James Mackay, Strategy & Africa South Market Lead - Energy, PwC South Africa

As a multi-disciplined professional in both Engineering and Finance, James has over 20 years’ of diverse experience all contributing towards a deep understanding and capability in Infrastructure development. The last 8 years have been focused on development strategies and financing through Public-Private partnerships and more recently specifically on the energy sector.  His current role is PwC South Africa Energy Sector lead, focusing on all aspects of energy from strategy development, project financing, transaction support to execution across  renewables, gas, electricity, hydrogen to name a few.

Having completed an Executive Coach and Leadership programme through Berkley University, he is also well accustomed to leading strategy development in large organisations and engaging with executive project sponsors on large infrastructure projects.

In addition to his technical experience in engineering and large infrastructure project implementation, his shift into financial services and banking has given him a strong understanding of key drivers for successful and bankable projects. His experience includes banking, financial structuring and modelling, investment funding with the aim of driving bankable project development. He has also led the development of Public Private financial structures, having developed such policies and project portfolios for a number of key State Owned Entities in South Africa.

He has also attended the Harvard PPP programme at the Kennedy School of Business and serves on the South African council of the International Project Finance Association (IPFA), based in London. He has supported SA Ministries to develop frameworks for private sector participation in State Owned Companies and participated in numerous international reviews, including representing SA on an African reverse trade mission to USA covering the logistics and transport sector.