Country and Sector Experts – South Africa

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Country and Sector Experts for a private sector consultancy assignment financed by UNDP in South Africa.

Aninver Development Partners is seeking a Country and Sector Expert for an upcoming private-sector development assignment in South Africa, commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The initiative focuses on evaluating special economic zone (SEZ) tenant firms and prospective micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to enhance intra-continental trade integration and supply-chain linkages across priority industrial sectors.

The expert will play a critical role in conducting company-level supply-chain analyses, executing enterprise surveys, and facilitating stakeholder engagement with local industrial operators and anchor buyers in South Africa. The engagement aims to bridge diagnostic data gaps, substantiate the trade opportunity pipeline, and translate regional industrial policies into concrete firm-level transactions.

Aninver is preparing a proposal for this assignment. The selected expert will be part of the proposed team; the engagement is conditional on the contract being awarded to Aninver. The full Terms of Reference for the position are shared with shortlisted candidates.

Objectives of the assignment

• Conduct rigorous company-level supply-chain analyses of SEZ tenant firms and prospective MSME suppliers.
• Gather firm-specific evidence covering inputs, outputs, production capacity, certification status, and logistics requirements.
• Identify actionable product-supplier matches and map firm-level constraints to established barrier solution matrices.
• Strengthen the regional trade opportunity pipeline by anchoring specific products to named off-takers and enterprises.

Scope of work

• Design and execute enterprise surveys, key informant interviews, and supply-chain mapping exercises across targeted industrial zones.
• Collaborate with SEZ operators, tenant firms, prospective MSME suppliers, and anchor buyers to collect primary operational data.
• Utilize structured data-collection instruments compatible with digital enterprise platforms to capture production and capacity metrics.
• Analyse buyer-supplier networks, production gaps, certification standards, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Map identified firm-level bottlenecks to existing barrier solution frameworks to support targeted intervention strategies.
• Refine priority product pipelines using empirical, firm-level evidence and present analytical findings to UNDP and national stakeholders.

Your role as Country and Sector Experts

• Lead field-level data collection, enterprise surveys, and key informant interviews with target enterprises and SEZ operators in South Africa.
• Apply deep knowledge of national SEZ ecosystems and enterprise networks to map local input and output supply chains.
• Assess company profiles, production capacities, utilization rates, and documentation readiness among participating firms.
• Identify buyer and supplier interests, matching prospective MSME suppliers with anchor buyers for targeted industrial sectors.
• Coordinate closely with local stakeholders, research partners, and project management teams to ensure data quality and confidentiality.
• Contribute granular, country-specific insights to synthesis reports and opportunity pipeline refinements.

Requirements

• Education: Relevant discipline
• At least 5 years of experience in enterprise surveys, key informant interviews and supply-chain mapping, with strong knowledge of national SEZ ecosystems and enterprise networks in South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Rwanda
• Languages: Fluency in English; proficiency in relevant local languages (e.g. Amharic, Kinyarwanda) is an asset

Desirable

• Proficiency in relevant local languages spoken within the operating environment.
• Prior experience working on assignments funded by UNDP or other international development organizations.

An experienced supply-chain and private-sector specialist with a strong background in enterprise surveys and SEZ ecosystems in South Africa, ready to drive impactful firm-level trade diagnostics.

Assignment details

• Location: South Africa
• Financed by: UNDP
• Sector: Private sector
• Positions: 4
• Estimated duration: 4 months
• Contract: individual consultancy (conditional on award)

About Aninver Development Partners

Aninver is an international development consulting firm headquartered in Spain. It supports governments, development banks, UN agencies and bilateral donors with feasibility studies, technical assistance, evaluations and capacity building across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific, working with a network of international and national experts.

Why apply

• Join a multidisciplinary team on a UNDP-financed project in South Africa.
• Individual consultancy: flexible, output-based engagement with an experienced proposal team.
• Your CV stays in Aninver's expert network for future assignments that match your profile.

How to apply

Sign in (or create a free account) and upload your CV in English. Add your LinkedIn profile, indicative daily rate and availability to speed up the assessment. Aninver will contact the shortlisted candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the position confirmed? The engagement depends on the contract being awarded to Aninver. Shortlisted experts are included in the proposal with their consent.

Can I apply if I am not based in the country? Yes, unless the requirements say otherwise; relevant regional experience is an asset.

What happens with my CV? It is used to assess your fit for this and future positions and is not shared with third parties without your consent.