Job Description

The role of the Economist is to develop, maintain and refine quantitative models to analyse the South African economy. Forecast key economic indicators, assess macroeconomic trends and simulate the potential impacts on the South African economy with a focus on gross fixed capital formation and infrastructure investment.
Key Responsibilities1. Model Development and Maintenance

• Develop and update macroeconomic models to forecast key indicators such as GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, exchange rates, and fiscal balances.
• Conduct trend forecasting for economic developments in South Africa and African economies, identifying new investment opportunities across industries.
• Build long-term models to forecast investment/Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF)/infrastructure needs with a focus on sectors aligned with DBSA priorities.
• Maintain robust, and accurate models to support DBSA leadership
• Update, maintain, and provide inputs into the quarterly DBSA macro-econometric model in collaboration with the Senior Economist.
• Integrate macroeconomic models with Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) models to guide investment, growth, and employment strategies.

2. Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Collect, clean, and analyse datasets from economic sources to inform models and
• Identify emerging economic, industry, and investment trends to guide decision-making for South African and broader African economies.
• Deliver analytical support and economic intelligence to the Chief Economist, Senior Economist, and DBSA
• Design, prepare, and disseminate economic updates, macroeconomic models/forecasts, and analytical
• Stay informed on regional development issues, research, and innovative solutions relevant to DBSA's

3. Reporting and Presentations

• Prepare detailed reports and presentations on model assumptions, results, and policy
• Communicate economic findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior management and policymakers.
• Produce data-driven analysis in the form of reports, memos, and presentations for DBSA leadership, including Board-level materials.
• Deliver monthly and quarterly economic analysis reports and contribute to corporate planning, strategic documents, and annual reports.

4. Collaboration and Continuous Learning

• Stay updated on economic theories, modelling techniques, and global economic
• Produce high-quality economic outputs during peak periods in response to leadership
• Publish a minimum of one special economic note quarterly and contribute to sectoral analysis supporting DBSA's developmental agenda.
• Work with economists, analysts, and stakeholders to provide economic insights that shape strategic
• Contribute to developing industry forecasts and policy recommendations for

Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time. Will also be expected to perform other tasks related to the economic function as required by the Bank.Key Measures of Outputs * Produce quality analysis and inputs into the monthly and quarterly economic

• Quality of presentations to
• Quality of reports on Gross Fixed Capital Formation data and infrastructure
• Trend forecasting for economic developments in South Africa and African
• Number of identified potential investment opportunities across
• Maintained DBSA economic
• Quality inputs into the quarterly DBSA macro econometric model.
• Contribution to special economic notes or policy briefs per year.
• Turnaround times and high-quality outputs.
• Contribute to the developmental agenda of the DBSA through sectoral and industry analysis.
• Economic contributions to the corporate plan, CE reports, strategic planning and annual reports.
• Clean Audit.

Expertise & Technical Competenciesa) Written & Verbal Communication

• Is relied on by others to help them write complex technical and non-technical documents and briefs.
• Is able to determine which aspects of this knowledge area need to be transferred to others in order to achieve organisational goals.
• Able to communicate complex problems or concepts, by making them simple and understandable for others.
• Adapts language to the level of the audience in order to ensure that the message has a positive impact and is interesting to the audience.

b) Attention to detail

• Quickly identifies relevant and irrelevant information to support accurate decision-making.
• Maps out all the logistics and details of a situation to ensure smooth and flawless implementation.
• Consistently identifies all relevant details that are not obvious in complex situations.
• Requires the highest standards for accuracy and quality for their work.
• Establishes processes to ensure accuracy and quality of services delivered by the team.

c) Data Collection and Analysis

• Skilled in the use of advanced/complex analytical techniques.
• Is able to use judgement to decide upon the most appropriate analytical techniques according to the situation.
• Recognises underlying principles, patterns, or themes in an array of related information, and determine whether additional information would be useful or necessary.
• Through an in-depth understanding of the business environment, reviews outputs of analysis to identify anomalies and draws conclusions, relating these to operational circumstances.
• Can model a range of scenarios covering all potential business circumstances and highlight potential risks/opportunities.

