The Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER) Women’s Forum has appointed Queen Nosipho Mthembu of Durban as its pioneer deputy chairperson, in an appointment approved by the Board of Trustees of the BRACED Tourism Promotion and Development Initiative, which sponsors ABER.
The board said the appointment recognized Mthembu’s distinguished service as a royal diplomat and Pan-African economic stateswoman and that she was expected to draw on her experience in royal diplomacy, policy leadership, and economic networks to support the Forum’s continental mandate of advancing women’s and youths’ participation in Africa’s blue economy.
In her new role, Mthembu is expected to mobilize traditional institutions and promote indigenous knowledge in implementing the Africa Blue Economy Strategy and African Union Agenda 2063, drawing on her positions, including Deputy Director for Africa Royal Kingdoms for International Cooperation and National Coordinator of ARTLC.
She is also expected to deepen ABER’s engagement with the African diaspora, facilitating investment, skills, and market opportunities for coastal communities through her role as Head of Protocol and Diplomacy for the State of Africa Diaspora, while her positions as Minister of Mining and Blue Economy in the Alkebulan Hayacratic Government and National Chairperson of Women in Logistics South Africa were said to support partnerships for sustainable ports and women-led value chains.
As deputy chairperson, Mthembu will support the chairperson and act in her stead when she is unavailable, coordinating the Forum’s activities across the five African Union regions and the diaspora and aligning ABER’s country chapters with headquarters on programs, advocacy, and policy. The Forum said her leadership would be guided by her motto, that of moving from heritage to economy and from throne to global impact, and that her appointment would strengthen its focus on unity, tradition, royal legacy, and inclusive participation.
Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, chairman of the board of trustees and convener and chief executive officer of ABER, welcomed the appointment, describing Mthembu’s royal diplomacy and Pan-African networks as strategic assets. He said her experience would contribute significantly to positioning the ABER Women’s Forum as a leading voice for African women, adding that the Forum looked forward to her leadership in advancing women’s participation in ocean governance across Africa and the diaspora.
