ICLEI Africa staff

Kobie Brand
Deputy Secretary General: ICLEI
Regional Director: ICLEI Africa
Kobie has more than 25 years of practical and managerial experience in Environmental Management and Urban Development. Her expertise range from biodiversity, climate change, coastal management to urban sustainability and planning. She is responsible for the strategic direction, growth, partnerships, programmes and scope of work for ICLEI in Africa. Kobie is also Global Director for ICLEI’s Biodiversity and Nature-based solutions work, and in this capacity heads up the Cities Biodiversity Center embedded in ICLEI Africa.
ICLEI has more than 260 staff in 22 offices around the world, offering expertise that positions local and regional governments to advance sustainable urban development along our five pathways.
Our multidisciplinary team is divided into 5 teams, which include technical and support staff. However, since the urban challenges we face today are often complex, we work across workstreams to ensure we offer cities integrated solutions.
ICLEI AFRICA TEAM

Kobie Brand

Ingrid Coetzee

Dr Meggan Spires

Michelle Preen

Nachi Majoe

Stephanie Babef

Steven Molteno

Dr Ernita Flynn

Jess Kavonic

Dr Kate Strachan

Paul Currie

Rebecca Cameron

Tara Caetano

Thea Buckle

Adél Strydom

Avuyile Kewana

Balbina Nyamakura

Ben Hetherington

Carine Lehtem Buma

Claudia Schroder

Damien Gabriel

Dania Petrik

Faghmieda King

Jehan Bhikoo

Kirsty Griffin

Mellissa Moses

Mthobisi Wanda

Nelson de Lamare

Nikara Mahadeo

Nokubonga Gwangqa

Quraisha Bux

Solophina Nekesa

Sonya Smith

Tamlyn Duncan

Tarryn Quayle

Ryan Fisher

Vanessa Tshite

Widaad Pienaar

Takunda Mambo

Thabo Thulare

Kevin Mutia

Meagen Swain
Urban Systems
ICLEI Africa’s Urban Systems workstream focuses primarily on the systems that manage and influence the consumption of resources in African cities. By focusing on systems, cities can identify strategic areas of intervention that facilitate more sustainable urban living and unlock broader ecological and social benefits. The workstream’s themes include resource-efficient service provision, resource flows and circular development, ecomobility, visioning sustainable future cities, procurement, finance, capacity building and governance.

Kobie Brand

Paul Currie

Jehan Bhikoo

Solophina Nekesa

Esethu Mmngxunyeni

Thea Buckle

Kevin Mutia

Thabo Thulare
The Climate Change, Energy and Resilience workstream tackles issues of relevance to African cities, including low emission development, climate change adaptation, access to finance and energy, resilience, and disaster risk reduction. The team consists of a diverse set of individuals with backgrounds in energy, economics, environmental science, engineering and planning. Our goal is to co-develop sustainability solutions with our cities, with the aim of enhancing urban resilience on the continent.
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY AND RESILIENCE

Dr Meggan Spires

Jess Kavonic

Dr Kate Strachan

Nachi Majoe

Rebecca Cameron

Tara Caetano

Avuyile Kewana

Ben Hetherington

Damien Gabriel

Dania Petrik

Kirsty Griffin

Tarryn Quayle

Vanessa Tshite

Carine Lehtem Buma

Nelson de Lamare

Balbina Nyamakura

Adél Strydom

Claudia Schroder

Takunda Mambo

Jarita Kassen

Meagen Swain
BIODIVERSITY AND NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
This workstream helps cities and urban communities work with nature to design their cities to improve urban health, resilience and well-being. We do this by assisting local governments to adopt green-blue infrastructure solutions, interpret global biodiversity and sustainability targets, and find innovative ways of mainstreaming nature-based solutions. We support local leaders to apply sustainable governance practices and advocate multilevel governance in the negotiation and implementation of the UN Conventions.

Ingrid Coetzee

Dr Ernita Flynn

Mthobisi Wanda

Nikara Mahadeo

Ryan Fisher

Tamlyn Duncan

Quraisha Bux

Thea Buckle
ICLEI Africa’s multi-skilled communications team has extensive experience in the fields of communications, as well as urban sustainability and environmental issues, working at local and subnational government levels. We work closely with the technical workstreams to design effective communications strategies and deliver impactful communications campaigns, resources and events, both in Africa and globally. We support our members in Africa by profiling their sustainable urban development work.
COMMUNICATIONS

Michelle Preen

Thea Buckle

Adél Strydom

Claudia Schroder

Widaad Pienaar

Jarita Kassen
MEMBERSHIP
The Membership office builds and serves the ICLEI network in Africa, working with the communications and technical teams to provide a range of services to members. While being a unique commitment to sustainable development, ICLEI membership also grants subnational authorities democratic powers to govern the organisation internationally. We therefore support the ICLEI Africa Committee and its Mayors, both across our continent and globally.

Steven Molteno

Damien Gabriel

Faghmieda King

Nelson de Lamare
This workstream helps cities and urban communities work with nature to design their cities to improve urban health, resilience and well-being. We do this by assisting local governments to adopt green-blue infrastructure solutions, interpret global biodiversity and sustainability targets, and find innovative ways of mainstreaming nature-based solutions. We support local leaders to apply sustainable governance practices and advocate multilevel governance in the negotiation and implementation of the UN Conventions.
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Stephanie Babef

Faghmieda King

Mellissa Moses

Sonya Smith
