Congratulations to our CEO, Ravi Naidoo, for being appointed by the President to the National Planning Commission (NPC) from 01 December 2021, for a period of five years.
The NPC, which was the commission behind the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, “consists of respected thinkers in South Africa and is expected to bring about fresh ideas and insight into the long-term plan to advance growth and development in South Africa.” The Commissioners come from a multitude of sectors, disciplines and have broad expertise, and serve as critical advisors to government on long-term solutions and plans for the country.
The next Commission will serve during the challenging aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which economic and social recovery and reconstruction are the overarching priority, to build momentum towards achieving the NDP’s 2030 goals.
Holding a master’s degree from Harvard, Ravi joins the NPC with over 25 years of experience in creating and managing a range of social change and impact programmes. He has worked with diverse stakeholders including trade unions, the public sector, and private sector fund management, to find ways to implement programmes in complex institutional environments.
His recent successes include the establishment of the South African National Green Fund (at the Development Bank of South Africa), managing the multi-stakeholder “Health Roadmap” that culminated in the government’s AIDS turnaround strategy (resulting in average life expectancy increasing from 49 to 62 years), and the restructuring of the Unemployment Insurance Fund to include, for the first time, coverage for over 600,000 domestic workers.
“To achieve bigger national outcomes, different organisations, each with their own comparative advantages, must work together,” says Ravi. This appointment will assist YES in collaborating more closely with other industries and organisations to help create a better future for all South Africans.
Ravi’s impressive track record of social development will provide a great foundation for Ravi to continue his high-impact work in this appointment.