TradeMark Southern Africa

Stella's core responsibilities include day-to-day management of programme activities and funds; the identification of projects to be implemented with the support of TMSA; the approval of project proposals, identification and contracting of service providers; managing contracts and monitoring the implementation of projects; providing support to the Tripartite Task Force and its sub-committees and managing the Trading for Peace programme.

Between 2002 and 2009 she managed the regional trade facilitation programme for the former RTFP. Stella has worked as a consultant to Chemonics International, Gemini Consulting and Ernst and Young and has also been attached to ZimTrade (1993-1998) and the Zimbabwe Confederation of Industries (1989 -1992).

She studied economics at the University of Zimbabwe.

Core responsibilities include overseeing implementation of the Comprehensive Tripartite Trade and Transport Facilitation Programme (with customs modernization being a major component), oversight on the standards and SPS programmes, supervision of the NTB’s monitoring and removal programme and support for the COMESA/EAC/SADC Tripartite cooperation programme in trade related issues.

Charles has been managing regional integration projects in COMESA and SADC Secretariats between 2000 and 2010. His area of focus was customs modernization, development of statistics systems and support for Customs Union processes in the two Regional Economic Communities.

He was Director of the Tariff Commission in Zimbabwe from 1998 to 2000 and also spent 17 years in the Zimbabwe Department of Customs and Excise leaving the Organization after attaining the position of Deputy Director.

Charles holds a Master in Business Administration degree from the University of Zimbabwe.

This position assists the COMESA region to advance work aimed at improving the efficiency of trade flows across border crossings and increasing the implementation by COMESA member states of harmonised trade facilitation instruments. Specific responsibilities include promoting the adoption of integrated border management systems by COMESA countries; monitoring the implementation of the Chirundu one-stop border post and providing inputs into projects aimed at converting selected key border posts into OSBPs. Support is also given to the WTO LDC Group, through Zambia.

John is responsible for managing the corridor infrastructure programme which is aimed at advancing the regional integration agenda of the Tripartite Task Force. This includes identifying infrastructure projects and coordinating their bankability. Other responsibilities include the establishment of one-stop border posts, aimed at improving operational efficiencies at border posts and along transport corridors.

Before joining TradeMark SA, John worked for Imani Development where he managed the North-South Corridor pilot aid for trade project between November 2007 and October 2009. John has extensive experience in transport engineering and project management issues having worked on transport and engineering projects in the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Botswana, DR Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Vietnam. He has worked with both Arcadis Euroconsult and WSP imc.

He studied civil and structural engineering at University College, Cardiff.

Lolette Kritzinger-van Niekerk received an M Com (Economics) Cum Laude from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She was senior lecturer, Department of Economics, at the University of Pretoria till 1988 and Associate Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis and Information, Development Bank of Southern Africa. She held the position of Economist in the DBSA’s Southern Africa Business Unit, before she joined the World Bank in 2000. At the World Bank, she was country economist for Botswana and Swaziland and then senior economist in the Bank’s Africa Regional Integration Department. She held this position till she left the World Bank in March 2008. She joined DFID Southern Africa in May 2008 as Regional Trade and Integration Advisor and during this time led the design of DFID’s TradeMark Southern Africa programme. Since October 2011, she has joined TradeMark Southern Africa as Programme Manager for Knowledge Management.

She has worked on regional integration in Africa in the context of policy formulation and implementation as well as on inter-governmental fiscal relations and macroeconomics in South Africa and its customs union neighbours. She served as advisor to the South African government on a range of foreign economic policy issues and to SADC on regional financial integration. She has published extensively in various fields of economics. She is member of a number of SA and international professional associations and, in SA, she has been a member of the Central Council of the Economic Society of South Africa for seven years, which included a two-year term as Vice-President.

Core responsibilities include providing technical support to the Tripartite Industrial Development sub-committee and assisting with the implementation of its work programme, and providing technical support to the COMESA, EAC and SADC in their industrial development agendas.

Judith’s previous work experience includes consultancy and research work at the Policy Research on International Services and Manufacturing (PRISM) unit, University of Cape Town (2010-2012), a long-term advisory position at the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry in Zambia (2007-2010), and the ODI Economist/Fellowship position at the Trade and Investment Unit, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (2004-2006).

Judith holds a PhD degree (Economics) from the University of Cape Town, and a MA degree (Development Economics) from the University of East Anglia.