Equity CEO James Mwangi Picked for New Global Role Alongside 19 World Leaders

Equity Group Holdings CEO Dr James Mwangi has been appointed to a 20-member international commission established by Germany to rethink cooperation between the Global South and North.

In a statement dated October 8, Mwangi is one of two business leaders on the South-North Commission on Development and the only African business representative. He will serve alongside some of the world’s most prominent figures in finance, government, development and civil society.

The commission includes World Bank President Ajay Banga, World Trade Organization Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, UN Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Denis Mukwege.

Other members include former South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Senegalese Prime Minister Aminata Touré, former Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, former Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya and former Brazilian Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira.

Mwangi Pushes New Africa Narrative

The commission was presented in Berlin on October 5 by its co-chairs, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.

Mwangi said his role would draw on his experience in expanding financial access and mobilising private capital, while pushing for a different approach to Africa’s place in global development.

“Willy Brandt’s Commission gave the world the language of interdependence. Fifty years on, our task is to turn that language into partnerships that work,” Mwangi said.

Also Read: HFC Appoints Former Equity Bank Executive Samuel Makome as Non-Executive Director

He said Africa should be viewed as a partner in economic development rather than primarily as a recipient of aid.

“Africa should no longer be seen through the lens of aid. It is a source of growth, talent, innovation and investment,” he said.

Mwangi, who has led Equity for more than three decades, said he would bring lessons from the lender’s work with entrepreneurs, small businesses and communities to the commission.

“I will bring what Equity has learned about mobilising domestic and global capital, backing entrepreneurs and small businesses, and making financial and economic inclusion a platform for jobs and shared prosperity,” he said.

Commission to Shape Post-2030 Agenda

The commission follows in the footsteps of the North-South Commission chaired by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt from 1977.

Its first meeting will take place in Bangkok on October 16 and 17 alongside the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings. Interim findings are expected in 2027, 50 years after the Brandt Commission began its work, while the final report is due by the end of 2028.

The recommendations will feed into discussions on the global development agenda after the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Also Read: EU–Equity Partnership to Sponsor 100 Kenyan Students Yearly for Master’s Studies in Europe

Mwangi will serve in a personal capacity.

The commission has a majority of members from the Global South and brings together representatives from international institutions, former governments, business, academia and civil society.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for instant news updates

One of the Equity Group Holdings Plc bank buildings in Kenya. PHOTO/ File