Ms. Sharon Modiba
Chief Economist, Internation Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC)
Mobile Number: +2783 5072 301

Sharon Modiba is the Chief Economist at the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC), with extensive expertise in trade economics, industrial policy, labour markets, and the automotive industry. In this role, she leads the monitoring, evaluation, and assessment of the economic impact of South Africa’s trade instruments and policies, with a focus on promoting fair trade and supporting the country’s broader economic development agenda. Her responsibilities at ITAC also include serving as an adjudication panel member for the Price Preference System (PPS) on ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal. At the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) level, she serves on the Technical Committee for Industrialisation, Export, and Investment Promotion and is a member of the dedicated Task Team for Automotive and Beneficiation.
 
Previously, she held the positions of Chief Economist and Executive Manager for Economic Policy and Data Management at the Automotive Business Council (naamsa). In these roles, she was instrumental in conceptualizing and coordinating the Executive Oversight Committees Workstream for the South African Automotive Masterplan 2035 pillars, as well as in developing the naamsa Autolytics Data Bank. Her contributions include developing key automotive compulsory standards and regulatory frameworks at both national and international levels. She also served as an Executive Member of the Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness Initiative (ASCCI) and as the automotive representative in BUSA. In addition, she represented South Africa’s automotive industry at the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the global platform for aligning vehicle standards, based in Geneva.
 
Her previous roles also include serving as Head of the NUMSA Economic Research & Policy Institute and NUMSA Parliamentary Office Coordinator.