Dr Sabina Mammelane Mahapa: Managing Director

Dr Sabina Mahapa holds a PhD from the University of Pretoria in the Department of Geography focusing on women empowerment, gender relations and transport planning in South Africa.Shehas all roundexpertise in research design, evaluation research, social facilitation, qualitative and quantitative research, diversity management and gender mainstreaming. Her current research interests include rural entrepreneurship, the role of transport in sustainable rural development, women empowerment and gender relations. She also holds a BA degree from Fort Hare (1985), a BA Honours from Fort Hare (1986), MA from Wits University (1994).

She has been a consultant for local and international organizations including the World Bank and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Sabina’s research has been published in local and international journals.  She has participated in local and international conferences – sometimes by invitation to share her work.

Dr Sabina Mahapa was a lecturer at the University of Limpopo from 1996 to 2001. From 2002, she has been at the helm of Kwem Management Solutions based in Pretoria and Polokwane which specializes in Transportation Research, social facilitation and Capacity Building. The highlight of her career outside the university has been to train over a 500 rural women entrepreneurs, some of whom have now started their own thriving businesses. She was contracted by the Independent Development Trust to manage social development programmes. Her contract expired in July 2019.

ASSOCIATE CONSULTANTS:

Prof. Shaheed Hartley

Prof Hartley holds a DSc in Science Education from Curtin university, Western Australia. He was a national winner of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) award as Science Communicator for Public Awareness for his work in educational evaluation.

Prof Hartley’s competencies include the following:

• Extensive experience and skills in conceptualization, design, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of intervention projects and programmes including a wide array of community-based service and educational programmes.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills developed through years of communicating and presenting at training sessions, team-building sessions and conferences (both national and international). This is also prevalent in day to day dealings with senior staff members whose programmes and progress I supervise through proper and thorough communication channels.
• Evaluation, management and administration of high level research and service provision including multi-million rand grants and projects with the National Research Foundation, THRIP and Innovation Fund programmes, Departments of Science and Technology, Trade and Industry and Environmental Affairs and Tourism research funding programmes.
• Development of key strategies for the evaluation, supporting and funding of cutting-edge research and service.
• Providing leadership and vision in the areas of education research. Strong ICT background, especially in evaluation, administration and management including ITS and RGT.
• Strong management, analytical, decision-making and communication skills. Especially prevalent in dealing with high-pressured research environments with continuous adaptability to provide analytical and relevant communication to clients’ needs.
• Consistently meet tight deadline schedules within dynamic environments.
• Provision of strategic advice to institutional management committees in accordance with internal and external guidelines and legislation. Aligning the institutional research agenda with regional and national imperatives and providing educational workshops to heads of faculties and departments.

Dr Sekgobokoane Shadrack Mahapa

Dr Sekgobokoane Shadrack Mahapa completed his Professional Doctorate (DSc) in Science Education at the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia in 2003. He holds a Masters degree in Science Education from Wits University (SA), a BSc. Degree and Honours in Chemistry from University of Venda. Dr Mahapa has extensive experience in project management spanning over 20 years. He is an experienced management consultant with expertise in educational policy, strategic planning, project design, project management and surveys.  For the past twenty years, he has been involved in conducting research, surveys, project evaluations and impact assessments for a number of organizations, companies and government departments.

His other professional qualifications include the following certificates: Programme in Project Management completed with the University of Pretoria, Science Communication with Commonwealth Science Council, Teaching and Learning and the Nature of Science with Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Chemistry Tutoring and Tutorial Management with Wits University and Basic Electronics with Intec College.

During his professional life, Dr Mahapa has worked on different entrepreneurship projects, like coaching and mentoring science teachers and lecturers, working on science platforms, training SMMEs in developing business plans, start-up business skills programme for the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA). Dr Mahapa trained women enterprises in design, development and project management, feasibility study, life cycle costing etc.

