This is a profile image of Nomfanelo Magwentshu

Nomfanelo Magwentshu

Serves organizations across the public sector with a focus on economic development, health, and education, as well as private sector companies in telecommunications, services, transportation and logistics, and mining

Nomfanelo is a partner in the Johannesburg office experienced in business strategy, integration, megaproject management, and restructuring. She also has extensive experience in strategy development and operational management, having held several executive positions in the public and private sectors.

As a leader of the Public Sector Practice, Nomfanelo focuses on supporting South Africa’s leading public institutions to achieve large-scale transformations and sustainable strategy execution.

Examples of Nomfanelo’s work include the following:

  • developing a growth strategy for a listed-services company
  • formulating a future-proofed sourcing strategy for a large mining company
  • designing and piloting programs in selected focused job areas to help transition youth to employment
  • leading an implementation strategy to unlock the economic potential of South Africa’s four ocean sectors
  • creating a center of excellence strategy for a government’s education department to improve school performance and to maximize learner outcomes
  • devising a strategy to create engines for economic development of South African cities
  • constructing detailed plans to implement rhinos conservation efforts

Nomfanelo also leads Tirelo, McKinsey’s flagship social program that addresses youth unemployment in South Africa by creating jobs in high potential sectors, revitalizing economically vulnerable areas, and preparing job seekers for the working world.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Nomfanelo led the turnaround program of a major South African airline, including developing and implementing an end-to-end low cost strategy that established a new subsidiary, and served as chief operations officer of the organizing committee of a major global sports event. She is an Eisenhower Fellow, a Fellow of the African Leadership Institute, and a recipient of the Presidential Award for Managerial and Leadership Excellence from Black Management Forum.

Published work

Anything but average: A subnational perspective on SA’s development,” McKinsey & Company, June 2023

The future of work in South Africa: Digitisation, productivity and job creation,” McKinsey & Company, September 2019

South Africa’s Big Five: Bold Priorities for Inclusive Growth,” McKinsey Global Institute, September 2015

Education

Gordon Institute of Business Science
MBA

University of KwaZulu-Natal
BSc, statistics