Lerato Mbele is a business presenter for BBC World Television and is the host of “Talking Business Africa” and “In Business Africa” on BBC World Television. These are programmes that showcase the wealth of opportunities, innovation and talent that Africa offers as an investment destination. Lerato and team form part of the BBC’s Global Business Unit. Their focus is on the Africa region and they are responsible for all coverage of economic news output from Africa for television. Lerato joined the BBC in 2012 and began as the co-presenter of the Newsday, a radio show aimed at raising the profile of Africa in the broader agenda of world news and current affairs. In that year Lerato has reported for the BBC and presented shows from the USA, Switzerland, London and parts of Africa. Prior to joining the BBC, Lerato was a senior business anchor for CNBC Africa, and before that as a prime-time news & current affairs anchor on SABC 3. Lerato Mbele was named a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, a ‘New Generation African Leader’ by the African Leadership Network, she has been voted one of “100 most influential South Africans” by the Star newspaper and has been called South African Champion on social media (SAFM & Ashraf Garda’s Champions initiative) She has spoken and moderated televised debates at amongst others the World Economic Forum on Africa; the World Bank & IMF; the African Development Bank; the Africa Investment Forum, Nigerian Economic Summit Group in Abuja-Nigeria and many other platforms supporting investment into the African continent. Lerato Mbele also worked briefly as a political analyst and during that time, she was co-editor of the book Designing Democracy, published under the auspices of the Ford Foundation and SAIIA. The book was a collection of research and views on contemporary political systems and challenges to democracy in Africa. Lerato is a Chevening Scholar and graduated with an MSc Development Studies from SOAS at the University of London. Her BA was completed at the University of Cape Town and Honours completed at Stellenbosch University.