Our team
Engagement Manager
Illana is the engagement manager at 71point4. Illana is a lifetime consultant with over 20 years experience. Her work is focused on demand-side research and analysis, with a focus on lower income market segments. She works with corporate, public sector and not-for-profit clients across a range of sectors including banking, consumer credit, other financial services, and housing.
Illana co-founded research and analytics consultancy, Eighty20, and successfully led their strategic research team for over a decade. Prior to that Illana worked at Accenture and the Monitor Group. Illana holds a Bachelor of Business Science degree in Mathematical Economics.
CLAIRE HAYWORTH
Senior Consultant
Claire is a senior consultant at 71point4 with over 10 years’ experience. Her work focuses on issues related to the usage of digital financial services, credit market development, affordable housing, financial inclusion and MSME’s, among others. Claire is experienced working across various types of data including qualitative data, survey data and larger administrative and transactional datasets to better understand customer behaviours.
Claire has a Business Science degree, specialising in Marketing from the University of Cape Town and has completed two online courses through the Digital Frontiers Institute.
HANJO ODENDAAL
Principal Data Scientist
With over 10 years experience working throughout Africa, Hanjo leads our analytics, statistics and engineer aspects on projects. His expertise focuses on how data can be employed to answer impactful and meaningful questions that always aim to put people at the center. He has worked in banking, insurance, housing, agriculture, telecommunications and credit; focusing mostly on designing and managing the implementation of analytical solutions to deliver real-time insights for the client.
Hanjo also has a passion for research and teaching and regularly lectures on the applications of big data to drive changes in traditional economic thinking.
Hanjo holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Stellenbosch. His thesis focused on the application of natural language processing and statistical learning applied within traditional economic frameworks.
AIDAN CRAKER
Data Analyst
Aidan is a data analyst at 71point4. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Politics, Philosophy and Economics and an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Cape Town. He is passionate about leveraging data-driven strategies to generate transformative and sustainable growth across Africa. In his Honours dissertation, using the National Income Dynamics Survey, he assessed the impact of differing degrees of financial literacy on consumer debt levels in South Africa.
RYAN BERELOWITZ
Research Analyst
Ryan is a research analyst at 71point4. He holds a Masters in International Economics from the Berlin School of Economics and a Masters in Economic Analysis and Policy from Université Sorbonne Paris Nord. His Master’s Thesis analysed the effect of Global Financial Cycles on the stability and fiscal policy stance of emerging economies. Ryan is passionate about using policy to foster development across Africa.
ALICE THESEN
Research Analyst
Alice is a research analyst at 71point4. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Statistics from the University of Cape Town, with an Honours degree in Statistics. In her Honours project, she assessed the application of Point Process modelling and extensions to extreme environmental readings. With previous experience in a consultative and analytical capacity, she is particularly interested in the human side of data—how insights can drive better decisions in public health, education, environment and development.
NSHUTI ELISÉ
Research Analyst
Nshuti is a research analyst at 71point4. He holds a Master of Science in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University Africa, a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Mount Kenya University, and a diploma in Electrical Engineering from Rwanda Polytechnic (formerly IPRC). Nshuti is passionate about uncovering insights through complex datasets and has practical experience across sectors including energy and finance. As a Research Assistant at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, he contributed to an energy loss mapping and computation project in partnership with the Rwanda Energy Group, analyzing large-scale geospatial and electricity consumption data to detect anomalies and quantify losses on the low-voltage distribution network. He enjoys working at the intersection of data, technology, and development, and is driven by the potential of data to support better decision-making.