Rob Davies

Who is Rob Davies?

Rob Haydn Davies is minister of trade and industry of South Africa.

Davies obtained his BA Honours in economics from Rhodes University and then went on to complete an MA in international relations at the University of Southampton, and a Ph.D in political studies from the University of Sussex.

Due to his anti-apartheid activities Davies left South Africa and lived in Britain and Mozambique between 1979 and 1990. During this time he was attached to the Centre for African Studies at the Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique. On his return from exile he conducted economic research for the African National Congress and the Southern African Development Community. In 1990 he became co-director of the Centre for Southern African Studies at the University of the Western Cape.

He was deputy minister of trade and industry from June 2005 until May 2009 and Chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Finance. Davies has been a member of Parliament since 1994 and is a member of the central committee and politburo of the South African Communist Party.