Technical Experts

ECIAfrica's professionals are recognized experts in their fields

At ECIAfrica, our technical team reflects the diversity of the African continent. Coming from South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and other countries of the region, our professionals are grounded in Africa's development reality and bring to ECIAfrica a breadth of experience to tackle the toughest development challenges. They are dedicated to serving our clients and the communities in which we work, and they place a priority on sharing our innovation and experience to improve economic development and management skills continent-wide.

Our team comprises specialists in the following areas:

■ Water Service Delivery
■ Infrastructure Asset Management
■ Public Service Reform
■ Public Finance Management
■ Research and Development
■ Development Finance
■ Agriculture
■ Enterprise Development
■ Agricultural Economics
■ Regional Trade
■ Enterprise Finance
■ HIV/AIDS
■ Tourism Enterprise

• Meet our Technical Experts

• ■ Mark J Armstrong - Senior Engineer: Infrastructure and Service Delivery (open/close)
  Mark is a senior specialist in Infrastructure and Service Delivery in ECIAfrica with over 25 years of experience in Local Government most of which has been in water and sanitation. Prior to joining ECIAfrica, he was employed through the initiatives of SAICE and SABTACO as a senior engineer to provide skills transfer and speed up service delivery to the Greater Tubatse Municipality. Having been the Town Engineer of Harrismith Local Municipality, he carried out a feasibility study that resulted in a public - public partnership with a Water Board. The outcome of this partnership was a contract that provided for a full cycle of water and revenue management services to 70 000 residents in and around Harrismith. The contract also resulted in the formation of a ring-fenced utility called Amanziwethu Services. Mark has over the years carried out his expertise in similar initiative through the Development Bank of S.A. called Siyenza Manje as a Technical expert /Project Manager. Mark holds a National Diploma for Technicians with the Port Elizabeth Technicon and and Degree in Engineering.
• ■ Lawrence Bilikwana - Enterprise Development (open/close)
  Lawrence has over 14 years experience in SME development and business advisory services work. He was involved in SMME development at the seminal stages in the country, tasked with the economic reintegration of ex-offenders into civil society by offering them business management training, micro finance and mentorship interventions. In 2001 he was head hunted Umsobomvu Fund, where he was charged with the conceptualization of the entrepreneurship strategy, the institutionalisation management information systems and setting up the institutional arrangements and accreditation of a first group of consultants for a R500m Entrepreneurship Programme. He worked with World Bank Consultants in researching, conceptualization and implementation of the first voucher programme in South Africa. He was later charged with the conceptualization and modelling of the Business Linkages Programme by the Fund, where he went on to single handedly raise R180m worth of business opportunities. He also worked with International Finance Corporation in designing the Diagnostic tools for micro enterprises. He was also part of the Investment Committee of the Equity Fund. Mr. Bilikwana has a Baccalaures Iuris and an LLB with majors in Intellectual Property and Corporate Law.
• ■ Hector Dombo - Agribusiness Development (open/close)
  Hector is an animal scientist with eight years of experience in research and agricultural development. He has experience in product development, feasibility studies, monitoring and evaluation of agriculture and rural development programmes, and design of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise impact evaluations. Hector joined ECIAfrica in 2006; he writes technical proposals, manages budgeting, and identifies new business opportunities. Before joining ECIAfrica, Hector was a Manager for emerging agriculture with the First Rand Group in Johannesburg, where he was involved in agricultural procurement (Agripro) for national agricultural clients. In 2003, Hector worked for Stock Owners, managing the Developing Farmers' Business Unit, which identified mechanisms through which dead rural assets could be revived and mainstreamed into the agricultural economy. From 1998 to 2000, Hector was a Researcher at the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa. In 2000 he joined the development wing of Senwes as an Agricultural Specialist and identified business opportunities that assisted in further increasing the overall Business Development portfolio of the company. Hector holds a master's degree in animal science from the University of Pretoria and an honours degree and a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Venda for Science and Technology.
• ■ John James - Enterprise Development (open/close)
