Mbongeni is an Academic, Consultant and Development Economist. He is the Illovo Academic Head of African Trade and Industrialisation at Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS), and a Senior Researcher at a consultancy, B&M Analysts. Mbongeni’s research and consulting focuses primarily on the agro-processing, automotive, clothing and footwear industries.

Mbongeni has a Bachelor of Business Science in Economics & Finance, Cum Laude from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and two Master of Science qualifications, in African Studies and Economics for Development from the University of Oxford. The Oxford qualifications were obtained by Mbongeni as a Rhodes Scholar (South Africa-at-Large & Lincoln).

Hugo started his career as an Economics reporter at Die Burger newspaper in Cape Town. During 2003, he was nominated as one of the best newcomers in the prestigious Sanlam Financial Journalist of the year awards. In the same year, he left the media industry and helped to establish a newly formed economic consultancy firm. Hugo was appointed as an Economist at the Bureau for Economic Research in 2006, and promoted to Chief Economist in 2019.

He takes responsibility for the BER’s macro forecasts. He was the Thomson Reuters SA Economist of the Year in 2014 and the Media24 Economist of the Year in 2021. He is the author of the BER’s flagship Economic Outlook publication. Other duties include communicating the BER’s views to clients, the media and foreign investors; content editing of various BER publications and contributing to the BER trainee economist programme.

Hugo holds a Master’s of Economics Degree (cum laude), Stellenbosch University.

Dawie is the founder, Director and Chief Economist of the Efficient Group. He serves on a variety of investment committees within the Efficient Group. Dawie’s latest role is that of Chairman of Efficient Private Clients, of which Efficient Group is the majority shareholder.

Dawie is a nationally renowned economist with over 30 years of experience. He specialises in monetary-, and fiscal policy and is currently doing extensive research on the possible impact of “crypto” currencies on monetary policy. He is closely involved with the management of client asset portfolios. His interest in international and local politics has grown, and he has become knowledgeable in the field of politics as well. Dawie is ranked the most referenced economist in the country and received the prestigious economist of the year award by Sake 24, a media house. He has been the anchor presenter of the television program Ontbytsake for the past 18 years.

Deborah Tickle (CASA) is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town where she lectures Tax Masters Students. As managing partner of the tax department at KPMG (Cape Town), she led the team for ten of the 31 years she spent consulting to large, listed and global clients of the firm. She now provides technical support to a number of smaller and boutique tax firms. She served on the Davis Tax Committee from 2015 to 2020 and has also served on the Southern Region (25 years) and National (9 years, one of which as deputy chair) tax committees of SAICA. She is also a trustee for the Children’s Hospital Trust and acts as a non-executive Director and audit committee member at Personal Trust. Over the years she has written many papers, articles and presented seminars.