Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana 2022 speaker

Co-head: Institutional sales and research

Rand Merchant Bank

Biography

Trained in economics and international finance at the University of Johannesburg (undergraduate in Economics and Econometrics (cum laude)) and Honours in international trade and finance (cum laude), Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana quickly learnt that applying her trade requires adaptation to real world challenges, at least in the realm of an investment bank. Loyal to RMB, she has spent her working career learning from exceptional members of the markets cluster of the corporate and investment bank.

Leading the Bank’s Markets research team is a culmination of 11 years of experience which was largely spent traversing the African continent in search of economic and financial market insights.
Her formative years at RMB was spent as junior FX analyst looking at global economics, the South African rand and corporate risk management.

By 2010 the allure of Africa captured her interest and Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana spent the next 8 years providing economic and financial market analyses for selected African countries, expanding our coverage to institutional clients both locally and abroad. In recognition of her contribution to South Africa’s bond market, the Africa Research team was awarded 1st place at the JSE’s Spire Awards in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2nd place in 2013, 2016 and 2017.

Though Africa remains her passion, her current role has sharpened my awareness of the need for societal change, hence her interest in behavioural economics and impact investment.