A compendium on international trade in Lesotho

Carol Chi Ngang is an associate professor in the Department of Public Law at NUL, Lesotho, a research fellow at the Free State Centre for Human Rights at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and a guest lecturer at the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Ngang serves as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Rights Chair for Lesotho and is a Category C2-rated researcher with the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. Ngang holds a Doctor of Laws (LLD) and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, USA, a certificate in Sustainable Development and International Human Rights Law (SUSTLAW) from the University of Antwerp in Belgiumand a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Yaoundé II in the Republic of Cameroon. Ngang was a visiting researcher at the Van Vollenhoven Institute (VVI) for Law, Governance and Society at Leiden University in the Netherlands in 2022; at the Law and Development Research Group at the University of Antwerp in Belgium in 2025 and 2016and at the Cegla Center for Interdisciplinary Research of the Law at Tel Aviv University in Israel in 2015. Ngang’s research interests combine human rights and development, with a specific focus on the right to development and socio-economic and cultural rights. He has published on these topics, including books, book chapters, journal articles and policy briefs. He is a member of the International Society of Public Law (ICON•S), the Law and Society Association (LSA) and the Law and Development Research Network (LDRN). Additionally, he serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of the Institute for African Studies (JIAS), an associate editor for the Lesotho Law Journal (LLJ) and the Turf Law Journal (TJL) and as an advisory board member for the International Journal of Ethiopian Legal Studies (IJELS). Ngang has previously worked in the non-governmental organisational (NGO) sector in both the Republic of Cameroon and South Africa.

Denis Nfor Yuni is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at NUL, Lesotho. Yuni holds a PhD, an MSc and a BSc in Economics from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Yaoundé II, Soa, Republic of Cameroon, respectively. Yuni is a recipient of the MSc Postgraduate Scholarship Programme, awarded by the Centre for Demographic and Allied Research (CDAR) in partnership with the International Development Research Consortium (IDRC). Yuni has consulted for several organisations, including the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), Climate Analytics GmbH in Berlin, the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), the African Heritage Institution (AfriHeritage) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Yuni previously served as the deputy director of the Centre for Internationalisation at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike (AEFUNA) and is currently the research pillar coordinator of the National University of Lesotho World Trade Organisation (NUL WTO) Research Chair. With over 40 research journal publications, primarily in reputable and accredited journals, Yuni brings over 15 years of research experience to his field.

Joalane Tota holds an MSc in Economics from NUL, Lesotho. Tota is the recipient of the 2022 NUL WTO Research Chair grant. Tota’s research interests lie in international trade issues. She was a trainee in the SheGovernsTrade programme held by the trade law centre (tralac).

Josphine Hapazari is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at NUL, Lesotho. Hapazari holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Sociology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa. Hapazari is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and the South African Sociological Association (SASA). Hapazaris serves as the patron of the National University of Lesotho Sociological Association and is on the Editorial Advisory Committee of the Journal of Social Development in Africa, which is affiliated with Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. Hapazari’s research interests encompass gender-based violence, masculinity, migration and issues related to older persons and higher education institutions (HEIs). Hapazari teaches courses including sociological theories, sociology of gender, sociology of migration, and quantitative and qualitative research methods. Hapazari supervises dissertations at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has published 11 journal articles in peer-reviewed and accredited journals, as well as four book chapters.

Lefa Augustinus Matsoai is a dedicated researcher and economist with a strong academic foundation and a passion for data-driven policy analysis. Matsoai holds an MSc in Economics from NUL, Lesotho, which he completed in collaboration with the AERC, as well as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from the same institution. Matsoai has demonstrated exceptional research capabilities, earning the prestigious grant from the NUL WTO Research Chair for the 2023/24 academic year. His expertise spans international economics, financial economics and environmental economics, with a keen interest in exploring the intersection of trade, finance, and sustainability. Matsoai has contributed to the field through scholarly publications, including his co-authored paper, ‘The impact of export status on access to finance by firms in the Southern African Development Community’, published in the recognised academic journal International Journal of Recent Research in Commerce Economics and Management (IJRRCEM). With experience in economic research, data analysis and policy evaluation, Matsoai is committed to advancing knowledge and shaping informed financial decisions.

