Neva Makgetla

Dr Neva Makgetla is lead economist for research and information at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), which she joined in October 2008. She is seconded part-time as Sector Strategies Co-ordinator for the Presidency.

From 2006 to 2008, Makgetla worked at the Presidency full time on sector strategies. From 2000 to 2006, she was policy co-ordinator for fiscal and monetary policy and, from 2005, head of the policy unit at the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). She represented labour as a member of the Securities Regulatory Panel, the Financial Sector Charter Council and the Employment Equity Commission. Since 2003, Makgetla has had a fortnightly column in Business Day.

From mid-1995 to 2000, Makgetla worked for the South African government, including, between 1997 and 2000, as Deputy Director General for Remuneration and Conditions of Service and chief negotiator for the State as employer.

Before entering the public service, Makgetla worked for the National Labour and Economic Development Institute (NALEDI), which is associated with the COSATU. She lectured in Economics at universities in Africa and the U.S. from 1982 to 1994, including as senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg from early 1991 to late 1994. In this period, she was a member of the Department of Economic Planning of the African National Congress of South Africa, and in 1993/4 was economics co-ordinator of the Reconstruction and Development Programme.

Makgetla completed her B.A. (Hons) at Harvard University, and her Ph.D. in Economics in Berlin.

Lead economist for research and information: Development Bank of Southern Africa