DR. THEMBI XABA

Dr. Xaba is an accomplished executive in the fields of development economics, agricultural development finance, agribusiness development  and policy formulation. With over 20 years of experience in the agriculture industry, her career reflects a strong ability to balance development imperatives with sustainability.

Her tenure across government, the private sector, and non-profit organisations has enabled her to lead and contribute to a wide range of initiatives, including food security programmes,  education and social impact interventions, infrastructure investment promotion, transformation, and broader economic development efforts. She has also developed significant expertise in climate change programmes, leading initiatives that integrate development priorities with long-term sustainability.

A passionate advocate for transformation, Dr. Xaba has led programmes focused on advancing gender equity and economic inclusion. She currently serves as Executive Director of OneFarm Impact and has previously held the role of Executive Director at Impathiso NPC, where she drove a social mission centred on empowering communities, women, and youth through agriculture projects, and skills development initiatives. In addition, she has served in key leadership roles as Managing Director of Digital Earth Africa and Chief Executive Officer of the Deciduous Fruit Development Chamber.

Dr. Xaba also serves as a Non-Executive Director on several boards across both the public and private sectors, including a JSE-listed company. She is the Deputy Chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council of South Africa.

As a recognized thought leader, she has published extensively in international journals.