Analyst, Southern Africa political-economy

Africa Practice; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading strategic consulting firm in South Africa is seeking an Analyst for Southern Africa's political-economy. The successful candidate will undertake macro-economic research, support policy advisory projects, and engage with clients. The ideal applicant will have strong analytical skills, a degree in a relevant field, and at least one year of experience in economic analysis. This role offers competitive remuneration and opportunities for growth within a dynamic team.

Benefits

Competitive remuneration

Immediate opportunities for growth

Collaboration with a diverse team

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of professional experience analyzing regional economic and political issues.
• Ability to write clearly, concisely and authoritatively to tight deadlines.
• Deep knowledge of the regional political economy.

Responsibilities

• Undertake deep and extensive macro-economic research.
• Produce high-quality analysis on political and economic developments.
• Support complex policy and stakeholder advisory projects.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Communication skills

Investigative skills

Proactive networking

Education

Undergraduate degree in relevant discipline

Honours or Masters preferred

Job description

Analyst, Southern Africa political-economy

Contract: Full time; 1 year fixed term, renewable

Remuneration: Competitive, based on experience and competence

Location: Johannesburg or Cape Town

Reports to: Lead Advisor

About us

Africa Practice is a mission-led strategic consulting firm advising investors and development partners across the continent. Our mission is to shape a prosperous Africa that inspires the world. For over 20 years, we have been partnering with global investors, policy-makers, development partners and other changemakers to drive transformation on the continent.

Our insights and advocacy solutions are rooted in detailed systems and stakeholder understanding. We identify, generate, and analyse human-centred systems data to design impactful advocacy interventions. We deliver our world-class insights and advocacy solutions through our local presence.

We operate as one company, with a diverse team working on a hybrid basis in Abuja, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, and London. We are risk analysts, development economists, advocates, storytellers, data scientists, policy experts, systems thinkers and creative minds.

Over 80% of our staff are African and over 50% are women. We have been a signatory to the UN Global Compact since 2021 and we have achieved B-Corp status.

About the role

We are looking for a strong Southern Africa-focused political-economy and impact analyst, working within teams to deliver excellence across complex mandates at a regional level, and demonstrating an understanding of political, economic, social and policy contexts across Southern Africa. The responsibilities are as follows:

Consulting services

• Undertake deep and extensive macro-economic research, conduct comprehensive economic analysis, and contribute to impact measurement studies for a broad set of clients.
• Contribute to economic modelling and impact measurement reports, as well as client-facing narrative reports
• Support complex policy and stakeholder advisory projects, contributing to individual deliverables and workstreams
• Produce and deliver high-quality written and visual-led analysis on political and economic developments across key markets in Africa, with a focus on Southern Africa, and participate in related client briefings.
  

Other responsibilities

• Assist with building Africa Practice’s knowledge base regarding Southern Africa, and develop related marketing material
• Contribute to the methodologies and best practices applied by Africa Practice’s Insights practice
  

What we are looking for

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (economics, international relations, political science); Honours or Masters preferred
• At least 1 year of professional experience analysing regional economic and political issues, analysing macro-economic data, and/or supporting the development of economic models to quantify economic impact
• A deep passion for the South African market, and also have a strong curiosity and interest in the broader political economy of Southern Africa
• Outstanding verbal and written communication in English. An ability to write clearly, concisely and authoritatively to tight deadlines is crucial for this role
• Excellent investigative, analytical and critical thinking skills, combined with a genuine interest in and knowledge of current African affairs - with a clear focus on Southern Africa
• Deep knowledge of, and genuine interest in the regional political economy, with a demonstrated focus on one or more of the main regional markets
• Ability to cultivate strong trust-based relationships within the company, with clients and with the wider political economy ecosystem
• A dynamic self-starter, able to work on their own initiative on complex issues
• Outstanding critical thinking, communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Proactivity in building a network of contacts with local and regional political experts, government officials and private sector players

What we offer

We offer the successful candidate an opportunity to develop a rewarding career within a dynamic pan-African consultancy advising a prestigious portfolio of clients. This position offers:

• Competitive remuneration
• Immediate opportunities for growth
• Collaboration with a diverse and experienced team of colleagues
  

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are much less likely to apply for a position unless they meet every single qualification. So this notwithstanding, if you are excited about this role, we would love to hear from you. At Africa Practice, we are dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse and authentic workplace. You might just be the new team member we are looking for - for this or other roles.

Do you want to contribute to an influential and prosperous Africa, inspiring the world? We’re looking for Africa’s changemakers – smart people with strong analytical, advocacy, digital and problem-solving skills who can reconcile diverse perspectives to deliver sustainable change.

Please send in your application by clicking on the “apply” button.

Do include a cover letter explaining why you think you are suited to this position and indicating your availability. Your documents must be entitled with “*your name* Analyst, Southern Africa political research and analysis”.

The vacancy is immediately open for suitable applications and will be closed as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. Early applications are advised.