Letzadzo Kometsi holds an LLD from North-West University in South Africa. In his LLD thesis, ‘Utility of indigenous methods of dispute resolution in intra-African trade’, Kometsi emerged as one of the few researchers to make a significant contribution to the analysis of indigenous dispute resolution methods, particularly in the context of intra-African trade. His interest in commercial law and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is insatiable. Kometsi is especially focused on protecting minority rights and has served as a research respondent for various organisations addressing issues affecting the BaPhuthi ethnic minority of Lesotho. Kometsi also holds an LLM in International Business Law from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, a postgraduate diploma in Labour Law (Conciliation and Arbitration) from NUL, Lesotho, and both a BA in Development Studies and Political and Administrative Studies, as well as an LLB from NUL in Maseru. Since 2018, Kometsi has been appointed as a senior lecturer and is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Law at NUL. He teaches Introduction to Law, Law of Export Trade and Commercial Arbitration (LLM) and supervises dissertations at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Throughout Kometsi’s academic career, he has published several articles and contributed a chapter to a book in various fields, including commercial law, labour law, contract law and human rights law.

Noah Echa Attah is a professor of African Economic History and Development in the Department of Historical Studies at NUL, Lesotho. Attah holds a PhD and a Master of Arts (MA) in History from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, as well as a BA in History from Lagos State University, Nigeria. Attah’s research focuses on agrarian studies, environmental studies, natural resource conflicts and peacebuilding. He received the 2012 African Humanities Programme (AHP) research grant from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) Individual Research Grant from the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in 2017. From 2020 to 2022, Attah served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the Federal University of Kashere, Nigeria. Attah is currently the principal investigator of a research project, ‘Policing and security provisioning in Nigeria: Exploring the policy and practice of non-state actors’, supported by the NRF of Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). Attah has published numerous scholarly papers in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, and has successfully supervised both MA and PhD candidates.

Nthabiseng Letlala holds a BA and an MSc in Economics from NUL, Lesotho. Letlala’s research interests span development, international, and environmental economics, underscoring her commitment to addressing complex global challenges. To support this work, Letlala received the NUL WTO Research Chair grant for the 2023/24 fiscal year. Letlala has served as a lecturer assistant at her university and as a junior research assistant for the NUL WTO Research Chair. She is the author of the working paper ‘The potential effects of the African Continental Free Trade Area on Intra-African trade: A gravity model approach’. Additionally, Letlala is a former intern at both the World Bank Group (WBG) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) group. So far, Letlala has gained invaluable experience in global development and economic policy by contributing to high-impact projects and collaborating with a diverse team of experts.

Nthatisi Leseba is a lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Demography at NUL, Lesotho. Leseba holds an MA in Population Studies from UKZN, South Africa.

Malefetsane Ratsoane holds an MSc in Economics from NUL, Lesotho, and has served as a planner for the Government of Lesotho in the former Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security since 2008. During his time at the ministry, Ratsoane was appointed National Coordinator for the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural Statistics from 2015 to 2020. Following this appointment, he led the development of the Statistical Policy and Agricultural Research Strategy (SPARS) and headed the Statistics and Policy Analysis division within the Department of Planning and Policy Analysis of the Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, Ratsoane is a guest lecturer in Agricultural Development Planning for the final year undergraduate programme in Agricultural Economics at NUL. Ratsoane is skilled in impact evaluation metrics and currently serves as the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) specialist for a WBG-funded regional project focused on agricultural research. Ratsoane has received extensive training in international trade, policy and negotiations through professional programmes offered by the Institute for International Trade at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.

Mamello Amelia Nchake is a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Nchake is also a research associate at Policy Research in International Services and Manufacturing (PRISM) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and a research fellow at the Growth Lab for Africa at the University of Swaziland, Eswatini. Nchake holds a PhD in Economics from UCT, obtained through the Collaborative PhD Programme(CPP) funded by the AERC. Nchake is the recipient of the Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded by Carnegie New York for the 2014/15academic year, as well as the AfDB group/AERC research fellowship awarded by AERC in 2016. As a visiting lecturer, she is affiliated with various thinktanks in Africa, including AERC and the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI). In 2023, she received the NUL WTO SynergyFirst Prize Research Award. Nchake’s research interests focus on international trade and economic development in Africa. Nchake has participated in several research projects as both a principal investigator and a co-investigator, including the Private Enterprise Development in Low Income Countries(PEDL) and Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) joint project from 2013 to 2015; the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) project from 2019to 2022 and the AERC project from 2020 to 2024. Additionally, Nchake has conducted commissioned research for various government ministries and international organisations, including, the WBG, the UNDP, UNECA, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) [German Society for International Cooperation], working in countries such as Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Angola and Côte d’Ivoire. Nchake has published widely in regional and international peer-reviewed journals, including the International Review of Economics and Finance, the Journal of African Economies and the Agricultural Finance Review.

