Herman Warren is The Economist Corporate Network’s Network Director for Africa. Herman works with corporate clients to provide insight and analysis on a range of topics related to the broad and specific African context, helping clients to prosper in one of the world's fastest growing and most dynamic economic zones. He regularly chairs and moderates events and delivers custom briefings to senior executives. Herman is the author of a number of white papers on infrastructure, financial and commercial developments in the region. Herman has previously worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company, started and run a successful mobile technology company and has held senior posts in both public- and private-sector corporations. Herman holds a BBA degree in Finance from Howard University.

Natasha Loder has worked at The Economist for 20 years in a range of reporting roles in science, technology and medicine. Between 2011 and 2015 she was based in Chicago and covered politics, education, and American life as the Midwest Correspondent. Today she is the senior health editor at The Economist. Prior to this, she worked as a reporter for Nature, and The Times Higher Education Supplement. She has won many awards for her work, including Best Feature from the Medical Journalism Association (2018), the June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism (2018), Science Commentator of the Year (2016), and Best Feature from the Association of British Science Writers (2016). In 2009, she was awarded a bronze medal for her work on forest carbon markets by Ban Ki-moon, on behalf of the UN correspondents association. She is a former chair of the Association of British Science Writers, and a current judge of the John Maddox Prize, which recognises the work of individuals who promote sound science and evidence.

Dr Owen Laws Kaluwa is the Resident Representative for the World Health Organization in South Africa. He is specialized in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Dr Kaluwa joined WHO Regional Office for Africa in 2002 as a Regional Advisor for HIV Programme Development, Monitoring and Evaluation. During this period Dr Kaluwa was instrumental in strengthening the health sector response to HIV/AIDS and scale up of ART for People Living with HIV/AIDS in countries of Africa Region in the context of the 3 by 5 initiative. Dr Kaluwa has also worked in Botswana as WHO Medical Officer for HIV/AIDS, providing technical support and guidance for the scale up of interventions. Prior to his appointment as WHO Representative for South Africa, Dr Kaluwa was WHO Representative for Ghana, WHO Representative for Swaziland and Regional Adviser for HIV/AIDS for the Africa Region. Before joining WHO, Dr Kaluwa worked in his home country of Malawi as the Head of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Programmes in the Ministry of Health, National Coordinator of HIV/AIDS Strategic Planning and as Program Director of the National AIDS Commission. He has had over 20 years of experience in epidemiological surveillance, strategic planning, program development and management, as well as monitoring and evaluation in health. He has a passion for Universal health coverage and equitable access to health services.

Rhulani Nhlaniki is Pfizer’s Country Manager: South Africa and Cluster Lead for sub-Saharan Africa. In this role he oversees Pfizer’s strategy to improve the health of every patient in Africa through providing access to Pfizer’s breakthrough medicines and vaccines and ensuring the provision of quality health care through investments and partnerships. He also serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Innovative Pharmaceutical association South Africa (IPASA) and is a Board Member of the US-South Africa Business Council. Rhulani joined Pfizer in 2016 in the role of Innovative Health Cluster Lead for sub-Saharan Africa. With over 19 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, he has held various leadership roles, including Group Country Manager for GSK's Southern Africa Region. Rhulani is qualified as a pharmacist from the University of the Western Cape and holds an MBA from North West University, South Africa.

Shabir Madhi is Professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and co-founder and co-Director of the African Local Initiative for Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE). Professor Madhi completed his undergraduate and postgraduate training at Wits, qualified as a paediatrician in 1996 and obtained his PhD in 2003. He currently holds the positions of Director of the South African Medical Research Council Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit and Research Chair in Vaccine Preventable Diseases of Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation. He served as the immediate-past Director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (2011-2017), and currently serves as the Chair of the National Advisory Group on Immunization in South Africa. Author of over 360 scientific publications between 1997-2017, his research focus has been on epidemiology, and clinical development of vaccines against pneumonia, diarrheal disease and for maternal immunization. These studies have been pivotal to informing WHO and SAGE policy on the use of such vaccines in low-middle income countries. He has served as a temporary–consultant/technical advisor to World Health Organization in the field of pneumonia and vaccines. Prof Madhi is also recipient of scientific awards which include the European Society for Infectious Diseases Young Investigators Award (2006), a number of National Awards including the 2009 National Science and Technology Forum: TW Kambule Award (2009), National Research Foundations President’s Award: Transformation of the Science Cohort (2010), Medical Research Council Life Time Award (Platinum medal; 2013), and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trial Partnership award for Scientific Leadership (2016). He is an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (2012), Royal Society of South Africa (2016) and in 2017 was elected as a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences. Prof Madhi has recently been appointed as Incoming Dean for Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand commencing January 2021.