Qaqamba Silwana

Experience

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  Capitec Bank

  Jan 2011 - Jan 2014

  As Branch Manager I was responsible for the profitability of my branch. The company determined set micro targets for transaction fee income, loan income and total expenses – all of which were indicators meant to guide us to the ultimate objective of profitability. I consistently achieved this by delivering through my team; providing strategic direction, using in house management tools, report analysis, economic trend analysis and team capability building in order to achieve the goal. Through this role I managed to develop my leadership and report interpretation skills in a way that has continually benefited my career. Show less As a Service Consultant I was the public facing part of the organization. I was largely responsible for servicing our clients’ front end banking needs, such as opening transactional accounts, providing savings and investments solutions, offering digital banking facilities and processing loan applications. In addition to these primary responsibilities, I also conducted telesales, pay date management and FICA document verifications. Soft skills I developed during my time in this role are business etiquette, customer service and a keen understanding of micro-banking trends in South Africa. Show less

  • Branch Manager

    Feb 2013 - Jan 2014

  • Assistant Branch Manager

    Apr 2012 - Jan 2013

  • Service Consultant

    Jan 2011 - Mar 2012
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  British High Commission Pretoria

  Jun 2017 - Oct 2019

  The Prosperity Fund is the UK’s economic partnership model with middle income countries. In South Africa the Prosperity Fund has 11 programmes focusing on poverty reduction by supporting sustainable inclusive economic growth. As the Programme Manager of the Prosperity Fund Business Environment Programme and the Global Financial Inclusion Programme, I provided strategic direction of the programmes’ delivery in South Africa; monitored and mitigated delivery, political, reputational and operational risks as they became apparent; ensured the programme remained relevant to the local context, while still being aligned to the UK values of inclusivity, joint prosperity and a free and fair rules-based international economic system. With my management, the Business Environment Programme, which was being delivered by the IFC of the World Bank Group looked to improve investment policy, business environment reforms and the investment climate in South Africa; while the Global Financial Inclusion Programme facilitated technical collaboration between the Bank of England and the South African Reserve Bank to support the strengthening of financial markets and reduction of systemic risk in the South African banking sector. I concurrently worked as the Policy Adviser for Secondary Benefits. This primarily focused on planning, converting and measuring economic and commercial benefits resulting from the Prosperity Fund’s broader work in South Africa, which included the Digital Access Programme, Global Trade Programme, Better Health Programme and Future Cities Programme. It also extended to benefits such as diplomatic credit and improved trading relations between the two nations. My work had a strong focus on Foreign Direct Investment, Competition Policy, Investment Promotion Policy and Private Sector Analysis. Show less South Africa’s economy has long been of interest to the UK. With South Africa being the UK’s biggest trading partner in Africa, the two nations’ joint economic prosperity is front and centre of their partnership and engagements. In my role as the economist I worked on the analysis and reporting of political-economy developments and the macro-economy of South Africa. My work supported and informed a number of UK government departments working in (and on) South Africa – namely, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) the Department for International Trade (DIT), the Department for International Development (DFID) and Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT).My work also contributed to Ministerial Briefings and Diplomatic Telegraphs, which are used when assessing and considering policy positions on various issues. I spent a significant portion of my time working to support our engagements at global economic forums such as the G20. I frequently participated in discussion panels organized by the British Chamber of Business which served to inform UK firms and investors of the legislative, political and economic landscape in South Africa. Show less

  • Policy Adviser - Programme Manager

    Jul 2018 - Oct 2019

  • Economist

    Jun 2017 - Jun 2018
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  Department for International Trade (DIT)

  Nov 2019 - Sept 2022

  Deputy Country Director

  Co-develop and implement our country strategy, which is designed to map out all our key stakeholders across priority sectors, articulate our offer of support to UK companies aspiring to and working in South Africa, set out our strategic engagement plan with UK investors/firms, set out our proposed partnership model between UK companies and local ones, highlight our unique selling point and the benefits of trading with the UK, and outline the key performance indicators and matrices to be used when appraising and managing performance. Our country strategy also takes into account the work of the broader UK government in South Africa and contributes to the UK’s overall ambitions and policy priorities in its bilateral relationship with South Africa. Over the last two years I have developed good relationships with International Trade Advisers from various UK regions, Sector Specialists in the Energy, Healthcare, and Financial and Professional Services sector teams of the UK government based in London. I have also developed a strong network of UK companies and investors working on technology development in the energy sector.Through our Trade Policy and Market Access work, I have spent a significant amount of time engaging with South African government stakeholders to lobby and advocate for regulations which contribute to an enabling business environment, that supports international investment. My efforts have been aimed at securing measures that lead to increased Trade and Investment between South Africa and the UK through Foreign Direct Investment and technology transfer.As the Energy Sector Lead for DIT South Africa, I source commercial opportunities for UK companies in that sector. This includes opportunities coming through public procurement and through private sector partnerships. My work tends to be intertwined with that of the Climate Change team on decarbonisation, sustainable and green finance, COP26 and the Just Energy Transition in South Africa. Show less

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  Absa Group

  Aug 2022 - now

  VP/Regional Manager for Legal Claims Trusts