Dr Harry Malila

Dr. Harry Malila was appointed as Director-General of the Western Cape Government in October 2019, after acting in the position for 5 months. At the time, he said, “As the newly appointed DG, I want to build on the foundation of being a capable and functional state laid by this province over the past decade. Above this, I want to work towards a provincial administration that is people-centred and accessible to communities. Together with the top management team, I want to build public trust and create an environment of high standards of professional ethics.”

Harry has obtained academic qualifications, such as, Bachelor of Accounting Science, Honours Degree in Business Administration, and a master’s degree (MBA) (Cum Laude) at Stellenbosch University. In 2019 he was awarded a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in Public Policy and Economics. The topic of his PhD thesis is “An integrated conceptual diagnostic governance framework to address performance sustainability challenges of municipalities in South Africa”.

He enjoys outdoor activities such as camping and motorbike riding and believes that the holistic wellbeing of the individual is essential to productivity.  His interests include reading, and he has a keen interest in training and development of people.

Harry is responsible to lead, coordinate, manage and implement the actions of the whole of government in the province, including delivery on the key priorities, the vision, and values of the WCG. He strategically supports the Premier in engagements with the Mayors, the President, organised business, religious leaders, and the diplomatic corps. He manages inter-governmental relations with national, local, and international government agencies.

He also provides strategic leadership in relation to organisational development, people management, data and information management, electronic government, integrity, ethics, conduct and anti-corruption, transformation, reform, innovation, and other matters to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the provincial government.