Seriti Institute, a development facilitation agency, has announced the appointment of Wandile Sihlobo to the Seriti Board.
Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and the author of “Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity, and Agriculture”, published by Pan Macmillan in March 2020. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand. Sihlobo is a columnist for Business Day and Farmers Weekly magazine.
“It is a privilege to welcome Wandile to the Seriti Institute family,” said Seriti Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Juanita Pardesi. “Wandile brings unique expertise and energy that will help to strengthen and continue leading Seriti forward to better serve our social partners and the communities in which we work.”
“His extensive leadership experience will not only support Seriti Institute on the path to ensuring communities and social partners enhance their socio-economic impact but will also contribute to strengthening Seriti Institute’s work in the agricultural sector. Seriti Institute’s Work. Learn Grow project aims to create viable homestead gardens and smaller-scale farmers that contribute to food and nutrition security, the promotion of vegetable crop enterprises and farming, the creation of women and youth agro-preneurs, and ultimately, income growth and job creation,” added Pardesi.
Sihlobo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Fort Hare and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University. Sihlobo has served as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council in 2019, having served on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture from 2018. He is also a member of the Council of Statistics of South Africa (Stats SA) and a Commissioner at the International Trade Commission of South Africa (ITAC)
“I am excited to be joining the board of Seriti Institute and contribute to its essential work in empowering various communities in our country. South Africa is currently in a challenging period of higher unemployment and rising poverty, and Seriti Institute is one of the institutions that are ever more critical in driving community-led development in addressing this twin challenge. I hope to humbly contribute to Seriti Institute’s agricultural work. This particular sector could play a notable role in improving socio-economic conditions in rural and semi-urban areas of South Africa. I look forward to working with the Seriti Institute team,” said Sihlobo.
