Isaah Mhlanga

Isaah is the Executive Chief Economist of Alexander Forbes and a member of Alexander Forbes Investments Limited executive committee (Exco) responsible for formulating the macroeconomic strategy for the business and its clients. He is also a member of the Investment Committee (IC) responsible for managing over R400bn in pension fund assets.

His industry experience spanning both public and private sector, having started his professional career as an economist at the International Monetary Fund’s local regional office in Pretoria. He has worked for the National Treasury’s economic policy unit. His private sector experience involves roles as an economist at Absa Capital/Barclays Africa Group and Rand Merchant Bank, where he was responsible for macroeconomic strategy and forecasting before he joined Alexander Forbes as its Executive Chief Economist. Isaah has also lectured on a part-time basis, undergraduate economics, and econometrics at the University of Johannesburg.

His combined experience spans macroeconomic strategy, economic policy analysis and advice for both public and private sector, as well as governance issues. He is a Trustee of Study Trust and a Non- Executive Board Member of Kutlwanong, both of which are Non-Profit Organisations specialising in the education sector. 

Isaah is a Fellow of the Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) and a columnist for the Business Day and Sunday Times, where he writes on monetary policy, fiscal policy, financial markets, and investments. Isaah was named Economist of the year 2019 by the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP).

He holds an MCom (Financial Economics), BCom Honours (Econometrics) and BCom Economics and Econometrics, all from the University of Johannesburg.