Mr Enoch Godongwana was appointed Minister of Finance of The Republic of South Africa on the 5th of August 2021. He holds an MSc degree in Financial Economics from the University of London and is a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC) since 1997. He is the current chairperson of the ANC’s Economic Transformation sub‐committee.
Prior to his appointment as the Minister of Finance, Godongwana was the Chairperson of the Board of the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Among others, he has also been appointed to the Boards of the New Development Bank and Mondi plc, CEO of the Financial Sector Charter Council and Member of the Policy Board for Financial Services and Regulation. He served in government as the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises, Member of Parliament, Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, and a Member of the Executive Council in the Eastern Cape responsible for Finance, Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism.
Godongwana has a solid background in the trade union movement; having served in various leadership positions in one of South Africa’s largest industrial unions – the National Union of
Metal Workers of South Africa – including being its General Secretary from 1993 to 1997. He also served on the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU’s) Executive and Central Committees from 1992 to 1997, and was the chairperson of COSATU's Economic Development Task Force. He is one of the founding members of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) and participated in the drafting of a number of progressive labour legislation including the Labour Relations Act.

Simon Baptist is Editorial Director and Chief Economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit. Prior to his current role, he has held a number of other senior management and editorial positions in the business, including Managing Director for Asia, Regional Director of our Asia editorial team, Director of Global Forecasting, and Consulting Director in both Europe and Asia

Simon’s focus is on the global economy, national and international political developments, and public policy. He engages with business, government and international organisations, helping them to understand the operational and strategic implications of the EIU’s forecasts.

He has a doctorate in economics from and was a lecturer at Oxford University, along with degrees in economics and science from the University of Tasmania. His academic research investigated technology and the determinants of productivity in manufacturing firms.

Pat Thaker provides the intellectual leadership necessary to ensure that the Economist Intelligence Unit’s analysis and forecasts for the Middle Eastern and African markets are the most insightful available to international decision-makers. Her deep knowledge and regional experience means she frequently chairs and speaks at conferences in the MEA region on subjects such as the business case for Africa, the impact of low oil prices for the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), global food security, urban sustainability and corporate social responsibility. She leads the EIU’s Middle East and Africa team, ensuring that its regional forecasts are integrated with its global macroeconomic outlook, and developing the regional expertise required to diagnose problems and devise viable solutions for EIU clients.

Robert is the Director of the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network based in Dubai and covering the MENA region. Robert works closely with network members to help inform their business strategies through political, economic and operational insight and to connect them with their senior leadership peers.
Robert is a business journalist, editor and publisher with nearly 25 years of experience covering a wide variety of sectors, including hospitality, retail, construction, energy and transport, and a particular interest in human capital management.
He is an accomplished event chairman, moderator and speaker.
Robert completed an MBA at the University of Leicester School of Business in 2012 and holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nottingham.