Joanne Yawitch has been the Chief Executive Officer of the National Business Initiative (NBI) since 2011. Prior to this, she was the Deputy Director General for Climate Change in the
Department of Environmental Affairs, with responsibility for
Environmental Quality and Protection, as well as for the
Department’s Climate Change work.

Joanne worked for the Gauteng Department of Environment
from 1997 to 2004 and prior to that, was Special Adviser to the then Minister of Land Affairs from 1994 to 1997.

Joanne is the former Chair of the Board of Directors of South African National Parks (SANParks). She is also a Board Member
of SAFCOL, as well as the Chair of their Social and Ethics Committee.

In 2020, Joanne was appointed as a Member of The Presidential
Climate Commission (PCC). In 2021 Joanne was appointed as a member of the Third National Planning Commission (NPC) and
in 2022 she was appointed as the Head of the Secretariat of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

Joanne has expertise in issues related to business and
sustainability, business and government collaboration, climate
change and sustainable development.