Board of Directors

Mr Mhlongo leads NIF’s capital raising and Fund management efforts and is a seasoned leader with over 18 years of investment experience and a proven track record in infrastructure development. As the Managing Director of NIF, he has been instrumental in shaping the Fund’s strategic direction. He brings with him impressive expertise in infrastructure financing and local government management, having successfully led projects that have driven transformative change across South Africa.

Qualifications: B.Com (Economics); B.Sc.; MPhil; Master’s (Public Development); Master Certificate (Sustainable Infrastructure Development).

Mr Ncalo has brought 22 years of experience in traditional and alternative investments across Africa. Before NIF, he was Managing Partner at 8th Season Capital, working in investment advisory and capital raising. He previously led Old Mutual Limited’s Investment Strategy team, managing US$16 billion in policyholder funds and overseeing strategic asset allocation, portfolio positioning, and fund operations.

His career includes roles at Stanlib Asset Management, where he spent nine years as a Portfolio Manager and Analyst, and at Investec Asset Management, where he specialised in JSE-listed equities. An investment professional with executive training from Harvard and Oxford, Mr Ncalo is also a Certified Associate of the Institute of Bankers (CAIB SA) and a Registered Key Individual under the FSCA.

Qualifications: B.Com (Accounting and Finance); PLD (Harvard Business School); CAIB (SA); Oxford Executive Leadership Programme; RPE; FAIS Registered Key Individual.

Mr Marowa has 22 years of experience in corporate and investment banking, specialising in infrastructure finance as well as private sector and PPP markets. He previously held senior roles at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Commerzbank AG, HSBC Bank, and Standard Chartered, giving him experience with large-scale projects across sectors like transport, energy, water, ICT, logistics, and more.

As a recognised expert in his field, Mr Marowa has also served as a UNFCCC Clean Development Mechanism specialist and contributed to South Africa’s Special Economic Zones Fund Adjudication Committee.

Qualifications: CBMBA; MMFI; MBA; MSc; B.Sc. (Hons); BTech (Chemical Engineering).

Ms Mbele leads NIF’s ESG and Climate Finance strategy, ensuring responsible investment and sustainability integration. She has extensive experience in investment analysis, ESG risk assessment, and sustainability finance solutions.

Previously, Ms Mbele was Head of Social and Environmental Risk at Nedbank Corporate Investment Banking, developing ESG frameworks for emerging market investors. She also worked as an Environmental Specialist at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, advising on infrastructure investments across energy, logistics, oil and gas, transport, and real estate. A trusted ESG leader, she has served on investment committees and the Board of DBSA’s Pension Fund.

Qualifications: Pr.Sci.Nat.

Ms Kumalo oversees NIF’s Public and Social Infrastructure portfolio, focusing on private debt financing for health, education, human settlements, real estate, and public infrastructure. With over 20 years in development and structured finance, she has led multi-billion-rand infrastructure investments and achieved high socio-economic and environmental impact deliverables.

Before joining NIF, Ms Kumalo was Principal Deal Originator at the Development Bank of South Africa and served as a Regional Head for Local Government, managing an R8 billion loan book. She spearheaded innovative financing solutions for Local and Provincial Governments, securing infrastructure investments exceeding R3,6 billion.

Qualifications: LLB; CGISA; MBA; EDP.

Mr Mpana oversees infrastructure investment origination, structuring, and execution at NIF. With well over a decade in development finance, he previously held senior roles at the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Industrial Development Corporation, where he facilitated over R30 billion in investments.

Mr Mpana’s expertise includes greenfield developments, expansions, mergers and acquisition transactions, and he has facilitated B-BBEE and BI participation within key sectors of the economy. He has also led project development support for over R18 billion in gas, roads, logistics, and transport sectors. Before his investment career, he worked at Netstar, Barloworld Logistics, and Eskom, focusing on business analysis and project management.

Qualifications: M.Sc. (Engineering); MBA; B.Sc. (Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry); B.Sc. (Hons) (Physics).

Ms Rokho is a Chartered Accountant and development finance specialist with 13 years of experience in financial management. Her expertise spans infrastructure finance across energy, transport, healthcare, housing, education, and ICT sectors. She specialises in Credit Risk Management, Structuring and Managing Development Finance Transactions, Portfolio Management, and Sovereign and Balance Sheet Financing.

Ms Rokho has structured and led large-scale transactions in both greenfield and brownfield infrastructure projects, ensuring sustainable development and outstanding economic impact.

Qualifications: CA (SA); Master of Philosophy (Development Finance), University of Stellenbosch; Advanced Diploma (Management Accounting); CFA Level 1 (CFA Institute).