Martin is an experienced financial services professional with a first class Bachelor’s degree in International Marketing from the University of the West of Scotland and a Masters in International Banking, Finance and Risk Management from Glasgow Caledonian University. Over the last 10 years he has worked in investment operations and compliance at some of the world’s top financial institutions.

It was during the course of his career that he first encountered Royal Bafokeng Platinum Ltd., which was then a frequently traded security on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. His curiosity about this stock led to his learning of Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH) which is an investment firm owned by the Royal Bafokeng Nation, a sub-national kingdom in South Africa. He considers that the kingdom’s economic development approach through Community Wealth Building (CWB) could potentially influence development strategies and economic policy in other Sub-Saharan regions.

His proposed PhD is a study in political economy seeking to explore the extent to which the Bafokeng Community Wealth Building (CWB) model can be leveraged as a strategy for economic democracy and development. Exploring traditional governance institutions in post-colonial Sub-Saharan countries as potential anchor institutions, the project will seek to theoretically de-centre contemporary CWB from dominant Western narratives, and define it in an African context. Martin considers this research as an opportunity to contribute to the discourse on effective economic development in Africa, seeking African solutions to African challenges.

First published: 20 November 2024

<< 2025 Scholars