The Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (EDP) has announced the appointment of Nishendra Moodley, who will succeed outgoing CEO Andrew Boraine on January 15.

A handover period has been planned.

Following an extensive and rigorous process to identify a new CEO, the EDP board agreed that Moodley’s personal qualities and record across sectors made him the best fit to lead the organisation.

Moodley has 27 years of experience in the development sector in South Africa, having played roles across the private, nonprofit and public sectors, at national, provincial and local levels. These include leading roles in Future Cities South Africa, the National Treasury’s Cities Support Programme, Palmer Development Group and the City of Cape Town, where his job involved strengthening governance, policy development, transformation and accountability.

He also has extensive experience in public finance, institutional development and intergovernmental relations, environment and sustainability, water services, municipal systems, sustainable urban systems, and public sector governance.

Moreover, Moodley is the co-author of the book Building a Capable State, which examines local service delivery in South Africa and the complex relationship between government and communities.

In addition, Moodley plays an active voluntary leadership role in civil society, particularly at the interface between State and citizens. This provides him with a sense of community needs, as well as the role of civil society and business in working with government to deliver what citizens require.

This makes Moodley a good fit, as he exemplifies the EDP’s principles of partnering and collaboration, including trust building, strengthening cross-sectoral relationships, mutual accountability and inclusion.

As the next EDP CEO, Moodley’s main role as a collaborative intermediary is to help organise and sustain relationships of trust between sectors to improve South Africa’s development outcomes.

“Amongst the many challenges that face us today, the energy security and an effective rail network are critical to the Western Cape’s economic success. These are examples of sectors where we must target our impact by consolidating and growing the organisational capability of the EDP and broadening its relationships with partners locally, nationally and in the international community,” Moodley says.

After ten years of service, Boraine will be stepping down as the founding CEO of the EDP and away from a management role, yet will continue working as a partnering practitioner in the development sector and maintain his association with the EDP.

“Having worked with [Moodley] for many years in South Africa’s development sector, I know we share similar values, principles, and approaches. I think he is the ideal person to steer the EDP into its next stage of growth and influence.

“In an increasingly low-trust, low-agreement environment in South Africa, the role of collaborative intermediary organisations like the EDP is more important than ever and [Moodley] is committed to leading this bridging role within government and between government and the rest of society,” Boraine says.