Professor Cliff Sibusiso Dlamini (Ph.D.)

Management and Leadership: Cliff is the Executive Director of CCARDESA. He is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary expert with specializations in agriculture, biodiversity, forestry, climate change, development finance, environmental law, sustainable development, business administration and business leadership and management (1993-date). Cliff has held several technical and executive leadership positions in Eswatini, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana where he has interacted with the Board, staff, multi-stakeholders, partners and funders. He comes with 30 years of strategy development and execution. Professor Dlamini is a well-established international expert and consultant in forestry, climate change, agriculture, environmental law, biodiversity, sustainable development and development finance.

Academic and Professional: Academically, he holds the following mix of nine (9) university degrees: a Ph.D. Forestry (Stellenbosch, RSA), M.Sc. Sustainable Development (Sussex, UK), MPhil. Environmental Law (UCT, RSA), Executive MBA (Quantic, USA), Master of Development Finance (Stellenbosch, RSA), MSc. Forest Science (Stellenbosch, RSA), MPhil in Applied Business Leadership and Management (UCAM, Spain), B.Sc. Hons Forest Science (Stellenbosch, RSA), and B.Sc. Agriculture (UNISWA). Further, Cliff is finalizing his Doctorate in Management (studying liquid biofuels and the green and circular economies in South Africa). In addition, he was appointed Associate Professor Extraordinary at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) in 2022, where he had served as research fellow since 2014. Cliff has attained the status of Chartered Development Finance Analyst (CDFA) with the Chartered Institute of Development Finance (CIDEF). Dlamini was offered appointment to the rank of Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Natural Resources, Department of Range and Forest Sciences, at the Botswana University of Agriculture (BUAN) in April 2024. Dlamini has just been appointed Professor Extraordinarius at the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences with the University of South Africa (UNISA) in October 2024. Professor Dlamini has massive research experience in agriculture, biodiversity, forestry, development finance, environmental law, sustainable development, business administration and business leadership.

 Professor Dlamini’s vision for CCARDESA and the SADC region: Dlamini aims to contribute to developing innovative strategies that will overcome all hurdles and challenges that threaten to halt agriculture transformation in the present for the benefit of future generations. His plan is to achieve his ambitions and aspirations through harnessing both scientific and grassroots innovations throughout the SADC region. The driving force being enhanced collaboration and partnerships amongst all key stakeholders from various sectors that affect the agriculture sector and livelihoods.