Samuel Papole Choschi

Papola Samuel Choshi is a development economics and management specialist with 20 years’ experience in institutional diagnosis and restructuring, stakeholder management, strategic management, performance management, gender mainstreaming, social impact assessment, development research and development strategy/ plan formulation and implementation support. He has a Masters Degree in Economic Geography from the University of the Witwatersrand, and he has worked on projects in the field of strategic management, human resources, organizational restructuring, training, performance management, change management; relocation, project management, gender mainstreaming, integrated development planning and local economic development. He drew his work experience from working as a consultant at one of the largest consulting companies in South Africa, where most of his work concentrated on conducting social impact assessment in relation to mining projects. He further served in the public sector, where he was a social plan fund management in the national department, dealing with issues of retrenchments and local economic regeneration projects. His last formal employment was at one of the government’s development agency, where he served as the programme manager responsible for planning and implementation of social development programmes, delivery capacity development and leveraging of resources. Between these formal job commitments he acted as an independent consultant providing services in the areas of local economic development, performance management, resettlement management, transport planning and gender mainstreaming. Mr Choshi was involved in developing the ‘One Product One Municipality’ for Local Government. He is qualified to facilitate themes ranging from product design and development to quality assurance and enterprise development.

Mr Billy Lesibana Christian Ralebipi

Mr Billy Lesibana Christian Ralebipi holds a Diploma in Public Administration from University of Limpopo (1985), a B.Admin Honours degree from Unisa (1991), Msc in Management degree from New York University, Robert F Wagner School of Public Service (1992), focusing on the quality of service in the management of public and non-profit organization. He later obtained a post-graduate diploma in Labour Relations from Unisa School of Business Leadership (1995), a Chief Executive Officer Certificate from University of Durban-Westville (1999) and a Project Management Certificate from Wits University (2001).

He possesses high-level expertise and skills in municipal government and administration, labour relations, human resources management and development in public and municipal management. He has also acquired skills and expertise in small business training on Basic Business Skills through the SEDA Train-the-Trainer programme, and has already trained over 300 small entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs in the last 7 years. He has also participated in the impact assessment and evaluation of poverty alleviation and food security programmes of the Department of Agriculture and Office of the Premier in the Limpopo Province.

Billy has been a consultant for local government and small and medium enterprises for the past seven years. In this area he has assisted small business enterprises in labour relations, basic business skills training, mentorship and development of Business Plans. Billy also participated in the IDT/SEDA Export Readiness training programme to assist local manufacturers in exposing their products to the international markets.

Diphete Bopape

Diphete Bopape completed a BA degree from UNISA (1982); Honours BA (Psychology) from UNISA (1987); Honours BA (Theory of Literature) from UNISA (2003); MSc (Psychology) from Alabama A&M University (1992); MBA from De Montfort University (2003).  Diphete conducted extensive training in business management among farmers and retailers, conducting entrepreneurship workshops. He did work for the Services SETA, assisting SMMEs in compiling Workplace Skills Plans (WSPs) as well as Annual Training Reports (ATRs). He was also involved in coaching and mentoring of SMMEs.  He was also involved in conducting research in the agriculture sector for SLAG projects. 

From 2000, Diphete has conducted training in life skills for municipal employees.  These included assertiveness training, effective communication, handling finance, building a positive self-image and self-esteem, conflict management, etc.  He conducted workshops on dealing with change and stress management.

Dr James Chakwizira

 Dr James Chakwizira holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning with the University of Venda. He also acquired an MSc and BSc in Urban and Regional Planning. Dr Chackwizira is a specialist in transport planning, infrastructure and service planning. He wrote papers in both local and international journals. He is an experienced spatial and transportation specialist who has consulted on national and regional projects/programmes in Africa, Asia and Europe. He has published, taught at universities in Southern Africa, practiced in both the public and private sector concentrating on transportation, spatial development, sustainable development, climate change, appropriate technology and sustainable human settlements.

Dr Chakwizira is an experienced researcher & leader of multidisciplinary teams. He is a recognized expert locally & internationally in the field of transportation for urban and rural development. He has wide-ranging experience in how the various spheres of government institutions function undergirded by an ability to work in a consultative manner with partners in the public & private sectors. Dr Chakwizira has a holistic understanding of the mechanisms through which rural transport infrastructure & services are provided & used in the rural economies of developing countries as well as extensive experience in the analysis of gender, social & other impacts of development initiatives. He also is experienced in project scoping & programme design. Dr Chakwizira has undertaken & led various successful projects aimed at championing pro-poor built environment policies & strategies. His work has especially addressed rural and “second economy” challenges through integrated & multi-disciplinary research, based on a comprehensive understanding of the distinctive socio-economic conditions characterizing these environments. Dr Chakwizira has also contributed to the transportation & development field in the form of numerous well cited publications & demonstration projects.

Dr Chakwizira’s passion is to continuously provide transportation thought leadership in the application of new knowledge and technological innovations in order to resolve the challenges of the marginalised and disadvantaged communities and societies inhabiting the built and non-built environments of Africa.