Costa Arena  

Mbokodo ["Abbey"] has an extensive background and experience in Financial Services, having spent many years in Senior Management positions in the Banking Sector and the Life Assurance Industry in South Africa. He also has Public Sector Management experience.

After spending time in the corporate environment, he decided to set up his own Independent Consulting Company, focusing on Business Start-ups, Marketing and Risk Management. A few years ago he ventured into International Commodity Trading and Business Facilitation, which has given him exposure and access to various Governments on the African Continent as well as Asia, South Americas and Western Countries.

He is very passionate about the growth of business in Africa.

Mbokodo has served as Deputy President of the Enterprise Development Forum in South Africa, where he facilitated 'Black/African' Business Networks, as well as negotiated scholarships for Business Qualifications candidates with various overseas institutions. He has extensive international experience.

Mbokodo is Group Chairperson of Hlali Investment Holdings.

Some of his Career Highlights are set out below:

• Researched Small Business Finance and Micro-lending in Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Indonesia, South America, Central (Meso-) America and North America.
• Delivered a paper: "Successfully Funding SMMEs" at the first State President's Conference on Small Business, which was held in Durban, South Africa and hosted by the then State President Nelson Mandela in 1995.
• Attended an Executive Leadership Program at the Wharton School of Business, at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as Morgan State University in the United States of America. Some of the courses covered in the program were Mergers and Acquisitions, International Finance, Capital Budgets, Marketing and Ethics & Economics.
• He is a Specialist in Strategic Management.