Koketso Morakile CA(SA), 33

Finalist: SDG Champion | SAICA Top-35-Under-35 Awards 2025

Koketso Morakile is a Chartered Accountant and sustainable finance leader who demonstrates that capital, when purposefully directed, can be a force for climate resilience and social impact.

At 33, she serves as Acting Head of Sustainable Finance at Absa Corporate and Investment Banking (Absa CIB), where she has helped channel billions into projects advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Her work is anchored in three pillars: climate action, financial inclusion, and socio-economic development — delivering measurable impact across SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action).

Koketso played a pivotal role in Absa achieving its R100 billion sustainable finance target — a year ahead of schedule — and has structured green, social, and sustainability-linked bonds and loans across sectors including real estate, retail, education, healthcare and mining. These transactions have financed renewable energy, green buildings, water and waste management, affordable housing, and access to hospitals and schools.

Her influence extends across multiple African markets, where she has led landmark transactions reshaping the continent’s sustainable finance landscape, including Ghana’s first green loan for renewable energy, Kenya’s first green loan for certified affordable student housing, and Tanzania’s first green bond for water infrastructure — winner of the Global Finance Sustainable Finance African Deal of the Year 2025. These are more than market-first financial instruments; they are lifelines for communities, enabling access to clean water, energy, education, and dignified housing.

Koketso’s impact is global. She represented South Africa at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan — the world’s largest climate summit — and contributes to the Loan Market Association’s (LMA) global Transition Finance Working Group, shaping international standards for sustainable loans and ensuring that African perspectives are included. She is also pioneering Absa’s carbon-credits-backed financing solutions, unlocking innovative models to fund Africa’s climate resilience.

Her thought leadership is widely recognised. She speaks on the intersection of sustainability and capital markets at leading forums such as the LMA Southern Africa Conference, the Impact Investing in Africa Conference, and the JSE Sustainability Showcase. She also holds specialist sustainability and leadership qualifications: the Certificate in ESG Investing (CFA Institute) and the Certificate in International Senior Leadership and Management (UCT GSB).

Her work has earned her two Absa CIB Excellence Awards (2024) — for Sustainability Business Advocacy and Market Trailblazer & Dealmaker — and contributed to Absa’s recognition as Euromoney’s Best Bank for ESG in South Africa and Global Finance’s Best Bank in Africa for Sustainable Bonds.

Beyond banking, Koketso is a part of the YALI Network, a U.S.-founded initiative that equips young African leaders for governance and civic impact, and 100 Women in Finance, a global network of 30,000 professionals advancing women’s leadership across financial services.

As an SDG Champion, Koketso Morakile is not just structuring deals — she is shaping a continent. Her work proves that sustainable finance is more than a label; it is a tool for transformation.