DIRECTOR
Qualifications
- D. Economics: University of the Western Cape, (RSA), 2015. Supervisors: Prof Julian May, Prof Greg Ruiters and Prof Stefaan Marysse (University of Antwerp, Belgium).
- MA in Development Economics: Centre for Development Economics, Williams College, Massachusetts (USA), 1999 (Summa cum laude).
- Certificate in Applied Econometrics: National Institute for Economic Policy (NIEP, RSA), 2003-2004.
- ECN (Hons): University of the Western Cape (RSA), 1997.
- BA: University of South Africa (RSA), 1994.
Year Appointed
2026
Committee Memberships
- Audit and Risk Committee
- Projects Committee
Other Directorships/Trusteeships
- Founder and Trustee of SAFIA
Skills, Expertise and Experience
Professor Amiena Bayat is a development economist with more than two decades of experience in economics, social policy, finance and governance. She is widely respected for her strategic leadership, rigorous research and strong commitment to local economic development, community empowerment and sustainable development.
Currently a full Professor at the University of the Western Cape, Prof Bayat has led and contributed to high-impact national and international research initiatives. Her work in agricultural and rural development includes research on food systems resilience, smallholder farming and agricultural value chains, with a particular focus on South Africa’s Philippi Horticultural Area through the FSNet-Africa fellowship.
Professor Bayat brings deep expertise in finance and risk oversight, having developed UNIDO’s Access to Finance Tool for Eco-Industrial Parks across South Africa, Vietnam, Ukraine and Egypt. Her experience spans investment readiness, and the management of complex, multi-country development programmes. She has directed and participated in several large-scale projects funded by the EU, DAAD, UNIDO, National Treasury and other international partners.
In governance and policy, she has served as Acting Director of the Institute for Social Development, University of the Western Cape, where she strengthened institutional governance, ICT adoption and internationalisation, overseeing governance and administration.