Ronak Gopaldas

Ronak Gopaldas is a political economist and pracademic specializing in Africa's political economy, serving as Research Fellow at the London School of Economics' Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa and faculty at GIBS Business School. He concurrently directs Signal Risk and leverages prior experience as Head of Country Risk at Rand Merchant Bank.

Education:

• BCom in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) with Business French, University of Cape Town
• BCom (Hons) in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management, University of Cape Town
• MSc in Finance (Economic Policy), SOAS, University of London

His research synthesizes geopolitics, economics, and business dynamics across Africa, with emphasis on country risk assessment, international relations, and horizon scanning. He is renowned for translating complex continental trends into actionable insights for policy and corporate audiences.

Scientific Awards:

• Global South African Brand Ambassador (2024)
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow (2019)
• Raisina Young Fellow (2015)
• Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) alumnus