Beverley Schäfer

Beverley Schäfer spent 15 years in the arena of South African politics, As a former ward councillor for the City of Cape Town, then elected to Provincial Parliament in 2014 and served as Chair of the Standing Committee for Economic Opportunities, Tourism, and Agriculture for four and a half years. She was appointed as Minister of Economic Opportunities, Tourism and Agriculture under Premier Zille for a short period of time, where she managed the Western Cape economy, through a demand-led, private sector approach for jobs and growth. In 2019, Beverley was elected as Deputy Speaker for the Western Cape Provincial Parliament support the Speaker as a Presiding Officer during parliamentary sittings and overseeing International Relations and Protocol. She has close relations with both the Diplomat and Consular Corps in South Africa for the WC Parliament. In June of 2024 she departed politics and has set up her own consultancy. Beverley is also an IoDSA Board Director and sits as Advisory Board Member for The South African Artificial Intelligence Association (SAAIA), an industry body focused on promoting the advancement of responsible AI in South Africa.