d) Commercial Awareness

• Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can take decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
• Deep understanding of DBSA's economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA's strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of DBSA's core sector role in achieving DBSA's strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.

e) Research

• Demonstrates expert skill levels in strategic and operational research techniques, including process analysis, modelling, and forecasting.
• Adapts, creates, and designs new research techniques to meet the organisation's requirements.
• Provides specialist coaching and guidance to researchers and other organisation employees.
• Promotes the professional reputation of the organisation by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.

f) Communication and Reporting

• Able to communicate complex problems or concepts, by making them simple and understandable for others.
• Adapts language to the level of the audience to ensure that the message has a positive impact and is interesting to the audience.
• Is articulate, demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary, and is confident when talking to large/high-level audiences.
• Designs / customizes reports to meet user needs.
• Prepares complex or tailored reports, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report.
• Keeps standard reports under review and proposes improvements to meet user needs.

g) Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g., the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Minimum Requirements * A Masters degree in macroeconomics, econometrics, development economics, applied statistics or related discipline.

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in economics in a major financial, public or international institution.
• Exceptional analytical skills, a deep understanding of economic theory, and proficiency in data modelling techniques.
• Demonstrated knowledge of broad analytical techniques, statistics, and econometrics as well as mathematical and operations research tools, such as EViews and R.
• Proven expertise in macroeconomic analysis and forecasting with a focus on empirical methods.
• Experience and knowledge in sourcing, compiling, interrogating, testing and analysing statistical information amongst a broad domain of databases/statistical data sources for use in quantitative analyses.
• Knowledge of the empirical application of different macroeconomic theories and the South African and African economic environment.
• Experience with working with Gross Fixed Capital Formation data, investment data and construction-related data.
• Understanding, knowledge and experience of the historical and current economic trends in the global and South African economy and factors influencing the economic environment.
• Proven understanding, knowledge and experience of macroeconomics with a proven track record of leading and preparing good quality reports, documents and presentations.

Desired Requirements * Predictive analytics.Required Personal Attributesa) Achievement Orientation

• Focuses on new or more effective ways of improving own work and meeting targets.
• Focuses on raising quality, customer satisfaction and revenues.
• Makes specific changes to systems and processes to improve efficiency and quality.
• Formulates own objectives and action plans to achieve a measurable improvement in the future.

b) Analytical Thinking

• Identifies multiple elements of a problem and breaks down each of those elements in detail, showing causal relationships between them.
• Uses several analytical techniques to identify several solutions and weighs the value of each.

c) Conceptual thinking

• Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others and not learned from previous education or experience to explain situations or resolve problems.
• Looks at things in a significantly novel way breakthrough thinking.

d) Strategic and Innovative thinking

• Recognizes opportunities or problems emerging in patterns and trends, and their impact on the business and profitability drivers.
• Applies learning from previous situations and experiences.
• Sees underlying causality in the current situation. Applies business acumen to make sound decisions.
• Recognizes opportunities or potential problems, before they become obvious, by seeing the connections in a range of sources of information, including insights from outside DBSA.
• Restates complex knowledge in a way that makes it easier for others to understand.

e) Business Acumen

• Understands business fundamentals.
• Analyses and comprehends organisational goals and strategies.
• Understands tactical business fundamentals in the public sector environment and incorporates them into decision-making.

f) Teamwork

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

g) Decisiveness

• Makes timely decisions about complex issues even when some information is missing.
• Makes decisions and stands by them even when they are controversial or unpopular.
• Grasps critical business opportunities when they arise by making timely decisions.

h) Driving delivery of results

• Identifies and implements a business opportunity that will have a long-term impact on the business. Monitors progress and adapts the plan if necessary to ensure optimal benefit to the business.
• Makes decisions, sets priorities, or chooses goals on the basis of inputs and outputs: makes explicit considerations of potential profit, return on investment, or cost-benefit analysis.
• Based on cost benefit analysis, makes decisions of entrepreneurial risk nature.

Development Bank of Southern Africa