Zimbabwean Mary-Jean Moyo’s career that began in commercial banking in Harare has now taken her to one of the most influential development finance positions in Africa. Moyo has been appointed Division Director at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector investment arm of the World Bank Group, with responsibility for Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. She took up the position on September 1 and will be based in Dar es Salaam.

Her new portfolio places her at the center of efforts to mobilize private investment, support businesses and expand opportunities for job creation across six African economies.

The appointment carries particular significance for Zimbabwe as Ms Moyo is not only returning to a portfolio that includes her home country, but is doing so from a senior position within an institution that plays a major role in financing private-sector development in emerging markets.

Her career has been built across banking, private equity and international development finance. Before joining the IFC, she worked with commercial banks in Zimbabwe, the Bank of Botswana and pan-African private equity funds, where she served as vice-president for financial institutions.

Within the IFC, she has held a number of senior positions. She was Regional Head of Industry for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services in Latin America and the Caribbean before becoming Regional Industry Director for the same sector in the Middle East and Africa. Most recently, she served as Chief of Staff to IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop.

Ms Moyo’s academic journey is equally rooted in Zimbabwe. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economic History from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Wales.

Her appointment is also a significant moment for women in African finance and development. At a time when women remain underrepresented in senior decision-making positions across the financial sector, Ms Moyo’s rise provides a visible example of an African woman occupying a role with responsibility for investment and economic development across multiple countries.

There is something particularly striking about her journey, a woman who began her professional career in Zimbabwean banking sector is now helping shape how international capital and private-sector investment can support economies across the continent including Zimbabwe itself.