Our purpose is to unlock value in Africa. We use our analytical capabilities to improve decision-making and, through better decisions, to unlock substantial value for our clients and society. While we are the largest economics-based consulting firm in Africa, we use a large number of techniques and approaches to achieve clarity for decision-makers. We work across various domains. Early specialisations were competition and regulatory economics, and then financial services strategy. Since then we have added: agriculture and agribusiness, applied behavioural economics, infrastructure, health, monitoring and evaluation and shared value. We often combine our areas of expertise to craft services that recognise the multifaceted nature of our clients’ challenges and opportunities. How does our work unlock value? How our work unlocks value depends on the challenge posed. We do it by figuring out the mobile entry strategy for a bank operating in a fast-growing market. By equipping a regulator with litigation-proof analysis to reduce mobile-phone termination rates, saving low-income consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. By devising a horticulture strategy for a large East African country that can create a hundred thousand jobs. By demonstrating how a climate-resilient water scheme can be restructured to serve thousands more households in needier areas. Four convictions that infuse our work: A focus on analytical strength. While economics is a core tool, we apply many other tools - financial, strategic and evaluative - to improve decisions and unlock value. We do this across a wide range of sectors and services, as is evident from the site. We pride ourselves on the quality of our analysis. Every professional in Genesis is equipped and indeed required to wield our analytical tools with rigour, imagination and - when called for - courage. At home in both the private and public sectors - and especially where they meet. At Genesis, the same teams service both the corporate and the public sectors. Experience in the one, we believe, enriches our work in the other. As a result of this cross-learning, we are often asked to work in the zone where the market meets the state. One example is helping a financial services firm build competitive advantage in a harsh new regulatory environment. Another is devising a donor-funded intervention to enable catfish farmers in the Niger Delta to service their markets more effectively. Ethics above expedience. The zone where the state meets the market is crowded with many actors, from the ethical to the expedient. We work hard to earn and maintain a reputation for rigour, ethics and fairness. We are also dedicated to improving the system we work and live in. These convictions add to our effectiveness for clients, as what we do and say is taken seriously by state and non-state entities alike. When we err, we own up to it and act swiftly to recover lost ground for our client. A focus on the decision and how it is made. We aim to improve a wide range of decisions ranging from a regulatory process in a multi-billion-dollar industry to the nutrition decisions of a young woman in rural Rwanda. In all these cases there is much to understand about the decision-makers: their assumptions, their priorities, their constraints, their blind spots, their language, their way of thought. The better we understand the decision context, the more effective our advice. Once a decision has been made, the real work begins. The decision needs to be communicated and coalitions for change built. Our work gathers the evidence, crafts the insights and anticipates likely objections to ease the next stages of communication, persuasion and implementation. We increasingly assist in implementation. A brief history Stephan Malherbe founded Genesis Analytics in February 1998 with a staff of two in a 59 square-metre office in the Johannesburg suburb of Blairgowrie. The firm was the first specialist microeconomics consultancy in South Africa, microeconomics being the study of product, labour and capital markets. The word 'genesis’ is derived from the ancient Greek word, which means to be born. Despite the strong biblical associations today, the word entered the English language only in the 17th century via Latin. Stephan called the firm Genesis because it was founded at a time of two beginnings: a rebirth for South Africa -just four years into democracy - and a new phase of growth for Africa. The hope was that the firm, small as it was, would be able to apply economic logic and would therefore be a catalyst for further growth and expansion in the region. Making a positive impact From the start, Genesis was an avowedly for-profit firm with the purpose of making a positive impact in South Africa. The idea was to use the disciplines of a business and an ability to reinvest earnings in order to work effectively in areas that have traditionally been the preserve of government or non-profit organisations. Due to a combination of skills and circumstance, the firm’s work from the beginning has tended to be where the state meets the market and to this day state/market interface remains an important focus. Our earliest projects included developing strategies to increase investment, designing policy for a financial centre in Africa, and undertaking detailed work on a competition policy regime for South Africa. An important early project involved drafting a key report for the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) on the causes and implications of the 1998 emerging-market financial crisis. Work in public and private sectors Another early feature was a roster of clients split fairly equally between the public and private sectors. This is still the case today, and is embodied in our methodology of using the same teams for both public and private work. We believe that understanding the one sector enables Genesis to better advise the other. While this approach has proven to be beneficial for both corporate and government clients, it has also necessitated absolute clarity and consistency on ethics and conflicts of interest. This, too, has become a cornerstone of our ongoing approach. Stephan was joined by banking and financial specialist Richard Ketley in 2003 and industrial organisation and trade specialist James Hodge in 2005. Their arrival led to the launch of our financial services strategy and competition and regulatory practice areas. Another prominent early director, who joined in 2002, was Hennie Bester. He built up the firm’s capabilities in financial inclusion and is today a prominent independent consultant in financial inclusion and development strategy. Largest economics-based firm in the region Within six years, Genesis had become the largest firm of its kind in the region, which it remains to this day. Its growth reflected the versatility of economic tools for understanding commercial, societal and political dynamics. As a result, Genesis has become proficient in an ever larger number of domains. To our start in policy design we added financial deepening and inclusion, bank strategy, competition economics, utilities regulation, challenge fund design, development programme evaluation, infrastructure strategy and evaluation, programme design, behavioural economics and stakeholder strategy. In the last three years, practice areas and teams have been established in infrastructure, agriculture and agribusiness, energy, health and behavioural economics. In 2015, a large team was split off from other development