Interim President – Sherif Sadek
Dr. Sadek is currently the Founder and Executive Manager of the Egyptian Mariculture Company (Egymarine), a company based at Port-Said that produces shrimp in intensive systems. In addition, Dr. Sadek is also the Founder and General Manager of Aquaculture Consultant Office (ACO), a consulting firm in warmwater aquaculture and equipment supplies. During the 1980s, Dr. Sadek was a Research Assistant in the General Authority for Fish Resources Development (GAFRD) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR). He has written several publications on aquaculture in Arabic, English and French. He also currently holds senior board positions in prominent aquaculture and agriculture bodies in Egypt, including the Vice-president of the Egyptian Aquaculture Society (EgAS), Vice-president of the West Port-Said Aquaculture Cooperative” (WestPAC), board member of the Egyptian Agriculture Business Union, and other roles in agriculture and aquaculture organizations in Egypt. Dr. Sadek is also a long-term member of WAS from Africa.

Interim President-elect – John K Walakira
John Walakira is a Senior Aquaculture Researcher at the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NARO) for over 15 years, specializing in basic and applied research in technical aspects of aquaculture production (e.g. fish health, fish nutrition, environment management, reducing post-harvest losses). Dr. Walakira has provided technical support to several international organizations, capacity building initiatives, dissemination of technologies, monitoring and evaluation of projects, resource mobilization and strategic planning through private-public linkages. Furthermore, he regularly offers advisory services to farmers and extension agents for them to increase sustainable fish productivity and competitiveness in the region. Dr Walakira joined WAS in 2003 and has been passionate and active in the Chapter’s formation processes.

Interim Secretary – Zukiswa Nkhereanye
Ms. Zukiswa Nkhereanye currently works for the government of South Africa in the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) as Deputy Director of Fisheries Intergovernmental and International Relations. At DAFF, her job is to facilitate, negotiate, research and coordinate South Africa’s international engagements in fisheries and aquaculture. With her international relations and liaison background as well as being from the host country (South Africa), Ms. Nkhereanye was a key member of the African Chapter steering committee and was highly instrumental in the Chapter’s formation processes.

Interim Treasurer – Flower Msuya
Dr. Flower Ezekiel Msuya, a Senior Researcher and Facilitator/Chairperson of the Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative (ZaSCI) in Tanzania, is a seaweed farming and innovation expert and has done several research projects on seaweed. She has also undertaken consultancies on seaweed farming, working with several international organizations and private companies. She has also conducted training programs on seaweed value-chains, thereby helping marginalized women improve their livelihoods through producing and selling seaweed products. She is an International Trainer in Innovation and Cluster Facilitation and a Council Member of the International Seaweed Association Council (ISAC). She is long-term member of WAS.

Secretariat – African Chapter Office – Blessing Mapfumo
Blessing Mapfumo is a Zimbabwean national currently based in South Africa. He is an International Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisor with over 15 years work experience, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has become a multidisciplinary technical expert but with special interest in fish trade and aquaculture development. Blessing is well connected to and has been instrumental in the formation of several networks and associations in fisheries and aquaculture in Africa. He values the development of such networks as an important resource for change, and for putting the continent on one page. Blessing is also Field Correspondent for the recently launched Aquaculture Africa Magazine. Blessing is expected to co-ordinate the day-to-day functions of the African Chapter Secretariat Office.