Nthabiseng Moleko
Nthabiseng Moleko is a faculty member at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) where she teaches Economics and Statistics part time. She is passionate about development economics and development finance, and her mission is to alleviate poverty and bring about positive social and economic change.
As a former CEO at the Joe Gqabi Economic Development Agency (JoGEDA) and project manager and researcher at the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC), she has worked extensively in the economic development landscape. At ECSECC she has worked with regulators, policy makers, and the national and regional government, contributing to the design of economic development policies. The transition from a policy research think tank at ECSECC to a development agency enabled her to be involved in several regional projects in South Africa.
Her appointment as a Commissioner will enable her to advance the economic empowerment of women in society, with a focal point of rural and marginalised youth. The importance of education is critical and this is expressed in serving in a 2014 Ministerial Council appointment at mainly rural Ikhala TVET College in the Eastern Cape. In this context, she believes technical education and artisan skills hold the power to change the economy and future of the African child. She has also served as a non-executive director of JoGEDA, interim chairperson of the Hamburg Artists’ Retreat and member of WSU Industry Advisory Board. She currently serves to advance black economic empowerment as a National Empowerment Fund Trustee appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry.
Nthabiseng holds an Honours in Business Science (Economics) from the University of Cape Town and an MPhil in Development Finance from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. She is currently completing her PhD in Development Finance at USB. Her PhD research focuses on pension funds, savings, capital market development, the Public Investment Corporation and growth. She seeks to understand how financial development in Africa can be better used to aid economic development. She has presented conference papers locally and abroad in cities such as Accra, Zurich and Paris.
She is also an author and avid poet. She has published three books: Career Guidance and Technical Training: A solution for youth unemployment, and two anthologies of poetry (Abundant Living and Been Chasing Destiny). Since 2010, she has been actively involved in youth development mainly in rural areas and townships, using career guidance and poetry. Commissioner Moleko sits on two committees of the CGE, i.e. Information Technology and Communication as well as Education and Research.