James Woods

Technical Expert & Advisor to the Board and Secretariat

James Woods is a seasoned African affairs consultant and strategic communications expert with a diverse career spanning sports, business, politics, and governance. As Partner and Director at Rainbow Sports Global, he has played a key role in positioning the company as a leading Pan-African sports enterprise. Woods has served as a senior diplomat (Head of Chancery) for the Embassy of Malawi to Belgium, France, Principality of Monaco, Luxembourg, Italy, The Netherlands, Andorra and the EU, where he engaged with key government and private sector entities and international bodies. His extensive experience includes working with the Mo Ibrahim Foundation on issues concerning good governance in Africa for seven years, Invest Africa, and advising on African presidential elections and providing strategic advisory services to heads of state and business leaders. Woods has also worked extensively with European and UAE-based mining companies, contributing to strategic communications, governmental relations and stakeholder engagement across continents. At Navigate Group, he managed crisis communications for the maritime and offshore industries, enhancing global crisis readiness. Additionally, he received diplomatic training from the Clingendael Institute of International Relations, specialising in international relations and diplomatic practice.

An Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, Woods holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of London, an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is completing an Executive MBA at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. His contributions to international relations, policy development, strategic communications, sports diplomacy, business of sport and governmental relations have made a significant impact across Africa and beyond.

Andrew Matiza

Technical Advisor: Environmental, Sustainable Governance (ESG)

Andrew is an ESG Consultant and a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional. He also holds a UNCCC Learn Diploma in Climate Change and a Diploma in Corporate Sustainability from Universita’ Bocconi. He is currently the ESG technical advisor to the ESG Network Zimbabwe Andrew is professionally qualified as a Certified Internal Auditor with vast internal audit and governance experience in both the public and private sector. Also a seasoned financial and general management practitioner, having held various posts at Audit Executive, Finance Director and CEO level and has sat on a number of company boards. Some of the organizations Andrew has worked with include Industrial Development Corporation (Zimbabwe), Delta Corporation, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply authority, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce and Harare Sunshine Holdings.

Andrew is a past Chairman of the Audit Committee on the Zimpost Board and past Finance Committee Chairman of the Trade Measures Board. He is also a past District Director (Africa) for the Institute of Internal Auditors (Inc.) Andrew recently qualified as a Provisional Anti- Corruption Compliance Trainer with the Centre for International Private Enterprise Andrew is keenly interested in the corporate sustainability and business integrity agenda and has conducted research on the state of Corporate Sustainability practices in Zimbabwe. He currently assists corporates in navigating their ESG journey

Siziwe Stella Ngwenya

Technical Advisor: Accounting and Finance

Siziwe Ngwenya is a distinguished financial professional with over 25 years of extensive experience in finance, taxation, and relationship management. With a notable career spanning various senior roles at renowned organizations such as Diamcorp, Edcon, and Imperial Holdings, Siziwe has established herself as a leader in her field. Currently serving as a Stakeholder Manager at the South African Revenue Services (SARS), she oversees the tax affairs of major corporates, fosters strong relationships with key stakeholders, and provides leadership through training and strategic guidance. In addition to her corporate roles, Siziwe is the founder of Eriplex Financial Services, a firm specializing in business development and financial services. Her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence have been evident throughout her career, as demonstrated by her strategic thinking, financial acumen, and exceptional ability to build and maintain client relationships.

Siziwe holds an impressive array of academic qualifications, including a Master of Commerce in Taxation from the University of Witwatersrand, a Master of Business Administration from the Gordon Institute of Business Science, a Honours Bachelor of Accounting Science from The University Of South Africa, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Town, among others. Her dedication to continuous learning and professional development is evident in her pursuit of advanced degrees and certifications throughout her career.