  John is a tested manager and skilled leader with 27 years of experience in private sector development in Africa, Europe, and the United States, with a particular focus on SME sector development and development finance. He has designed and implemented development finance operations and business advisory services programs, whilst he also conducted country mapping surveys and diagnoses to identify strengths and weaknesses in the business environment, aimed at pinpointing gaps needing solutions. More importantly, he has designed and run business linkages and supply chain development programs aimed at linking SMEs to opportunities with large corporations and franchise opportunities. Mr. James has 20 years of successful senior management experience at the national and international levels. He successfully led and managed multicultural and multidisciplinary teams of more than 80 people operating out of five regional offices under the International Finance Corporation as the General Manager for the Africa Project Development Facility. Mr. James has an M. Phil. in development economics and project analysis from the University of Glasgow.
• ■ Tatia Jasina - Enterprise Development (open/close)
  Tatia is an enterprise development specialist with expertise at both the operational and policy levels of strengthening micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). During the past 13 years, he has been active in enterprise and private sector development in Lesotho, both as an advisor to SMEs and as a manager of his own small business. Tatia is an experienced project manager; from 1994 to 1997 he served as the Senior Projects Officer at Basotho Enterprise Development Corporation (BEDCO) where he managed SME support programmes, and contributed to the SME support policy dialogue in Lesotho. While at BEDCO, Tatia was also team leader for the implementation of United Nations Development Programme funded Small Scale Industries Project. In 1997, Tatia founded Pioneer Plastics (Pty) Ltd and served as its managing director until 2000. The company grew to employ a staff of 40, and realised R5 million per year in revenue. Tatia holds an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch.
• ■ Ken Jeenes - Technical Advisor, Infrastructure Development (open/close)
  Ken is a Technical Advisor for the Infrastructure Development Improvement programme implemented by ECIAfrica. Ken has experience in the highway design and construction industry, both in South Africa as well as internationally, including the United Kingdom and Turkey. Prior to joining ECIAfrica, he was employed by the University of Witwatersrand’s Rural Facility as Coordinator of their Rural Engineering Programme. In 1996 he was appointed Provincial Manager for the Mvula Trust – an NGO primarily active in the water and sanitation sector – and spent three years in the Mpumalanga province and three in the Eastern Cape. Ken became an independent consultant in October 2001 and towards the end of 2002 assisted in the establishment of Mbumba Development Services cc. Ken joined ECIAfrica in 2007, where he was appointed as a consultant to fill the position of Technical Advisor to KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Education, as part of the national government’s Infrastructure Delivery Improvement Programme (IDIP). He was recently appointed to serve in the same position in the Western Cape Department of Health still within the Infrastructure Development Improvement Programme. Ken holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree, both from the University of Cape Town, and is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
• ■ Ercilia Mata - Tourism and Enterprise Development (open/close)
  Ercilia is a tourism and enterprise development specialist with experience in the management and implementation of research projects in South Africa, Mozambique, and Cape Verde. Recently, she was instrumental in coordinating a pilot product identification and audit of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Soweto and the Greater Tshwane Area. Ercilia also served as the home office manager of a multi-country evaluation of United National Capital Development Fund projects in Ethiopia, Senegal, Guinea, Uganda, Malawi, Rwanda, and Benin. She is currently managing a project for the Edgars Consolidated Stores Group, which provides business development and mentorship support to emerging entrepreneurs who are recognised through the Jet Community Awards for their business skills and potential. Ercilia holds a degree in tourism management from the University of Pretoria, and is currently studying towards her MBA in tourism development and management.
• ■ Nolene Randle - Business Manager, Finance and Administration (open/close)
  Nolene is a budget and finance professional with more than 10 years of experience. Having joined ECIAfrica in June 2004 as the bookkeeper for the Tourism Enterprise Programme, Nolene managed the budgeting and accounting processes of this R56 million project. As Business Manager, Nolene applies her financial and administrative skills to the governance and public sector management division. Before joining ECIAfrica she was a School Teacher from 1993 to 2001 at two pre-primary schools in KwaZulu Natal. Nolene holds Diplomas in Teaching and Bookkeeping.
• ■ Mwansa Saidi - Infrastructure and Asset Management (open/close)
