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and developmental organisations such as USAID, NGOs, DFiD and SDC. He holds a PhD in Operations Research & Statistics, MSc Operations Research, MSc Biostatistics & Epidemiology, BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Diploma in Business Studies. Godfrey is also a Certified Analytics Professional and a Chartered statistician. In AEDS, Godfrey bring in vast experience in project management, research and knowledge management. He will be in charge with research, knowledge management, training and capacity building programmes with a view to cause replication.
Cornelius Dube is an Economist by profession with more than 16 years of extensive research experience gained while working for different organisations in Zimbabwe, Zambia and India. Cornelius is currently working as a Senior Research Fellow at local economic policy think tank, Zimbabwe Economic Policy Analysis and Research Unit (ZEPARU). At ZEPARU, Cornelius undertakes policy research, advocacy and capacity building programmes aimed at providing evidence-based policy formulation and implementation in Zimbabwe. He is regularly involved in policy analysis with specific focus on fiscal policy, in particular, budget analysis, monetary policy and other macroeconomic policies, that is, national blueprints, industrial policy, agriculture policy, etc. Before joining ZEPARU, he worked for two years as an Economist in Jaipur, India and was later transferred to Lusaka, Zambia where he worked for CUTS International, an international NGO which focuses on consumer rights protection. Over these years, as the expert on competition policy, he was actively involved in implementing several development partners supported projects on competition policy reforms and economic regulation in more than 15 countries in Africa and Asia. As part of his work, he was involved in organising and participating in national, regional and international forums on competition policy reforms in the African and Asian countries. He also worked for the Competition and Tariff Commission as a Chief Economist and was involved in the enforcement of the Competition Act with a view to ensure fair competition in Zimbabwe. Cornelius has published widely in local and international publishing institutions. He holds a Masters of Science in Economics from University of Zimbabwe and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the same institution. He holds a PhD economics from the University of Kwazulu-Natal, in South Africa.
Dr Anyikwa is an economist and academic professional with a strong commitment to academic excellence and integrity. He has over 10 years of teaching and learning experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is currently a post-doctoral research fellow and lecturer in the Department of Economics at Nelson Mandela University. Also, he is currently serving as an external research supervisor and examiner/moderator at MANCOSA University and University of Namibia (Business School). Other previous work experiences include serving as a module developer for MSc Business College and a senior research consultant at Jupilog Consulting (PTY). Dr Anyikwa holds a Doctorate, Master and Bachelor of Commerce Honours degrees in Economics from Nelson Mandela University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Cooperative Economics and Management from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. His research interests are in the areas of financial market, investment, international trade, development economics, applied econometrics and macroeconomics. He has co-authored several research articles published in the accredited journals by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and has presented his research papers in a number of conferences both locally and internationally. He has hands-on experience in economic modelling and forecasting.
An aspiring and highly motivated Economics captain of the industry from the valley of dreams Africa University. A recent undergraduate with a BSc (Hons) in Economics Degree hungry to learn as much as possible and a strong will to succeed in the field of research. Patience worked with various organisations for the past year participating in consultancy, community development areas and grant proposal writing, researches data collection in surveys, data entry, data analysis and report writing in organizations such as Bureau of Economic and Social Research (BESR), Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU) and Africa Economic Development Strategies (AEDS). She did her undergraduate attachment at Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI Mutare) which also made her gain experience in organizing meetings and workshops, managing financial records of a company, report writing and managing company database. As a researcher for BESR, she undertook economic profiling survey for ZimTrade.
Passion driven, hardworking and committed young graduate and student of the University of Zimbabwe (UZ). Over the past four years has been involved and exposed to various research work doing tasks such as data collection in surveys, data entry, data analysis, report writing, and academic research in organizations such as BESR, ARUP, Ruzivo Trust, AEDS, NORC for USAID & IFAD. Graduated top of the class in 2018 with a BSc (Hons) Agricultural Economics and Extension Degree at the UZ and was recently the second-best student in the Shared Facility for Specialisation and Electives in the University of Pretoria organised by the Africa Economic Research Consortium (AERC). Did undergraduate farm attachment at Matopos Research Station in Bulawayo over which gained deeper understanding of farm operations and research aimed at benefiting smallholder farmers. He helped several colleagues and experts with data entry and analysis in SPSS, Stata & Excel during the BSc & MSc programs at the UZ. Prior to studying at the UZ, worked as a secondary school science teacher in rural areas of Gwanda and Beitbridge districts. Tsepeso is currently studying towards an MSc Agricultural and Applied Economics degree at the UZ with an agenda of enhancing knowledge and research skills jointly in the fields of Economics and Agriculture.
