The African Development Bank Group has appointed Dr. Kennedy K. Mbekeani, a Malawian national, as Director General for the Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office, and Country Manager for South Africa, effective May 1, 2025.
Dr. Mbekeani brings over 25 years of senior-level experience in development finance, project management, policy advisory services, and knowledge generation at both country and regional levels. His expertise spans several areas critical to Africa’s development, including trade, regional integration, and infrastructure development.
Before this appointment, Dr. Mbekeani served as Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office and Country Manager for Kenya, overseeing a $16.6 billion portfolio across 13 countries.
Earlier, he was Deputy Director General for the Southern Africa Region, leading business development and project delivery for sovereign and non-sovereign operations in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Mauritius. His leadership contributed to the growth of the Bank’s regional portfolio to $8.5 billion, enhancing its reputation as a trusted development partner.
Dr. Mbekeani joined the African Development Bank in 2009 as Chief Trade and Regional Integration Officer and has since held various senior leadership roles, including Lead Regional Economist and Officer-in-Charge at the South African Resource Centre, as well as Officer-in-Charge at the Bank’s Ghana country office, and Country Manager for Uganda.
Before joining the Bank, Dr. Mbekeani served with the United Nations Development Programme as a Trade, Debt and Globalization Advisor for East and Southern Africa. He also held senior research and advisory positions at the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis, and the National Institute for Economic Policy in South Africa.
He holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree in economics and statistics from the University of Malawi, an MPhil in monetary economics from the University of Glasgow, and an MA and PhD in international economics from the University of California. He has authored many publications on trade, regional integration, and infrastructure development in Africa.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Mbekeani said: “I am deeply grateful to President Adesina for the confidence placed in me to take on this new responsibility as Director General for the Southern Africa Region. I look forward to contributing to our team’s success in my new capacity.”
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the Bank Group, commented: “I am delighted to appoint Dr. Kennedy Mbekeani as Director General for the Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office. Kennedy brings extensive experience in policy dialogue and business development in Southern Africa, where he championed the delivery of transformative projects in the region as Deputy Director General of the Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office. The emerging global challenges facing several countries in the Southern Africa region require Kennedy’s extensive experience in trade, debt, and policy, and strong knowledge, relationships, and networks with governments across the region. His country and regional management, and extensive policy experience will contribute to strengthening the African Development Bank’s unique position as a partner of choice in the Southern Africa region.”
