Dr Mias van der Walt

Highly valued for his ability to identify and convert opportunities into new business, Mias has led Bigen’s Water and Sanitation Directorate since 2017 and accepted an extension to his remit in 2019 to become the Managing Director of the Agriculture Directorate.

His incalculable contribution to new business development created new markets in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Ghana. Under his strategic leadership, the Water and Sanitation Directorate contributed significantly to the Group’s profits.

A water reuse expert with extensive experience in water and sanitation infrastructure development, Mias successfully positioned Bigen as a leading water reuse consultancy in Africa. His pivotal ability to integrate multi-disciplinary teams will serve Bigen well in developing the Group’s new venture into agriculture to intersect aqua and agrarian value chains and improve water and food security across the continent.

A seasoned business development and management strategist and well-published on a wide range of water-related subjects, Mias led the decade-long implementation of the Botswana North-South Carrier 2 (360 km) water transfer scheme and communications network that received the Best International Project Award from Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) in 2015. He was also nominated as a CESA Mentor of the Year in 2017.

Mias is a Fellow of the Water Institute of Southern Africa and member of the International Water Association and the American Water Association.

“As an advocate for entrenching long-term planning for water provision as an imperative for governments throughout Africa, I believe firmly that our team can deliver solutions to meet development goals across the continent.”