Dr Bandile Hadebe
Co-Founder and Executive Director of the King Dinizulu Innovation Valley
Dr Bandile Hadebe is a classic polymath with deep experience in health technology, digital transformation, labour and public policy, with a distinguished career spanning the public and private sectors. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the King Dinizulu Innovation Valley, a flagship initiative headquartered at Dube TradePort, which is pioneering a globaly competitive ecosystem for digital transformation out of KwaZulu-Natal into the world. Recently inducted into the local organizing committee of the UN Women’s, Women for Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPFH), which galvanizes funding from across the globe to support women who prevent conflict, respond to crises, and accelerate peace in their communities.
Currently serving as a dual Managing Director for Eta Data and Health Accelerator (Pty) Ltd, Dr Hadebe is driving the development of digital healthcare platforms modeled on global capability centres. His influence extends across international forums, including as Co-Chairperson for South Africa, the BRICS-WBA Health Working Group and former Council Member of the Microsoft Health Advisory Council.
A graduate of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Hadebe is a Non-Executive Director at Cipla South Africa, has served as the the Head of Regional Secretariat for Africa Health (now the World Health Expo) Previously, he held executive roles at BCX (Telkom Group), and Dimension Data, where he led vertical strategies for healthcare and public sector innovation. He spent his time in government as Head of the Deputy Ministry of Economic Development, Special Advisor at the State IT Agency, and Director for Planning and Foresight in the Presidential National Commission on the Information Society.