Rolfe Eberhard

Rolfe Eberhard has a PhD in Economics and over 25 years of experience advising governments and development agencies on water policy, institutional reform, regulation and utility management, primarily in Africa. He is advising the City of Cape Town on their response to the current drought and advised the South African Minister of Water.

Dr Eberhard was a co-author of the 2016 World Bank publication ‘Providing Water to Poor People in African Cities Effectively: Lessons from Utility Reform.’ and led a review of African urban water reforms in five African countries for GIZ in 2017/2018. He has also advised the Kenyan government on devolution in the water sector in the period 2011 to 2017, working with the World Bank and GIZ. He was also responsible for convening a leadership program for African water utility CEOs in 2014 for the World Bank, as well as a peer network and knowledge exchange forum for water utility manages in South African cities in the period 2003 to 2014.

Rolfe was a lead drafter of the South African water services policy in 2003, and co-convened, along with the National Treasury, University of Cape Town and the World Bank, a leadership program for the mayors and city managers for the eight metros in South Africa in 2012 and co-designed the 2017 program. Rolfe facilitated peer reviews of the Tanzanian and Kenya water regulators in 2013 and 2014 working with the CEOs of the Southern and Eastern African water regulators. He currently works independently as an international water adviser.