An admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa, he brings extensive experience in enterprise legal risk management, complex commercial contracting, financial services regulation, and technology and sourcing law. He joined Sanlam in 2019 following his tenure as a Senior Associate in the Technology and Sourcing practice at a leading South African law firm, and has since played a key role in establishing and shaping the Group Legal function, advising on high‑value strategic transactions, managing regulatory engagements and group‑wide legal risk initiatives. He is committed to enabling sustainable business growth while upholding rigorous legal and compliance standards in a complex, highly regulated financial services environment.

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He currently serves as Chair of the ISS Board of Trustees, heads the African Futures and Innovation programme at the Institute’s Tshwane office, and is an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria. His 2017 bestseller Fate of the Nation examines South Africa’s future through political, economic, and social lenses. His three most recent books - Africa First! Igniting a Growth Revolution (March 2020), The Future of Africa: Challenges and Opportunities (April 2021), and Africa Tomorrow: Pathways to Prosperity (June 2022) - provide rigorous, continent wide analyses of Africa’s development trajectory. From August to December 2025, Dr Cilliers was a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin.

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In this role, he oversees ALSF’s projects in the sector and manages strategic and legal analysis and advisory support provided to African Governments, with a strong focus on the development of mining projects. He is a French Qualified Lawyer (since 2012), previously registered with the Paris Bar. Before joining the ALSF in 2019, he spent 2 years in a leading law firm that he contributed to establish in Conakry, Guinea, where he advised on some of the most important mining projects in the country and in Africa. He holds a bachelor’s degree in private law, two master’s degrees in business and general private law from University Montesquieu Bordeaux IV, and a MSc. in management and business law from PSB Paris School of Business.

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He also represents the MCSA on the Board of the Mining Industry Association of Southern Africa, advancing regional collaboration and sustainable mining development. He previously served as Executive Head: Stakeholder Affairs at Exxaro Resources Limited and as a non executive director on several boards. With more than 30 years’ combined experience in the mineral resources sector - including gold, platinum and coal - and investment banking in corporate and project finance, Mzila brings deep industry and financial expertise. He is the current Chairman of Impact Catalyst, and formerly served as Chairman of the Wits University Mining Engineers Association and President of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mzila holds a BSc in Mining Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and has completed executive leadership programmes at GIMT, GIBS, and INSEAD, including the Advanced Management Programme.

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Extensive experience in complex domestic and cross border private and public (listed and unlisted) company acquisitions and disposals. Dual qualified to practice in South Africa, and England and Wales.

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Her 30-year career has been devoted to macro-econometric modelling and macro-economic analysis of the sub-Saharan Africa region, with a focus on markets including South Africa and Nigeria. She leads a team of 21 regional experts responsible for forecasting macro-economic, country and sovereign risk outlooks across the region. She covers major developments on the African continent through strategic research and analysis, supporting clients globally on horizon scanning, portfolio management, market entry and risk mitigation.

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She works closely with business, risk and executive leadership teams on legally and operationally complex matters, often requiring careful coordination across multiple stakeholders and specialist advisers. With over 15 years’ post admission experience in the legal profession, including practising as an attorney, and having held senior executive roles in both the public sector and major financial institutions, Welekazi brings a pragmatic, client side perspective on effective legal risk and dispute management, grounded in accountability and sound commercial judgment.

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Yunus serves on the DTIC Executive, the SADC Investment Committee, the Immigration Advisory Board, and the Investment Climate Reform Programme. He is the DTIC’s project head for the President’s Investment Mobilisation Drive and convenor of the Inaugural Black Industrialist Conference, and regularly represents the DTIC in Parliamentary Portfolio Committee briefings. Yunus has 28 years’ experience at the DTIC, spanning government affairs, trade and investment promotion, international relations and economic development. He has more than 20 years of senior management experience and has served as a South African diplomat, including five years as Economic Consul in Chicago, USA, with extensive exposure to both the public and private sectors. Yunus holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Durban Westville, an International Trade and Export Practice Certificate (IMM) and a Strategic Investment Competitiveness Certificate from International Development Ireland.

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