Cyril Prinsloo Independent Development Consultant
As part of our 40th anniversary celebration, each month we profile past employees who started their careers in development at Imani Development.
We recently caught up with Cyril Prinsloo, an Independent Development Consultant based in Cape Town, to share reflections on his time at Imani and the impact it had on his career.
Que: Why did you decide to work at Imani Development? What resonated with you about their work?
Cyril: Soon after completing my Master’s in International Studies at the University of Stellenbosch, I joined Imani Development as a Research Assistant in 2012. I always knew I wanted to work in international development, specifically looking at macroeconomic trends in emerging markets, and infrastructure finance and development in African countries. Given the opportunity to work in my field of study while fulfilling my passion to contribute to Africa’s development, joining Imani resonated well with me. I knew I wanted to be part of their team.
Que: What was your role during your time at Imani? What were some of the notable projects that you worked on?
Cyril: Imani’s broad project portfolio – from agricultural development to private sector development to regional integration – allowed me to explore a variety of sectors and find my niche. As a Research Assistant, I had the opportunity to support several projects, including trade facilitation and regional integration assignments across Southern and Eastern Africa. I was later promoted to the position of Economic Development Consultant, where my area of expertise was on trade and investment, regional integration and transport and infrastructure projects.
Here, I worked on a wide range of projects, providing technical assistance and strategic policy advice to various governments, regional institutions, and international development partners across Southern and Eastern Africa. For the SADC Secretariat, I was involved in a study assessing the impact of the SADC Trade Protocol on intra-regional trade. Our team also advised the SACU Secretariat on the Rules of Origin to trade textiles and clothing with SADC. Under DfID’s Trade Advocacy Fund, I provided technical assistance and capacity building support in developing trade negotiations capacity for the Malawi government’s Ministry of Industry and Trade. This project provided real insights into the intricacies of trade policy making. While at Imani, I also completed several assignments for the World Bank, IMF, UNDP and TMEA.
One of my most notable projects was evaluating Trademark East Africa’s support for the development of the Simplified Trade Regime (STR) in East Africa. This assignment involved visiting East African Community (EAC) member countries to evaluate the success of support provided to each of them. While engaging with many small cross-border traders, it was interesting to see how Imani Development’s work fits into the bigger scheme of economic development. I remember talking to a lady in Uganda who expressed how the STR had been a gamechanger for her as a businesswoman. For me, this experience showcased the real-world impact of the work Imani does, particularly in improving the lives for individuals engaged in cross-border trade.
Que: Please can you share with me how working at Imani helped shape your career path (if at all)? What did you gain – in terms of experience – during your time at Imani? What did you learn/key takeaways?
Cyril: As a young professional starting in my career, Imani Development offered a holistic consulting experience. The organisation’s broad project portfolio allowed me to explore a variety of sectors and find my niche in global economic governance, infrastructure financing, and trade and investment relations.
After spending 4 years at Imani, I joined the Economic Diplomacy Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) where I specialised in global economic governance processes and institutions, and African global economic relations.
My biggest takeaway during my time at Imani was the ability to look at a problem or a challenge from a 360-degree perspective. Before addressing a given challenge, you must look at it from all angles, and that’s what a good consultant does. At Imani, it was always about exploring every dimension of a problem before you could make any recommendations. This is something I have carried with me ever since, and it remains my approach in every assignment. I believe Imani was instrumental in shaping me to become a seasoned Independent Consultant.