Dr. Kennedy K. Mbekeani is the Director General for the African Development Bank’s Southern Africa Region, where he oversees the Bank’s Office for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery across 13 countries — Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe — as well as the region’s key economic communities (SADC, SACU and COMESA). He manages a portfolio exceeding USD 13 billion. 

He previously served as Director General for East Africa. A Malawian national, Dr. Mbekeani holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Economics and Statistics from the University of Malawi, an MPhil in Monetary Economics from the University of Glasgow, and both an MA and PhD in International Economics from the University of California. His published work spans trade, regional integration, and infrastructure development in Africa.