Mapitso Lebuso is a senior lecturer in Demography in the Department of Statistics and Demography at NUL, Lesotho. Lebuso holds an MA in Population Studies from the Regional Institute of Population Studies (RIPS) at the University of Ghana, as well as a BA in Demography and a certificate in Statistics from NUL. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in Population Studies and Demography at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa. Lebuso’s research interests focus on adolescents, morbidity, and maternal health-related issues. She has presented papers, published book chapters, written reports on population-related topics and participated in various professional activities, including supervising undergraduate research and reviewing research papers. Lebuso is a member of several professional organisations, including the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), the Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) and the Population Association for Southern Africa (PASA). Additionally, Lebusohas been involved in data analysis consultancy projects and has provided professional services to the Lesotho government and private institutions.

Marcel Ratsiu is a regional expert in trade facilitation at the Department of Capacity Building, World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels, Belgium. Ratsiu is also affiliated with the NUL WTO Research Chair Programme. He holds a Master of Customs, Taxation and International Trade Law from the University of Münster in Germany, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Supply Chain and Logistics Management from Guglielmo Marconi University in Italy. With over 20 years of experience, Ratsiu is a seasoned programme management specialist, holding a certificate from UCT, South Africa. Ratsiu specialises in international trade, supply chain and customs management, with a strong focus on regional integration, trade facilitation and customs procedures.

Mofihli Ntsasa holds an MSc in Economics from NUL, Lesotho, obtained in collaboration with the AERC, as well as a BA in Economics from the same institution. In 2023, Ntsasa was awarded a research grant from the NUL WTO Research Chair. His research focuses on the effects of currency depreciation on trade, particularly within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries. Ntsasa has served as an adjudicator in debates organised by the NUL Student Association.

Ojo Johnson Adelakun is an associate professor in the Department of Economics at NUL, Lesotho, and an independent research consultant affiliated with Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) Advisory Services in Nigeria. Adelakun holds a PhD, an MSc and a BSc in Economics, obtained from UKZN in Durban, South Africa; Ekiti State University in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria; and the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria, respectively. With over 16 years of experience teaching and conducting research at universities in Lesotho, South Africa and Nigeria, Adelakun has received severalaccolades, including the AERC PhD Thesis Proposal Award (2018/19) atUKZN, the European Union Intra Africa Academy Mobility PhD Scholarship(2018) at Tlemcen University, Algeria, and the Best Lecturer Award for the2013/14 academic session in the Department of Economics at Joseph AyoBabalola University, Osun State, Nigeria. Adelakun’s research focuses on International Economics (Trade, Finance and Development), Macroeconomics and Environmental Resource Economics, along with policy analysis and review. Adelakun serves as a referee-reviewer for over 15 respected international journals and is a member of the editorial advisory board for the Journal of Theoretical Economics and Development Studies at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja, Nigeria, and the Journal of Economics and Development (JED). Additionally, he is the board chairman of Betma Group Ltd (PYD) in Maseru, Lesotho, and the secretary and founding member of the Financial Literacy Movement, NUL Chapter. Adelakun has published 40 articles in top-rated economic journals and has provided consultancy and professional services to both the government and private sectors in Nigeria. Adelakun is also a seasoned career coach, mentor and external examiner, having supervised two PhD, 12 postgraduate, and 80 undergraduate students.

Puleng Letuma is an associate professor in the Department of Crop Science at NUL, Lesotho. Letuma holds a PhD in Crop Cultivation and Farming Systems, which she obtained from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China (PRC). Letuma’s research interests include crop production and nutrition, the development of smallholder farmers, climate-smart agriculture, agricultural transformation, molecular analysis of crops and agricultural water management. She served as the head of the department for two years (2021/23) and has acted as a reviewer for several journals, including Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Letuma has authored 22 publications, primarily in accredited journals, contributed to two book chapters, and successfully supervised over seven MSc candidates.

