Talent Profile

Cleola Kunene

Cleola Kunene is a pivotal architect in Africa's financial ecosystem. Transitioning from her role as Head of SME Development at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) to a Venture Fund Partner, she moves from supporting market liquidity to actively fueling them. She has been instrumental in shaping global policy as Deputy Chair of SU20, under G20 and a member of B20 for investment, trade and market access.

Operating at the intersection of institutional capital and entrepreneurial grit, Cleola is a leading SME Activist and seasoned Board Director committed to dismantling the systemic barriers facing Africa's "missing middle." She doesn't just comment on the market, she moves it, amplifying the voice of entrepreneurs, women in global boardrooms where policy, power, and capital converge.

Cleola is the winner of numerous awards including, but not limited to the 2023 Women of Power Award for Mail & Guardian, the 2024 Future Leader Award and, in 2025 she was recognised by the Global SME Summit in Davos for her work as a global SME expert for meaningfully contributing to startup ecosystems in the UAE, Madagascar, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt and Rwanda.