Saphira Patel is a leading climate and sustainable-finance strategist with over two decades of experience shaping Africa’s just-transition and resilience agenda. As FLOW’s Chief Urban Officer for Sub-Saharan Africa, she drives partnerships that link climate data, urban innovation, and equitable finance to create regenerative, net-zero cities. Saphira is a development finance and climate finance specialist with deep expertise in ESG, just transition planning, and sustainable investment. She has led ESG and Operations Evaluation units at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and worked at British International Investment (BII), where she focused on climate finance, Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), and climate risk assessment. Saphira has designed climate risk assessment methodologies, integrated sustainable finance frameworks, transition plans, and developed strategies for just transition and blended finance mobilization. Her work emphasizes technical rigor combined with inclusive, resilient development outcomes. Saphira chairs the Sustainable Finance Coalition, advises regional funds on climate-aligned capital mobilization, and lectures on sustainable development and impact measurement at leading African institutions. She holds an MA in City and Regional Planning and a BA (Hons) in Environmental and Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town, with additional executive training from Cambridge University and GIBS. Her leadership reflects FLOW’s mission: to turn climate insight into inclusive prosperity for Africa’s rapidly urbanizing cities.