Matthew Bernath

Matthew Bernath V1

Matthew Bernath

Head of Data Ecosystems, ShopriteX

Matthew is passionate about leveraging data to bolster economies and facilitate strategic dealmaking. He is a CFA® Charterholder with a proven track record in monetising data and building secure and privacy-preserving Data Ecosystems.

Before joining Shoprite, Matthew was leading the data analytics capability of Rand Merchant Bank, one of Africa’s largest investment banks. Before transitioning into data analytics, Matthew was in RMB’s Infrastructure Finance division, focusing on structuring and building financial models for multi-billion-rand project financing deals, always driven by data-focused decision-making. His deals include a ZAR3.3bn sale of a grain handling and storage business, a ZAR1.5bn brownfields project financing of an alcohol plant expansion, a ZAR4.5bn project financing of a wind project and advisory on a $300m border post modernisation project.

Recognised as one of the “60 Data Changemakers to Know” by Narrative Science and a finalist for Data Analytics Leader of the Year in 2022, Matthew’s achievements extend beyond his professional role. His contribution to community-building initiatives includes hosting the Johannesburg Data Science and Financial Modelling meetup groups and the highly regarded Financial Modelling Podcast, which was awarded Financial Modelling Resource of the Year 2021. He also formerly hosted the RMB Data Analytics Podcast, where he interviewed decision-makers on how they use data analytics to turn insights into action.

Prior to his investment banking and retail career, Matthew held leadership roles in various advisory and technology firms, bringing his data-driven approach to different industries. He is also a startup investor, having co-founded several tech startups.