Wycliffe Nduga Ouma is a Ph.D. candidate and a Research Associate at CAPSI at the Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg. Mr. Nduga has a passion for research and Consultancy in the areas of Social Impact Investing, Impact philanthropy, corporate philanthropy, Financial Markets, Financial Risk Modelling, and International Trade.
Currently involved in many research projects at the centre including comprehensive documentation of philanthropy during the COVID-19 pandemic, a book chapter investigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Civil Society
Organizations in Africa, a research paper on Ubuntu and Philanthropy in Africa and Developing an African Philanthropy Index. Mr. Nduga is also researching exchange rates movements, stock price risk and risk pricing in developing equity markets. Outside the work on philanthropy, Mr. Nduga is a dedicated and loving father who prefers to spend spare time with family.
Q: Your field of study and what inspired you to take this path?
My field of study is in Financial Markets and Capital Markets, essentially Financial Economics.
My PhD is to develop an asset pricing framework for developing equity markets. However, I am a firm believer in knowledge flexibility which puts me at the core of the Centre for African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) works.
For about three years now, I have developed keen interest in Philanthropy and Social Investment. I am currently undertaking works (outside the centre) to develop social investment and Impact investing platforms for some personal clients.
Q: What have you learnt or seen that have been vital for your career or that has stood out most for you?
Coming to the centre has opened new frontiers for me. I find myself having conversations and involvement in research activities target at improving humanity. This was never even a dream I had, but it is slowly becoming my livelihood.
Q: How do you think your research will make an impact in the social investment space?
One, philanthropy in the continent is omnipresent yet invincible. It takes people like us who are investing time to record, document and display what philanthropy is doing on the continent. I believe our work is not only for academics but goes a long way in informing social change needed in Africa.
For instance, by developing an index for philanthropy in the continent, we will have a barometer, a gauge to see where we are and where we should be going as a third sector. Make no mistake, philanthropy is at the core of every developmental agenda, especially in Africa. A clear example is the work philanthropy has done during this pandemic.
Look at the vaccine’s development and distribution, philanthropy is leading the pack.
