User Profile

Special Advisor to the VP Academic Affairs, The Cooper Union for the Advancement

Mokena Makeka is a Principal in Dalberg Advisors. Mokena Makeka is a South African raised in Maseru, Lesotho and New York, USA and is an accomplished architect, artist, creative, curator, global leader, scholar, speaker, urbanist. He holds a B.Arch. Dist. Hons, ( Magna Cum Laude) University of Cape Town (UCT). He was the Azrieli Visiting Critic of 2020, Carleton University School of architecture and urbanism- Canada, Adjunct Professor Cooper Union- New York, and is a Board member of the South African Green Building Council and is a board member of the Cape Town Central City Improvement district. He is a Young Global leader at the World Economic Forum (2015) and is a member of the WCS Young leaders in urbanism. (Singapore). He is an expert on urban development/affordable housing and infrastructure development. Mokena has extensive experience of chairing, founding and serving on boards across the creative sector and built environment and some of these roles include the South African Heritage Agency, the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa, Cape Town Heritage Trust, the Isandla Institute (ex-chairman of the board) and Bush Radio Station. (ex-chairman of the board), Cape Africa Platform (ex-chairman of the board). He served as national strategic advisor to the Minister of Human Settlements, South Africa, and on the national council for arts and culture. He led the international award winning architectural and urban planning firm Makeka DesignLab/Works. Mokena offers high-quality design and strategic insight, innovative design solutions and mentorship across various disciplines. Mokena is the inaugural winner of the Gold Loerie Award for Communication Design (in Architecture) 2011. He is the youngest national recipient of the Award of Merit (two-time winner) from the Cape Institute for Architecture, winning the South African Council for the Architectural Profession medal for 2001, and various International design awards throughout his 18-year career. He has twice been named by the National City Press, as one of the top 100 World Class South Africans, and is widely referenced in the field of cities and urbanisation. In 2017 Mokena was one of the 40 young global cultural leaders of World Economic Forum at Davos, he was recognised for speaking truth to power and seeking to change the world for the better, alongside such luminaries as Shakira and Forest Whitaker. He has completed various executive leadership and business courses at prestigious institutions, including the Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford University. He holds various leadership fellowships including the Desmond Tutu Fellowship (2014), an Aliko Dangote Fellow (2014) and is a member of the African Leadership Network. He is also a 2020 Africa Lifelong Leadership Aspen Fellow.