Equity Group Holdings Chief Executive Officer Dr. James Mwangi has landed a new global development role after being appointed to the South-North Commission on Development.
Mwangi is one of two business leaders appointed to the commission and the only African representative from the private sector. The commission brings together global leaders from business, government, international institutions, academia and civil society to rethink cooperation between the Global South and North.
He joins World Bank President Ajay Banga, World Trade Organization Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, UN Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege, among other global leaders.
The commission was unveiled in Berlin on October fifth by its co-chairs, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.
Speaking on his appointment, Mwangi said the commission has an opportunity to build on the idea of interdependence and create partnerships that deliver practical results.
“Willy Brandt’s Commission gave the world the language of interdependence. Fifty years on, our task is to turn that language into partnerships that work. Africa should no longer be seen through the lens of aid. It is a source of growth, talent, innovation and investment. I am honoured to join the Co-Chairs and my fellow Commissioners. I will bring what Equity has learned about mobilising domestic and global capital, backing entrepreneurs and small businesses, and making financial and economic inclusion a platform for jobs and shared prosperity,” Mwangi said.
The commission builds on the legacy of the North-South Commission chaired by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt from 1977.
The new commission will hold its first meeting in Bangkok on October sixteenth and seventeenth, alongside the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings.
It will present interim findings in 2027, marking 50 years since the Brandt Commission began its work, before publishing a final report at the end of 2028.
Its recommendations are expected to contribute to shaping the global development agenda beyond the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Mwangi brings more than three decades of experience in financial services and development to the commission. Equity currently serves more than 23 million customers across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, with about 98 per cent of transactions taking place outside physical branches.
Mwangi will serve on the commission in his personal capacity.
Alongside his appointment, Equity continues to pursue initiatives focused on Africa’s development, including its six-billion-dollar Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to reach 100 million customers and five million borrowing businesses by 2030.
The group is also advancing private-sector financing for development, while supporting initiatives focused on climate, agriculture, education, youth and job creation across Africa.
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