The World Bank Group has appointed Nathan Belete as the new Country Director for Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, putting him in charge of managing a huge development portfolio valued at about US$12.5 billion.
Belete, an Ethiopian national, brings over 25 years of development experience across Africa, East Asia, and South Asia. Before this appointment, he served as Country Director for Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal, where he worked from the Bank’s Dakar office.
In Zimbabwe, Belete replaces Marjorie Mpundu, a Zambian national who served in the role for just one year before being redeployed within the World Bank.
According to the Bank, Belete will be based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from where he will oversee programmes across the four countries. The portfolio covers several priority areas, including human capital, agriculture, infrastructure, private sector growth, climate change initiatives, and gender equality.
His career is rooted in agriculture and rural development. Between 2014 and 2019, he headed the World Bank’s Food and Agriculture Global Practice in the East Asia and Pacific Region, working from Vietnam. Before that, he managed the Sustainable Development Department in Indonesia and held positions in Nairobi, New Delhi, and Beijing, where he supervised investment projects and technical assistance in farming and rural development.
Development analysts say Belete’s appointment comes at a time when Zimbabwe and its neighbours are facing economic and climate-related challenges, and his deep experience in agriculture, infrastructure, and sustainability could prove critical in shaping future projects.
