Dr EDDIE
MAHEMBE
ONE MAN, MANY ROLES
In my quest to bring the benefits of education and development to as many people as possible, I have been actively involved in designing, enabling and implementing initiatives that are making a real and lasting difference. I strongly believe that development is about the people.
Academic
I hold a Doctorate Degree (PhD) in (Development) Economics and Master of Commerce (MCom) in Economics, both from the University of South Africa (Unisa), a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) Honours in Econometrics from the University of Pretoria (UP), Bachelor of Science (BSc) Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), a Certificate in Banking from the Institute of Bankers of Zimbabwe (IOBZ) and many other diplomas and certificates in various fields.

My academic journey has provided me with deep insights into the developmental challenges faced by developing countries (especially African countries), and how these can be overcome.

Achievements
  • Published 7 papers in peer reviewed journals from my PhD thesis (Unisa, 2015-2019).
  • Published 5 papers in peer reviewed journals from my Master’s dissertation (Unisa, 2013-2014).
  • PhD thesis titled “Development Aid and its Impact on Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries: A Dynamic Panel Data Approach”, which covered 120 developing countries across the world.
  • MCom in Economics Dissertation titled “Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and Economic Growth in SADC Countries: A Panel Data Approach”, which looked at policies on growth and FDI for each of the 15 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.
Entrepreneur
I am the Founding Director and CEO of the following companies:

  1. Underhill Corporate Solutions (www.underhillsolutions.co.za); a socio-economic research and business consulting company. The company offers expertise in Social Economic Research and Survey; Development Programme Monitoring and Evaluation; Economic Impact Assessments; Data Capture and Analysis; Business and Development Consulting.
  2. Data Capture SA (www.datacapture-sa.co.za), a market leader in capturing data accurately and reliably. The company also provides coaching on statistical and econometric analysis to masters and doctoral students.
  3. UCS Chemicals Pty Ltd (www.ucschemicals.co.za) , a manufacturer of cleaning chemicals. The company is sole owner of the following brands: “Power Clean”, “Gentle Clean” and “Car Clean”.
  4. UCS Education and Training Services (www.ucsets.org.za), a market leader in Education, Training and Skills Development in Southern Africa. UCSETS is currently accredited with the following organisations Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO); Banking Sector Education and Training Authority (BANKSETA); Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA) in South Africa and the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) globally.
Corporate Professional
I have over 20 years’ experience in the banking, development consulting, socio-economic research and opinion polling industries, as well as the public sector. This includes working as an Economist in the Zimbabwean Ministry of Finance; Business Analyst at the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO); Project Manager/Economic Analyst at Turnaround Partners, a business development and consultancy firm; and as an Associate Consultant and Project Manager (Economic Development and Research) at PD Consulting.
Professional Body Affiliations
  • The Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA).
  • Econometric Society (International).
  • South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).
  • Economic Society of South Africa (ESSA).
  • Zimbabwe Economic Society (ZES).
Researcher & Consultant
My consulting work includes advisory roles to international development institutions such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Woord en Daad, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) among others.

My research and consulting work have afforded me the opportunity to manage multiple stakeholder projects which includes collaboration with central, provincial and local governments on the one hand and labour representatives, employer bodies, NGOs and community leaders on the other hand.

In my research and consulting work, I focus on the following key areas:

  • Evaluations of Educational/Learnership Programmes.
  • Socio-Economic Research and Surveys.
  • Economic Impact & Econometric Analysis
  • Policy Impact Assessment Studies.
  • Programme Monitoring and Evaluations (M&E).
  • Feasibility Studies, Market Intelligence and Viability Assessments.
  • SMME Development
  • Business Diagnostics
  • Turnaround Management
Social and Community Entrepreneur
As an advocate of socio-economic development, I am deeply involved in social and community development – and there is a natural overlap with my complementary roles as pastor, philanthropist and community leader.
Some of my key roles include:

  • Editor: Zimbabwe Journal of Economics (ZJE)
  • Council/Board Member: Zimbabwe Economics Society (2020/21)
  • Board Member: Friends of Zimbabwe (June 2021-present)
  • Trustee: Zimbabwe Against Covid-17 Trust (March 2020 -present).
  • Interim Chairperson: Zimbabweans United for Progress (ZUFP), (April 2020 -present).
  • Missionary Assignment: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2014).
  • Branch Pastor: Oasis Christian Assembly (OCA) Pretoria (2010 -present).
  • Group Pastor: Oasis Christian Assembly (OCA), (2014 -present).
  • Member of the Finance Committee: Oasis Christian Assembly (OCA) Pretoria (2017 -present).
Thought Leader
I believe in an open and honest conversation around the vital topics of education, community & socio-economic development, social entrepreneurship, inclusive growth, poverty alleviation and reduction of inequality.

By sharing my ideas, I hope I can inspire positive action and promote a healthy, fruitful debate that leads to improved circumstances for more people in Africa and beyond.

Please visit my BLOG for some recent articles and interviews.

Let’s connect
I look forward to engaging with you and sharing ideas.
eddiem@eddiemahembe.com
info@eddiemahembe.com
Cell/WhatsApp: +27 (0)60 532 8754 (South Affrica) /
+263 (0)78 572 1343 (Zimbabwe)