Lelo Skosana
Managing Director, Public Affairs — FTI Consulting South Africa
Africa does not have a resources problem, a talent problem, or even fundamentally a governance problem. It has a strategic coherence problem — and closing that gap is the most consequential lever available for accelerating development across the continent.
That conviction sits at the centre of everything I do.
The Work
As Managing Director and Head of Public Affairs for South Africa at FTI Consulting, I advise multinational companies, investors, and industry bodies on regulatory strategy, political risk, and government engagement in complex operating environments. My work is grounded in a simple but often overlooked insight: commercial outcomes in African markets are shaped as much by the political and institutional context as by market fundamentals.
Getting that context right — understanding how states make decisions, how regulatory environments evolve, how political dynamics translate into business risk — is not background knowledge. It is the work.
The Thinking
My analytical interests sit at the intersection of political economy, public policy, and corporate strategy. I am particularly focused on how African states design and execute industrial policy, how regulatory environments shape investment flows, and how firms can engage more strategically with the policy process rather than merely reacting to it.
I write and publish analysis on these themes at this platform — examining the structural forces shaping African markets and the decisions that will determine whether the continent’s potential is realised or deferred.
Academic Work
I hold a Master of Commerce in Development Economics from the University of the Witwatersrand. I recently completed my dissertation for the Executive Global Masters in Management at the London School of Economics, examining how the African Continental Free Trade Area is influencing foreign direct investment into South Africa’s industrial sectors — drawing on original qualitative research with executives, government officials, and industry stakeholders.
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For speaking engagements, media commentary, or advisory enquiries — queries@leloskosana.com
For speaking engagements, media commentary, or advisory enquiries – email queries@leloskosana.com