Speakers

Adv. Michelle Phillips is the current Group Chief Executive of Transnet SOC Ltd and was appointed into this role effective 1 March 2024. She has 26 years’ experience in Transnet with a proven track record in business and operations improvement.

Since her appointment, Michelle has been instrumental in the stabilisation of Transnet and the positioning of the organisation for growth in a dynamic logistics environment. She has played a key role in Transnet’s navigation of complex challenges requiring proactive engagement with multiple stakeholders to build trust.

During her tenure, Transnet has successfully implemented an 18-month Recovery Plan, leading to notable operational and financial gains, including improvements in rail volumes, port performance, capital expenditure and financial performance. As far as institutional reforms and private sector participation are concerned, major milestones under her watch include the vertical separation of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) into an operating company and an infrastructure manager, marking a crucial step towards the implementation of third-party access into the country’s rail network.

Risenga Maluleke was appointed South Africa’s 2nd Statistician-General in November, 2017.

Prior to November, 2017, Mr Maluleke was the Deputy Director-General for Statistical Collections and Outreach. He has been with Statistics South Africa for over 25 years, having joined as a Manager in the Limpopo Provincial office in 1997. He was responsible for the provincial offices’ data collection for censuses and sample surveys; international statistical development and communications. Mr Maluleke has also been instrumental in International Statistical Development.

Mr Maluleke has been extensively involved in driving the Africa Symposium for Statistical Development which resulted in 50 African countries doing their Censuses in the 2010 Round of population and housing censuses and more than 20 countries having the much needed strategies on civil registration and vital statistics. He was also instrumental in ensuring that provinces are not left behind in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Dr Hubert Joynt is the Programme Manager of the Centre of Excellence at Infrastructure South Africa (ISA). He is an EXCO member of ISA. Prior to this, he joined the Presidential Infrastructure Coordination Council (PICC) Technical Task Team. He also served in many senior and executive management positions in the consulting engineering and local government sectors. Hubert holds two Doctorate degrees, a PhD in Public Management and Governance (UJ in 2023) and a Doctor of Commerce degree (UNISA in 2005). Academic achievements include Best Student and Senate Medal awards. He obtained degrees in public management, development planning, transportation planning and transport economics.

He is a qualified transport economist and is registered as a Professional Planner. In addition, he is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport South Africa. He is also a Certified Economic Developer with the Economic Development Council of South Africa. His current work activities relate to infrastructure economics; construction economics; spatial economics; economic development and infrastructure research.

Ambassador Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter has served as South Africa’s Chief Negotiator and Deputy Director-General (DDG) in the International Trade and Economic Development Division of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) from 2011-2019. This entailed the development and implementation of trade, intellectual property rights and investment policy. She has led South Africa’s trade negotiations with various partners, including the European Union, UK and Mercosur. At the regional and African continental level, this included leading trade negotiations, bilateral and regional trade engagements in the Southern Africa Customs Union, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Tripartite Free Trade Area negotiations between East African Community, Common Market for East and Southern Africa and SADC and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. She has also led negotiations on behalf of South Africa in a number of multilateral platforms such as the G20, BRICS and the Commonwealth.