Reinette Van der Merwe

Reinette van der Merwe is the chief executive officer (CEO) for First Capital Bank Botswana and an advisory committee member of the Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability (Jameel Index). Supported by Community Jameel, the Jameel Index is a research project by the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which is developing a comprehensive index to address countries’ food security vulnerability. Over three years, the Jameel Index will measure countries’ dependence on global food trade and imports and how regional-scale threats might affect the ability to trade food goods across diverse geographic regions.

Reinette has 30 years of banking and financial services experience covering internal audit, retail and corporate banking across the African continent. Before joining First Capital Bank Botswana, she held several senior positions at Absa Bank (formerly Barclays), including head of internal audit for Africa and managing direct for Barclays Bank of Botswana.

Reinette is also board member of the Horse Society of Botswana and is passionate about sustainable development in the agricultural sector.