Simon Freemantle is Senior Political Economist at Standard Bank, specialising in South African and African political risk. Since joining the bank in 2008, he has built a reputation for sharp, data-informed insights across macro-political dynamics. He spent two years in Nairobi as East Africa Analyst before becoming the Group’s dedicated South Africa political economist. From 2015 to 2024, he was ranked 1st in South Africa’s Financial Mail Political Analysis category and also topped the ESG and Innovative Research categories in 2024. Simon holds degrees in Law and International Studies from Stellenbosch (cum laude), and a Master’s in International Relations from Stellenbosch and the University of Amsterdam. He lectures at GIBS and has spoken at Columbia Business School, Chatham House, Oxford and NYU. He is also a Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative (Class 14), part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.