About Mzukisi Qobo
Mzukisi “Mzu” Qobo is an Associate Professor and Head of School at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand. He is a writer, speaker, advisor, and an expert on political economy, strategy, and geopolitics. He has a growing interest in themes related to digital governance, innovation, and the impact of shifts in energy technologies on society.
Over the last 20 years Mzu has fulfilled various roles as a leader in the public sector, an academic, and an advisor to decision makers in the government and corporate sectors. He has given keynote addresses and facilitated leadership and stakeholder dialogues across different sectors of society.
Mzu has been a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Advisory Council since 2019. In 2020, he was appointed by the Minister of Agriculture to facilitate the Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan for South Africa. He successfully concluded the negotiations in May 2022. He has also served as a member of the Task Team for the Professionalisation of the Public Services, which advised the Minister of Public Services and Administration.
Mzu obtained his PhD from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom; MA from the University of Stellenbosch; and BA from the University of Cape Town. He has published extensively in academic and policy journals on political economy, governance, and geopolitics. His latest book, The Political Economy of US-China Relations: Digital Futures and African Agency was published by Palgrave Macmillan. He serves on various boards across the finance and agribusiness sectors.
Mzu is driven by a passion for empowering the next generation of leaders that are motivated by public value. He is excited about the possibilities of innovation and new technologies that could help us achieve a positive and lasting societal impact.
He believes that collaboration and shared value are vital sources of innovation and transformative change. Mzu sees the challenge for future leaders as developing bold imagination, working across sectoral walls, openness to change, and flexibility, especially in an increasingly uncertain world.
Have Mzukisi Qobo Speak At Your Event
Over the last 20 years Mzu has fulfilled various roles as a leader in the public sector, an academic, and an advisor to decision makers in the government and corporate sectors. He has given keynote addresses and facilitated leadership and stakeholder dialogues across different sectors of society.