Ronak Gopaldas
RONAK GOPALDAS is a director at Signal Risk, an exclusively African risk advisory firm. He was previously the head of country risk at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) for a number of years, where he managed a team who provided the firm with in-depth analysis of economic, political, security and operational dynamics across sub-Saharan Africa. He holds a BCom degree in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) and a BCom (Hons) from the University of Cape Town (UCT). He also has an MSc in finance (economic policy) through the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.[
Africa’s industrialisation

Africa’s industrialisation

Why manufacturing is key to creating jobs and building diversified economies   Can the continent make it? By Ronak Gopaldas   Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce 53% of the world’s cocoa. But the supermarket shelves in Abidjan and Accra, their respective...

Utopian fantasy or attainable reality?

Utopian fantasy or attainable reality?

SDGs and global growth Changing political and economic dynamics are set to make achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 a great deal more difficult By Ronak Gopaldas On the 25 September 2015, 193 countries adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at...

Is Africa really open for business?

Is Africa really open for business?

Governments vs business: the trust deficit By Ronak Gopaldas Africa is experiencing a surge in economic nationalism, with populist and anti-business rhetoric and sentiment on the rise in a number of countries. The two most obvious exhibits of this are the emergence of...

Can the continent make it?

Can the continent make it?

Africa’s industrialisation Why manufacturing is key to creating jobs and building diversified economies Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce 53% of the world’s cocoa. But the supermarket shelves in Abidjan and Accra, their respective capitals, are stacked with chocolates...

Diaspora diaries and football politics

Diaspora diaries and football politics

As with football, Africa risks losing its best and brightest to more advanced and  monied nations Football and politics have always enjoyed a fascinating relationship. During this year’s World Cup the political subtext was especially elevated, given the geo-political...

Balancing the future with the present

Balancing the future with the present

Africa’s demographic advantages are well documented. Yet, of late, rapid changes and technological advances have divided opinions about these prospects. For many sceptics, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) poses a massive threat to the continent’s youth. Machine...

Help, don’t hinder

Help, don’t hinder

Governments and formal businesses must recognise that informal businesses need to be more productive, not wished away International experience indicates that informal economies decline as countries develop, but most African countries are likely to have large informal...

Turning tradition on its head

Turning tradition on its head

East Asia investing in Africa could prove the panacea to the regions’ parallel problems After the financial crisis of 2008, Africa provided an enticing investment destination for countries looking for return on investment. Driven by both push and pull factors, the...

Ronak Gopaldas
RONAK GOPALDAS is a director at Signal Risk, an exclusively African risk advisory firm. He was previously the head of country risk at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) for a number of years, where he managed a team who provided the firm with in-depth analysis of economic, political, security and operational dynamics across sub-Saharan Africa. He holds a BCom degree in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) and a BCom (Hons) from the University of Cape Town (UCT). He also has an MSc in finance (economic policy) through the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.[
Africa’s industrialisation

Africa’s industrialisation

Why manufacturing is key to creating jobs and building diversified economies   Can the continent make it? By Ronak Gopaldas   Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce 53% of the world’s cocoa. But the supermarket shelves in Abidjan and Accra, their respective...

Can the continent make it?

Can the continent make it?

Africa’s industrialisation Why manufacturing is key to creating jobs and building diversified economies Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce 53% of the world’s cocoa. But the supermarket shelves in Abidjan and Accra, their respective capitals, are stacked with chocolates...

Diaspora diaries and football politics

Diaspora diaries and football politics

As with football, Africa risks losing its best and brightest to more advanced and  monied nations Football and politics have always enjoyed a fascinating relationship. During this year’s World Cup the political subtext was especially elevated, given the geo-political...

Balancing the future with the present

Balancing the future with the present

Africa’s demographic advantages are well documented. Yet, of late, rapid changes and technological advances have divided opinions about these prospects. For many sceptics, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) poses a massive threat to the continent’s youth. Machine...

Help, don’t hinder

Help, don’t hinder

Governments and formal businesses must recognise that informal businesses need to be more productive, not wished away International experience indicates that informal economies decline as countries develop, but most African countries are likely to have large informal...

Turning tradition on its head

Turning tradition on its head

East Asia investing in Africa could prove the panacea to the regions’ parallel problems After the financial crisis of 2008, Africa provided an enticing investment destination for countries looking for return on investment. Driven by both push and pull factors, the...