Olympus Manthata

Head Climate & Environmental Finance, DBSA/Coordinator of AADFI Climate Change Working Group

Olympus Manthata is the Head of Climate and Environmental Finance at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). He oversees the management of international climate financing mechanisms, including the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Olympus played a key role in DBSA’s accreditation with both GEF, as South Africa’s first national agency, and GCF.

In his previous role as Fund Manager for South Africa’s National Green Fund, he was responsible for directing over ZAR 1 billion in financing into impactful projects that generated significant social, economic, and environmental benefits. His 32 years of professional experience span investment in development finance, technology innovation, and various engineering roles.

Olympus holds a Mechanical Engineering diploma from Vaal University of Technology, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of South Africa, an MBA from De Montfort University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship, and an MSc in Technology Management from the University of Pretoria, along with an MCom in Development Finance from the University of Cape Town.