Lindiwe Majele Sigasge

A visionary leader driving sustainable development and gender equality in Africa through innovative financial policies

Lindiwe Majele Sigasge (born 1969) is a South African economist and former Vice President of the African Development Bank (2020-2023). Her groundbreaking work focuses on leveraging financial innovation to address climate change and gender disparities across the continent. As the first woman to hold the Vice Presidency position, she pioneered the Bank's Green Bond Initiative which mobilized $1.2 billion for renewable energy projects in 18 African countries.

Her operational leadership transformed the Bank's approach to infrastructure financing, creating frameworks that prioritize women's economic participation. The Gender Equality Strategy she developed increased female representation in funded projects from 28% to 47% between 2021-2024.

Through her professional networks, she established partnerships with tech startups like Kenya's M-KOPA Solar and Nigeria's Flutterwave to create inclusive financial ecosystems. Her 2022 TED Talk "Africa's Financial Renaissance" has been viewed over 2.1 million times.

Sigasge's advocacy led to the creation of the African Climate Finance Facility in 2023, a $3 billion fund targeting climate-resilient agriculture and water infrastructure. Her policy innovations are cited in the World Bank's 2024 Gender in Agriculture Report as best practices for gender-sensitive financing.