Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala is a seasoned financial strategist and development leader with over 30 years of experience shaping Africa’s economic landscape. As a candidate for the Presidency of the African Development Bank , she brings a bold vision to make the Bank faster, more efficient, and more impactful—mobilizing large-scale investment, accelerating infrastructure development, and driving sustainable, private sector-led growth.

Swazi has held top executive positions across Africa’s financial and development institutions, including:

·       Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, AfDB – Led financial strategy, governance, and the largest capital mobilization in the Bank’s history.

·       CEO, Industrial Development Group  – Spearheaded large-scale energy and infrastructure investments.

·       Board Member, MTN, Liberty Group, and Standard Bank Group – Provided governance and financial oversight for Africa’s top-tier financial and telecom giants.

·       Treasurer & Senior Finance Roles at Transnet and Standard Bank – Led major financial restructuring, including resolving a $1 billion pension deficit.

Throughout her career, she has been at the forefront of:

Innovating development finance, pioneering hybrid capital instruments, sustainable finance frameworks, and private sector securitization models.
Championing infrastructure investment, ensuring that energy, transport, and digital connectivity drive Africa’s industrialization, trade, and food security.
Advocating for gender inclusion and youth empowerment, ensuring that Africa’s development is both inclusive and sustainable.
Recognized among the Top 100 Most Influential African Women, Swazi has a proven track record of delivering results, shaping global financial policy, and executing transformative projects that create lasting impact.

Now, as she steps forward to lead the African Development Bank, Swazi Tshabalala is ready to build a stronger, bolder, and more effective institution—one that unlocks Africa’s full potential and drives real, measurable change.