Seja Kekana is a Principal in the Africa Infrastructure Finance team at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, where she plays a leading role in structuring and delivering complex, large-scale transactions across the infrastructure, water, and telecommunications sectors.

Since joining Nedbank in 2021, Seja has helped deepen the bank’s involvement in infrastructure development, combining technical expertise with a strong commitment to inclusive growth. She has a sharp eye for early-stage feasibility, project structuring, and multi-stakeholder negotiation, which is critical in mobilising capital and closing deals that drive regional integration and impact.

With a background in development finance and commercial investment banking, Seja is known for bringing entrepreneurial insight and strategic rigour to her work. She is passionate about ecosystems that support women-led ventures and long-term infrastructure transformation on the continent. Her sector expertise includes Information and Communication Technology and Telecoms, minerals beneficiation, infrastructure, healthcare and manufacturing.

She is educated with a BEng (Hons) Electronics Engineering (Telecoms major) from Multimedia University (Malaysia), BSc Honours Technology Management (University of Pretoria), a postgraduate certificate in Technology Business Management (Rhodes University), Euromoney training in Public Private Partnerships and Project Finance, and a Master of Philosophy in Business Administration majoring in Corporate Finance (Gordon Institute for Business Science). 

Thiago Almeida is the Divisional Executive responsible for the Infrastructure Sector at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, which includes transport, freight, and logistics. Since joining Nedbank in 2020, he has been instrumental in expanding the bank’s footprint and market leadership in South Africa’s infrastructure and energy sectors.

Thiago leads a multidisciplinary team, driving the sector’s strategy, spearheading deal origination, and managing strategic client relationships across the infrastructure landscape. His extensive experience spans Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, where he has worked as an engineer, developer, and banker.

Thiago holds postgraduate executive qualifications from INSEAD, a master’s degree in water and wastewater engineering from Cranfield University, and a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and resource management from the University of Nottingham. His expertise is built on a foundation of deep sector knowledge, strong commercial acumen, and a commitment to fostering long-term, inclusive growth.         

Yusuf Chothia is a Senior Client Coverage Banker in the Infrastructure team at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking. With over 5 years at Nedbank, Yusuf is central in structuring and executing complex infrastructure financing solutions across South Africa and the broader region. He specialises in project finance, structured finance, and debt capital raising, working closely with clients, developers, and government stakeholders to deliver bankable infrastructure outcomes. Yusuf is passionate about sustainable development and infrastructure investment as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth.

A Chartered Accountant (SA) by training, he combines deep technical knowledge with practical experience in advisory-led coverage, helping to unlock transformative projects in sectors such as construction, cement, transport and water. Yusuf holds a Bachelor of Business Science in Accounting and Finance from the University of Cape Town and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting.

Zakhele Mayisa is currently the Co-head of Africa Infrastructure Finance at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking. He is a seasoned infrastructure finance and investment professional with 2 decades of experience across multiple sectors and jurisdictions. Zakhele has led teams in creating innovative solutions for financing large-scale infrastructure in emerging and developing economies. Dynamic and self-driven, he excels in diverse environments and works effectively with multi-disciplinary teams.

Zakhele is a certified Project Finance Analyst, earning his certification in 2021 from the Project Finance Institute in London, United Kingdom. He holds an MBA from the University of Reading in Henley, United Kingdom, a Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Economics and Management, a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Development Economics from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa.

His career includes roles at the New Development Bank (NDB) in Shanghai and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Tunis and Côte d’Ivoire, where he specialised in infrastructure finance and regional integration. His earlier experience includes various positions at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).