Sylvester Mupanduki is an Investment Professional and Executive of Corporate Finance at TN Financial Services, with expertise in equity research, valuation, and corporate restructuring across Zimbabwe’s capital markets. He executed the valuation of Econet InfraCo in connection with a group unbundling, acting as primary model owner under senior supervision, delivering a DCF equity valuation of c.US$1.02bn and an EV/EBITDA cross-check of c.US$777m, resulting in a blended equity valuation of c.US$924m used in EGM shareholder materials. Over the past five years, Sylvester has demonstrated exceptional analytical precision, correctly anticipating significant market shifts where others saw opportunity. His capacity to forecast corporate trajectories is best illustrated by his analysis of OK Limited in 2022. Although the company still had strong brand equity, Sylvester cautioned investors to hold capital and avoid buying more shares. He highlighted that the company’s capital allocation was misaligned — paying USD dividends and pursuing unnecessary acquisitions instead of safeguarding USD value and prioritizing supplier payments. He questioned the company’s ability to generate future value, a concern that proved accurate by 2025 when the retailer nearly collapsed, shut down acquired operations, sold assets under pressure, struggled with stock availability, and underwent a major management overhaul after a long period of severe shareholder value erosion. His foresight extends to complex mergers and acquisitions. In January 2024, Sylvester correctly predicted the failure of the proposed takeover of ZB Holdings by CBZ Bank, arguing that the deal was driven by strategic control and power motives rather than banking fundamentals. By 2025, the merger had collapsed after regulatory conditions regarding ZB Holding’s divestment from Mashonaland Holdings were rejected by CBZ Bank, validating his initial assessment of the deal's fragility. In February 2024, while Truworths Zimbabwe’s CEO was trying to sell the business for US$30 million, Sylvester published an analysis urging investors to exit to avoid a complete wipe out, warning the company was technically insolvent and worth less. He valued it at about US$1 million versus its US$1.9 million market cap. Seven months later, Truworths entered corporate rescue, and Crowe Zimbabwe valued its assets at only US$1.5 million. By January 2025, the entire business was sold to a private investor, Valfin Investments, for just US$1, wiping out shareholders completely and confirming his publicly documented predictions on X and LinkedIn. Furthermore, he challenged market sentiment regarding the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) listing of its parent company ZSE Holdings Limited in July 2025. In his publication "ZSE $14 MILLION tag: Valuation based on vibes not viability," he warned that the $13.5 million valuation was inflated. Within four months, the market corrected exactly as he predicted—the stock lost 68% of its value, plummeting to US$3.1 million by December 2025, aligning closely with its estimated intrinsic value of US$3 million. Beyond his analytical work, Sylvester is part of the team that is driving financial innovation at TN Financial Services. He is currently helping in the development of tokenization models for gold and high-value real estate assets. A respected market commentator, Sylvester contributes regularly to The Zimbabwe Independent, NewsDay, and Business Weekly. His contributions to market transparency were formally recognized when he was named 1st Runner-up for the 2024 Capital Markets Advocacy – People’s Choice Award, and again 1st Runner-up for the 2025 Best Financial Analysis Award. Sylvester is currently studying for a Master of Science in Finance and Investment at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting from Solusi University.
Dr Simbarashe Mhaka is passionate about investigating, analysis and economic research that transform the future of developing Southern African countries through the application of economic theories and statistical modelling. He enjoys making common sense to macro-economic challenges in order to make a visible difference. Dr Simbarashe Mhaka has over 3 years research experience with most focus on macroeconomics issues in the areas of International trade and Finance, Economic growth, Unemployment and Poverty. He however enjoys working in a challenging inter- and trans-disciplinary environment. He is a holder of a BCom Degree in Economics and Business Management (Nelson Mandela University, South Africa), BCom Honours Degree in Economics (Nelson Mandela University), MCom in Economics (Nelson Mandela University) and PhD Economics at Nelson Mandela university. Dr Simbarashe Mhaka has been employed as a lecturer/researcher in the Economics Department at Nelson Mandela University. As a lecturer/researcher, he was responsible for teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate modules such as Econometrics, International Economics, Macroeconomics, Economic history and Micro economics. He was also responsible with supervising and promoting academic research. He was a visiting lecturer at the Cape Business and Engineering College in Port Elizabeth. Dr Simbarashe Mhaka currently works as an Analyst in the retail sector. He has been participating in a group of researchers in the Department of Economics at Nelson Mandela University to write academic journal articles and has managed to publish over seven scholarly articles under the South African Department of Higher Education and Training accredited journals and many working papers. His research papers focus more on issues affecting international trade, economic growth, inflation, foreign direct investment, energy economics and agricultural economics. In all his years, he gained skills such as Business, Economic, Political trend Analysis and forecasting, data analysis, econometric modelling, proficient use of Eviews, STATA, Power BI, Mendeley and all Microsoft tools. Honours and Awards obtained includes Top student award (2013 & 2014 – Nelson Mandela University, Allan Gray Foundation), NRF Research Funding (2020), Team Player Award and Best Performing New comer (2020, Pick n Pay).
