Team
The people behind Shizuo
Anthony Sandleni
Finance, Risk & Quantitative Analysis
At SHIZUO, Anthony Sandleni brings a rigorous financial perspective to complex commercial decisions. His experience in credit underwriting, financial analysis and risk assessment enables him to examine opportunities critically, evaluate financial information and contribute to informed, evidence-based decision-making. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Cape Town and has professional experience in SME lending at TymeBank. His work involves assessing credit applications, analysing financial statements and bank records, evaluating creditworthiness and conducting risk assessments to support lending decisions. He also brings experience in maintaining regulatory compliance, financial documentation and working across sales, risk and operations teams. Earlier in his career, Anthony gained exposure to audit processes through internships at BDO South Africa and EY South Africa, strengthening his grounding in financial record verification, documentation and analytical review. Within SHIZUO, Anthony's proposed area of contribution is financial and quantitative analysis, commercial appraisal and risk evaluation. He aims to support the assessment of business opportunities, financial viability, cost structures and potential returns, helping translate complex information into insights that support sound strategic and commercial decisions. Anthony holds a BCom in Accounting from the University of Cape Town, is a CFA Level I candidate and holds an ALX Africa Cloud Practitioner certification. His focus: Applying financial insight, analytical rigour and risk-aware thinking to identify opportunities and build sustainable commercial value.
Thulani Tshabalala
Founder & Principal Advisor
Shizuo is founded and led by Thulani Tshabalala, whose work sits at the intersection of public policy, international relations, government and parliamentary affairs, institutional strategy, research, stakeholder engagement and executive advisory.
He holds a BA Honours in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, a Master's degree in Historical Studies and Methodology from the University of Cape Town, and is a PhD Candidate in Heritage Studies at the University of Pretoria. His path is complemented by international experience in Scotland and Japan, giving him a broader comparative perspective on institutions, societies, policy and development.
Thulani has worked across complex institutional and policy environments, including within the Office of the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, and alongside Mr Yusuf Cassim, building practical experience in strategic analysis, government and parliamentary processes, stakeholder engagement, research, communications and executive-level advisory.
As Founder and Principal Advisor, he sets Shizuo's direction and leads engagements where senior judgement, political-economy understanding and multidisciplinary problem-solving are required. His approach rests on a simple conviction: better decisions begin with better understanding.
Mapulane Makhaba
Technology, Engineering & Innovation
MAPULANE MAKHABA Technology, Engineering & Innovation Mapulane Makhaba is an engineer with a Master of Science in Engineering (MSc Eng), specialising in Electrical Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc Eng) in Electrical and Computer Engineering, awarded with honours, both from the University of Cape Town. Her academic achievements reflect a strong foundation in engineering and technical problem-solving, positioning her to engage with complex challenges at the intersection of engineering, computing and innovation. At SHIZUO, Mapulane brings this engineering foundation to the assessment and development of technology-enabled solutions. Her focus is on evaluating technical feasibility, exploring engineering and digital approaches, and helping translate promising ideas into practical, implementable outcomes. She contributes a systems-oriented perspective to identifying opportunities where engineering, software and emerging technologies can address real-world problems, improve processes and create sustainable commercial value. Her role connects technical thinking with SHIZUO's broader strategic ambition: ensuring that promising ideas are not only compelling in principle, but also technically feasible and capable of being delivered. Her focus: Turning complex technical challenges into practical engineering and technology-enabled solutions.