MASU presents: Mhlangano Lionel Maphalala

In Southern Africa development finance has principally been the preserve of the international multilateral (International How China has Changed the Face of Development Finance in Southern Africa - The Challenge for Japan, South Korea, the EU and the USA Finance Corporation, IBRD, European Investment Bank, Development Bank of Southern Africa and the African Development Bank) and bilateral agencies (Kuwait Fund, Afd, SIDA, DFID, NORAID, USAID etc).  The anglo-saxon model of project conceptualization, development and implementation - inclusive of procurement - was followed, leading to lengthy lead times before projects could be realized and infrastructure on the ground.  The entry of the Chinese in this landscape in the mid 2000's flipped the coin. Projects were funded under entirely new arrangements, lead times to implementation were halved and different working arrangements developed.  The presentation suggests that this model or variation thereof, which has been foisted on Government's in the SADC region is what every multilateral and bilateral agency has to pursue for survival in the development finance arena. Mr. Maphalala has taught local government, local government finance and development at the University of Swaziland. In 1997 he became head of the public sector reform project funded by UNDP and DFID.  In 2003 he joined the University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban as CEO of the Built Environment Support Group (NGO based at the university), heading a team of professionals - architects, town planners and economists - focused on poverty research and housing.  In the period 2009-2011 he has headed an advisory firm based in Johannesburg advising on hospitality projects in Lesotho and Angola; Services; Infrastructure (PPP projects) in Namibia; Mining in Namibia; Shipbuilding in South Africa etc. He has been part of Presidential business delegations to Angola.