Professor Adrian Saville is a leading South African economist, strategist, investment specialist and keynote speaker, recognised for translating complex economic and market dynamics into practical insights for business leaders and investors.
He is Professor of Economics, Finance & Strategy at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and Founding Director of the Centre for African Management and Markets (CAMM), where his work focuses on African competitiveness, integration, investment and sustainable economic growth.
Adrian has more than 25 years of experience spanning academia, investment management and entrepreneurship. He founded and grew an investment business that was subsequently sold to a listed company and today is the founder of Boundless World, an advisory firm focused on capital markets, business-model innovation and growth strategy. He also chairs the investment committee of MeTTa Capital’s venture-capital fund and holds a visiting professorship in Strategic Management at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
His research credentials include authorship of the Visa Africa Integration Index, Investec-GIBS Savings Index and RMB’s Where to Invest in Africa Report 2024/25. He has worked across markets from Africa to Brazil and Singapore, giving him a strong global perspective on what drives competitiveness, investment and economic growth.
Adrian holds a PhD in Economics, for which he received the Economic Society of South Africa’s Founders Medal. He is a UNESCO laureate and has completed programmes at institutions including Oxford, Columbia, Harvard, Stanford and Yale. His teaching has also earned multiple Excellence in Teaching awards, and he was nominated for the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Business Professor of the Year Award.
As a speaker, Adrian combines economic data, investment insight and strategic thinking to explore what enables countries, companies and industries to build competitive advantage and achieve sustainable growth.
Key Speaking Topics: African Economic Growth • Africa’s Competitiveness • Investment & Capital Markets • Global & South African Economics • Business Strategy • African Integration & Trade • Innovation & Growth Strategy • Building Competitive Economies
Highlights: Professor at GIBS • Founding Director of CAMM • PhD Economics • Economic Society of SA Founders Medal • UNESCO Laureate • Author, Visa Africa Integration Index • Author, RMB Where to Invest in Africa Report • Investment Entrepreneur • International Keynote Speaker
Based: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
