Sithole Mbanga

With over 25 years of experience in local government innovation, Sithole Mbanga is adept at translating strategic concepts into actionable initiatives while energising teams to unlock the full potential of organisations. Currently, Sithole serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). Prior to his tenure at SALGA, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the South African Cities Network (SACN). He is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in the country regarding the evolution of the local government system and the development of municipalities. For over two decades, he has been a steadfast advocate and contributor to the urban development agenda, significantly enhancing the influence and contributions of the SACN in promoting effective urban governance practices and analysis. He completed his postgraduate studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, specialising in Political Science and Sociology. His formal introduction to the intricacies of local government occurred during his role as the Local Government Coordinator at the National Business Initiative (NBI), where he led initiatives focused on capacity building and training within local government through the Municipal Service Partnerships (MSP) programme. This experience positioned him as a key member of South Africa's team that conceptualised, piloted, and helped to establish the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) policy framework as it exists today. Following the establishment of the IDP machinery, which emerged from the local government negotiations that culminated in the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, he was tasked with founding the South African Cities Network (SACN). This initiative initially aimed to assist SALGA in advocating for the national urban agenda through evidence-based knowledge generation, sharing, application, and dissemination. Sithole’s contributions have been widely recognised in both political and technical circles within South Africa. Renowned for his candid, creative, and dynamic approach to addressing challenges, he is frequently sought after for his insights by municipal and political leadership. Additionally, he has served on various boards, including the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) and South African National Parks (SANPARKS), and has been invited to speak at numerous engagements. He played a pivotal role in the South African Local Government Transformation Programme (LGTP), which was instrumental in pioneering the new system of local government in democratic South Africa and has also served as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Pan-African body of local governments, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Africa. Sithole possesses a remarkable ability to balance the interests of local government within the broader governmental framework while simultaneously fostering the development of innovative strategies for progress and transformation. Central to his approach is the equilibrium between political will and administrative effectiveness. He is a distinguished advocate and representative of the public sector, a senior strategic director, and an experienced capacity builder, dedicated to knowledge sharing and innovation management.