work to focus on monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and this is one of the most rapidly expanding and internationally active areas of the firm. With its roots still firmly in South Africa, Genesis has rapidly internationalised in recent years. Approximately half of our revenue is generated outside South Africa and this proportion is increasing steadily. The African specialists operating out of the Johannesburg and Nairobi offices offer expertise in competition, regulation development and finance that we believe is unparalleled in the region. The firm is intent on building a cadre of African professional expertise that matches and exceeds international benchmarks of quality. Educational fund for black economists We are also proud of our South African roots. We have been a direct beneficiary of South Africa’s democratisation and of the historic compact that accompanied it. More than a decade ago, we therefore donated a 20% ownership stake in our South African operation (then the only one) to a purpose-created foundation in order to fund the education of black South African economists. Including current students, the foundation has funded graduate studies for more than 30 specialists in the field. Alumni of this programme have filled senior positions in the National Treasury, the Reserve Bank and the Competition Commission, among others. Many alumni have also worked for, or continue to work for, Genesis on a number of different teams. Although Genesis is no longer solely an economics firm, we still employ many economists and work extensively in the area. Our economics roots have therefore formed our identity. Clarity of thought, analytical rigour, an evidence-driven approach, a thirst for getting to the truth of the matter: these parts of our DNA come from our grounding in economics. The firm, which is still jointly owned by the founding partners and the foundation, has grown to include 15 partners and more than a hundred full-time staffSENIOR ASSOCIATE EARLY YEARS The early childhood challenges facing countries in the Young World are vast and urgent - expanding access to quality preschool, strengthening workforce and financing systems, improving governance and quality assurance, and building integrated services that can deliver at scale. Our Early Years team exists to help governments and partners tackle these challenges with rigour and ambition. This is a role for someone who has already done substantive analytical work and is ready to take real ownership. You will lead workstreams on live client engagements, manage analytical processes end-to-end, and engage directly with senior government and donor counterparts. You will live and benefit from the Genesis values, and you will use technology effectively and responsibly. Your work will include: Leading analytical workstreams within client projects - designing the approach, managing the data and evidence, and owning outputs from start to finish Managing small to medium sized client projects - responsible for developing workplans, overseeing project finances, managing internal and external teams, and maintaining project administration Conducting and directing rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis across early years projects: system diagnostics, financing and costing studies, public-private partnership feasibility, workforce analyses, and policy benchmarking Developing core client deliverables - technical reports, investment cases, policy notes, slide decks - and presenting findings with clarity and authority to senior audiences Engaging directly with clients in working sessions, technical reviews, and in-country engagements Mentoring and supporting junior colleagues - contributing to a culture of siyakhana (growing together) Contributing to proposal development and business development, including methodology sections, workplans, and commercials At Senior Associate level, this work further extends to leading client relationships and business development processes, reviewing work and outputs of more junior colleagues, and owning workstreams within the team. You will be supported by experienced Principal and Partner-level colleagues and given the space to develop. But you will be trusted with responsibility early because that is how excellent consultants are made, and because we are investing in you as a future leader of this practice. Requirements Genesis consultants carry a balanced combination of powerful intellect, strong technical skills, and a consulting character to match. Successful candidates for roles at Genesis: Are passionate, self-motivated problem-solvers Value integrity and exhibit ethical behaviour Are analytical thinkers and fast learners with an excellent academic record The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy the flexible nature of the job, and like to hit the ground running. You are pro-active and hands-on, with the ability to work effectively as part of a team, contribute to a culture of mutual mentorship, and take the initiative to drive excellence. You are likely to have: Experience: At least 3+ years of substantive professional experience in early years (or related field) consulting, research, government, or international development. Demonstrated ability to own analytical workstreams independently. Education: An outstanding degree (top 10% of cohort) in Education, Early Childhood Development, Development Studies, Public Policy, Economics, Statistics, or a related field. A Master's degree or PhD is strongly preferred Technical skills: Strong proficiency in Excel and possibly at least one of Stata, R, or Python for quantitative analysis, with the ability to run and interpret analyses without close supervision. Experience with relevant datasets (learning assessments, EMIS, DHS, MICS household surveys, administrative data) is highly valued. Consulting craft: Prior experience in strategy, economics, or development consulting - with demonstrated ability to structure problems, develop hypotheses, and produce high-quality, client-ready outputs under pressure. Project management: Ideally, prior experience in managing projects or workstreams, including overseeing budgets, workplans, and teams. Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication in English, with the ability to present complex findings to non-technical audiences, including ministers, donors, and senior officials. Fluency in French, Arabic, or Portuguese would be a valued asset. AI literacy: Demonstrated ability to use AI tools effectively and responsibly to enhance analytical and written work. What we are really looking for: We are recruiting people with the potential to become practice leaders in 10–15 years. Beyond technical qualifications, we want people who: Demonstrate clear intellectual excellence - in the top 10% of their peer group, evident in their academic record, professional track record, or both Are from and based in Africa or India, with deep roots in the Young World and a genuine commitment to its development Have the versatility to work across countries, methods, and Early Years sub-sectors, and the drive to develop depth Go plus ultra - always pushing beyond the expected to deliver something # exceptional Embody siyakhana - investing in the growth of their colleagues and the team as a whole Are Glass Box thinkers - intellectual honesty, transparency, and rigour in everything they produce Show signs of leadership - the ability to bring others along, navigate ambiguity, and take initiative without needing to be asked