Shawn Theunissen

JCCI President

Mr Theunissen is an executive at Growthpoint Properties Limited, responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility and Transformation. Mr Theunissen is also the founder of Property Point and current President of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has over 20 years of experience in senior management roles in both corporate and non-governmental sectors. His diverse development expertise includes designing and implementing business support services, creating links between SMEs and large corporate entities, successfully developing, managing and delivering complex local, regional and international projects.

Bernadette Zeiler

JCCI CEO and Head of International Trade

Bernadette has had many years of hands-on experience in international trade. In her own business, she specialized in establishing complete turnkey projects to set up medical practitioners and in providing medical supplies and equipment to hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in countries throughout Africa. She has an extensive knowledge of import and export administration and of trade agreements with SADC, BRICS and COMESA countries.

Bernadette Zeiler was in the medical industry for 30 years and ran her own business for 20 years distributing medical and laboratory equipment into Africa. In 2006 Bernadette joined JCCI as a member. She participated in the Chamber’s “Access for Women” programme, which was sponsored by the International Trade Centre and the Canadian Government. Through this and other JCCI programmes, Bernadette travelled to 20 countries in Africa, Cuba, India and America. Her company secured major contracts with Ministries of Health and international donor organisations in Africa, supplying the complete turnkey project to hospitals and clinics.

In 2017, Bernadette was offered the position of Head: International Trade at JCCI. She was promoted to CEO in December 2020.

Bernadette liaises with the High Commissioners and Ambassadors at the foreign Embassies to host workshops and delegations to promote bilateral trade. She also works very closely with the various Government Departments, European Union, GIZ German Co-operation and other international organisations.

Bernadette implemented the Global Business Export Accelerator, a project in partnership with GIZ German Co-operation as well as the Women in Business desk in partnership with GIZ and Quoniam Asset Management. The focus of the project is to equip Black SME’s in the complete export cycle including mentorship, export training, conducting feasibility studies to identify suitable markets of entry and access to new markets, locally and internationally. Export is vital to the survival of businesses as this will boost the economy and create employment.

Duncan Bonnett

Africa House - Director: Market Access & Research / JCCI Vice President

Duncan Bonnett is an Africa trade and investment specialist with 24 years’ experience in commercial project development in Africa. During his time at Whitehouse & Associates, now Africa House, Duncan has advised corporate, development finance and government clients on the opportunities available in Sub-Saharan Africa and in specific countries in the region, the modalities of doing business in the region, the changing nature of Africa and how companies and countries can best access these opportunities.

Duncan has a unique understanding of the drivers of growth in individual countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, their interconnected nature and a granular understanding of the operating environments, the business intelligence needed to operate in sensitive locations, and the ability to marry these into cogent, practical strategies. This skill set has taken Duncan to over 25 countries on assignment in Sub-Saharan Africa and a dozen more globally in a variety of fields, including cement, mining, trade hub development and supply-side logistics analysis.

Trudi Hartzenberg

Executive Director, Trade Law Centre (tralac)

Trudi Hartzenberg is the Executive Director of the Trade Law Centre (tralac). She is responsible for development of the tralac strategy, resource mobilisation and
engagement with African governments, regional, continental and international organisations.

She currently serves on the WTO Chairs Advisory Committee and is a member of the Committee for Development Policy of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

She supports women’s economic empowerment: focusing on women traders in national and regional business associations, and also heads up SheGovernsTrade – a empowerment program for young women trade policy makers.

Her research areas include international trade, competition policy, industrial development and Africa’s integration agenda. 

She has a special interest in capacity building.  She designs and delivers academic and tailored short courses a broad range of trade-related topics, investment, competition policy and industrialisation.

DAWIE ROODT

Efficient Group - Director & Chief Economist

Dawie Roodt is a founding member, Director and chief economist of the Efficient Group. Dawie’s newest role is as chairperson of Efficient Private Clients, a subsidiary of the Efficient Group. 

Dawie is a famous South African economist with approximately 30 years of experience and has been a presenter for Ontbytsake for 15 years. He specializes in monetary and fiscal policy. He follows international and local political developments and analyses the economic consequences thereof. He is also an expert on the economic consequences that crypto assets could have. Dawie is actively involved in managing clients’ asset portfolios

CONNIE MASHABA

Black Like Me (PTY) Ltd
Managing Director / JCCI Vice President

Connie Mashaba is the Managing Director of Black Like Me (Pty) Ltd, a company that manufactures and distributes hair care products locally and exports to other African countries. Founded in 1985, BLM operates in Centurion, Pretoria. The company has a joint venture relationship of Amka Products, a leading manufacturer and distributor of personal care products since 2006.

Her direct responsibility is to drive strategic vision and purpose of the company, setting and implementing short, medium, and long-term strategic goals and making sure that they are achievable. She also maintains awareness of the competitive market landscape, industry developments, and growth opportunities while assessing the risk that can befall the company. Connie also focuses on building the company's brands through direct interface with marketing and the sales teams. She primarily manages the overall operations and resources of the company.

Connie is also the chairperson of Lephatsi Investments (Pty) Ltd, a private equity company investing in diverse sectors in South Africa, her family being a significant shareholder. Her primary responsibility is to ensure that the boards are effective in their tasks, setting and implementing the companies' directions and strategies. She is also responsible for giving guidance and support to the management team with regards to growth opportunities and the overall increase of shareholders; value. Connie also serves on other boards including Investec Property Fund Limited as a non-executive director.

Connie is passionate about social justice, where she gets involved in sponsoring good causes run by a non-government organization such as the Field Band Foundation, where township youth are taught life skills through music and dance. She also mentors emerging entrepreneurs in her field of business and beyond, and she is passionate about education.

Connie has attended multiple leadership programs at Harvard Business School. She is a member of the Institute of Directors of South Africa.

She is married with two children. Her hobbies include traveling with family, reading, and playing golf.

Fungai Blake

Associate Director at Cova Advisory

Fungai Blake leads the Government Incentives and Finance Raising team. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant, holding degrees in Accounting from the
University of Cape Town, a Higher Diploma in Tax Law from the University of Johannesburg as well as an Advanced Financial Modelling certificate. Before joining
Cova, she worked at Deloitte in the Government Grants and Incentives team and served her articles at EY in Cape Town.