Tshabalala, a South African national, joined the AfDB in 2018 as vice-president for finance and was promoted to senior vice-president in November 2021. She has a distinguished career, having held senior roles at major institutions such as Transnet, MTN, Standard Bank, SAA, and Tiger Brands. South Africa’s finance minister, Enoch Godongwana, confirmed that Pretoria would lobby African countries, including Nigeria, which holds significant voting power, to support Tshabalala’s bid for the presidency.

Outgoing AfDB president, Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina, will step down at the end of his second term in 2025. Adesina is reportedly backing Senegal’s Amadou Hott for the position, further complicating the dynamics of the election, which will take place at the bank’s AGM in Ivory Coast next May.

Godongwana argued that SADC countries are not obligated to back a regional candidate, hinting that South Africa and Nigeria had previously struck a deal in which South Africa supported Adesina’s elections in exchange for Nigeria’s backing of a South African candidate when the presidency became vacant. However, this arrangement may no longer be relevant, as key figures in both governments have since changed, and Adesina’s endorsement of Hott signals a potential shift in Nigeria’s stance.

With Nigeria being the largest African shareholder in the AfDB, its support is crucial for any candidate. The Nigerian finance ministry had not yet responded to inquiries about the country’s position on the matter at the time of publication.

Tensions within SADC have also surfaced. Ministers from the region had agreed on Zambia’s Maimbo as the bloc’s candidate during an August meeting in Zimbabwe. However, South Africa reportedly advocated for a rotational system, pointing out that the last AfDB president from the SADC region, elected 44 years ago, was also Zambian.

Insiders revealed that despite Tshabalala’s strong performance during interviews, SADC opted for a new process that led to Maimbo’s selection. South African officials questioned this process, citing the need for more gender diversity in leadership roles within both SADC and Africa at large, noting Tshabalala’s qualifications as a highly capable female candidate.