  Mwansa is an infrastructure and asset management specialist. She manages the South African government-funded Infrastructure Delivery Improvement Programme in Eastern Cape and Western Cape. There, she is involved in strengthening government process and capacity to deliver education and health-related infrastructure. Before joining ECIAfrica, she was with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research for four years as a Research Architect in facilities management and social systems, and in integrative planning. She has extensive research and project implementation experience in health and education facilities planning, as well as community asset management. Earlier, Mwansa was a Research Assistant associated with the University of Pretoria on the Environmental Potential Atlas project funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Before relocating to South Africa, she was a Chief Architect and Assistant Architect for municipal councils in Zambia, where she was involved in the design of housing and health facilities projects, as well as in general town planning. Mwansa has a Masters of Science degree in project management from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a bachelors degree in architecture from the Copperbelt University in Zambia
• ■ Johan van Niekerk - Enterprise Development (open/close)
  Johan is a senior specialist responsible for providing technical advice on regional trade development, policy analysis, and small and medium enterprises to the Enterprise Development cluster. He has over 16 years experience in international trade. This includes strategy around optimising international supply chains, establishing distribution networks with foreign partners, ensuring regulatory compliance, maximising implementation of trade agreements and enhancing small and medium sized enterprise competitiveness via capacity building and business linkages. Prior to ECIAfrica, he served as an export manager at Samsung Electronics and Allied Mobile Communications where he managed entire supply chains in exports. Johan is rejoining ECIAfrica after having been a regional trade manager for one of its programmes funded by the USAID, South African International Business Linkages (SAIBL). In this position he was responsible for establishing business linkages between small and medium sized enterprises in South Africa, the US and other African countries. He has implemented projects locally and in the following countries: the USA, Angola, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Rwanda, Lesotho and Swaziland. Johan has a Masters in International Economic Law (LLM) from the University of South Africa, specialising in the World Trade Organization (WTO), logistics and international trade agreements and a Bachelors of Commerce (B Com) from the University of Pretoria, concentrating on economics, banking and mercantile law.
• ■ Jubilee Zharare - Enterprise Development (open/close)
  Jubilee is an enterprise development specialist, with 10 years of experience in the field. She has led various surveys on small enterprise development throughout eastern and southern Africa and has been involved in small enterprise growth for the past nine years. Jubilee has conducted various sub-sector analyses and value chain studies to facilitate the development of small enterprises by identifying growth opportunities within a sub-sector and understanding their links to the overall system within which the sub-sector functions. Jubilee has worked with agribusiness and natural resource enterprises, as well as with regional trade associations to promote access of rural producer groups and farmers to viable markets. Jubilee has a BSc Hons in agricultural economics from the University of Zimbabwe and is currently studying towards an M-Inst Agrar in agricultural economics.
• ■ Sydney Zharare - Agribusiness Development (open/close)
  Sydney is an agricultural economist and has extensive practical experience in managing commercial agribusiness operations and creating business linkages between these and emerging farmers. Before coming to ECIAfrica in 2006, he was Operations Manager at Johannesburg Fresh Produce, in charge of wholesale operations. At ECIAfrica, he has been involved on various projects as project manager, market linkages specialist, market scoping specialist, and project associate. His core competencies are in project management, value chain analysis, budgeting, gross profit control and analysis, and strategic planning. Sydney has hands-on experience in dealing with smallholder and commercial farmers, having been involved in contract farming, extension, procurement, wholesaling, retailing and distribution of a variety of horticultural products. Sydney was instrumental in helping emerging farmers and cooperatives in Zimbabwe's Manicaland and Mashonaland provinces access inputs and markets through projects with the US Agency for International Development Linkages for the Economic Advancement of the Disadvantaged programme and Christian Care. He also has vast experience in retail operations management having managed the fresh produce departments of various SPAR retail stores. Sydney holds a BSc (Honours) in agricultural economics and Extension from the University of Zimbabwe and a certificate in produce management and operations from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He is currently studying towards his MSc in agricultural economics, majoring in agricultural policy, at the University of Pretoria.