Sean Maliehe is a senior lecturer in the Department of Historical Studies at NUL, Lesotho. Maliehe holds a PhD in Economic History from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Maliehe’s research focuses on the history of enterprises in Lesotho, the development of mobile money in South Africa, the history of the Southern African Customs Union, and colonial currencies in the British High Commission Territories. He is also a research fellow at the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State, South Africa. Additionally, Maliehe has completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pretoria’s Human Economy Programme within the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship and the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies. Maliehe is the author of Commerce as Politics: The two centuries of struggle for Basotho Economic Independence (Berghahn Books, 2021).

Seipati Gertrude Chesetsi is a dedicated economist and crisis response and resilience quantitative research intern at the joint United Nations Development Programme and Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (UNDP IICPSD). Chesetsi holds an MSc in Economics from NUL, in collaboration with the AERC, specialising in International Trade, Economics of Natural Resources, as well as Environmental Economics and Climate Change. Throughout her MSc programme, Chesetsi served as a postgraduate student assistant in the Department of Economics. Chesetsi has contributed to academic discourse as an author and presenter at both international and local conferences. She authored work for the International Conference on International Trade and Investment (ICITI2024) for the Doctoral and Young Scholars Colloquium, themed ‘Sustainable Trade: Non-Renewable Natural Resource Trade on Environmental Degradation and Environmental Sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa’. Chesetsi also authored work for the NULWTO Research Chairs’ Third Annual Conference, themed ‘Bridging borders: Information communication technology (ICT) and International tradeoutcomes in Lesotho’. Chesetsi has received several accolades, including the Econet Higherlife Foundation Scholarship (2016–2022). In 2023, Chesetsi was a junior research assistant and research grant recipient under the NUL WTOResearch Chair. In 2024, she contributed as a researcher and report author for the Market Research on Training Needs Assessment for International Trade Report. She also worked at the Revenue Services Lesotho in the Commissioner-General’s Office. Chesetsi was the Research Assistant for the Lesotho 2025 Voluntary National Review under the Ministry of Development and Planning with the United Nations. Chesetsi’s research interests lie at the intersection of international and environmental economics, focusing on sustainable trade and climate resilience. Chesetsi is committed to advancing policy-oriented research on trade, sustainability and economic resilience.

Tsotang Tsietsi is a senior lecturer in the Department of Private Law at NUL, Lesotho. Tsietsi holds a PhD in Commercial Law from UCT, South Africa; an LLM in International Economic Law from the University of Cambridge, UK; and an LLB from NUL, Lesotho. As of January 2022, Tsietsi co-holds the NUL WTO Research Chair. Tsietsi’s research interests broadly encompass international economic law, particularly World Trade Organization (WTO)law, African regional integration, trade and agriculture, trade in services, gender and trade, and international investment law. Tsietsi also serves as the vice president of the African International Economic Law Network(AfIELN) and is a member of the editorial board of the African Journal of International Economic Law (AJIEL). Tsietsi has a long history of coaching students in various regional and international moot court competitions, including the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, the African Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition, the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot Competition and the John H Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law.

Tšoamathe ‘Maseribane currently serves as a lecturer in Demography in the Department of Statistics and Demography at NUL, Lesotho. 'Maseribane holds an MA in Population Studies from UKZN, South Africa, and a BA in Economics and Demography from NUL. As an innovative population scientist with a diverse skill set and a passion for data-driven sustainable development, ‘Maseribane has over 20 years of progressive involvement in population and development activities. ‘Maseribane re-joined NUL after working with the UNDP, where she provided strategic leadership for the Lesotho Data Project. Prior to that, she led the M&E division at the Lesotho Millennium Development Agency (LMDA) and collaborated with a team of experts to develop the second Compact for Lesotho as an M&E specialist. Her career also includes roles as a Demography lecturer at NUL, a researcher at the National AIDS Commission (NAC), a senior researcher at the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC), a senior statistician at the Bureau of Statistics and a research consultant for various organisations, including government and United Nations (UN) agencies. Maseribane’s research interests focus on population statistics, particularly in the areas of official statistics and M&E.

Tseko Nyesemane is the Deputy Commissioner of the Frontier Services (Customs) Department within the Client Services division at the Revenue Services Lesotho. He has over two decades of experience in customs operations, trade facilitation, and regional integration, including leading cross-border initiatives. Nyesemane holds a PhD in Economic and Management Sciences with Business Administration (Project Management) from North-West University, an MA in Economics from Renmin University of China, an MCom in Programme Management from Cranefield College, and a BA in Economics from NUL, Lesotho. Nyesemane also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education from NUL, which supports his involvement in mentoring, strategy development, institutional reform, and professional development initiatives within the customs and trade environment.