Shingi Masanzu awarded Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa PhD Prize

Shingi Masanzu, who completed her PhD at LSE Law School in 2024, has been awarded the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa’s PhD Prize in recognition of her outstanding doctoral research.

Her dissertation examined the role of public-private partnerships in infrastructure development, drawing on her extensive professional experience in development finance. The research critically explores the prominence of private capital within development frameworks and considers the broader implications of the public-private nexus for development practice in Africa and beyond.

Reflecting on the award, Shingi expressed her gratitude to LSE Law School for supporting her research and to her supervisors, Dr Margot Salomon and Dr Jan Kleinheisterkamp, for their rigorous guidance and encouragement throughout the project. She described the dissertation as a starting point for further inquiry into how public-private arrangements are shaping development across sectors beyond infrastructure.

Shingi Masanzu is a lawyer with over fifteen years’ experience in international development and private practice. She currently serves as Senior Counsel in the World Bank’s legal department and plans to return to private practice in early 2026. Her work spans development finance projects across energy, infrastructure, education, health and governance in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. She holds degrees from the University of Cape Town, New York University School of Law and the London School of Economics.