Dr Mellet, a highly acclaimed and respected economist, was a lecturer within the School of Economics on the NWU’s campus in Vanderbiljpark. He joined the university (then the PU for CHE) in 1997 as a lecturer specialising in monetary economics, microeconomics, macroeconomics and policy issues. He obtained his PhD in Economics – focusing on South African Economic Policy and Growth, in 2012 from the NWU. He completed his undergraduate, honours and master’s degrees at the University of the Free State.
In 2006 he made history when he became the first academic to win the prestigious ABSA/SAKE24 Economist of the Year competition. The outcome of the competition saw Dr Mellet receive acclaim from the judges as the first economist to win the competition with such a great margin – predicting five of the ten variables correctly and a spot-on anticipation of interest rates. This win saw his career as a consultant and a sought after economist – especially as an expert in the media, take off. He was a well-known public speaker, media commentator and columnist for various publications.
As an academic, Dr Mellet created several certificate courses in economics (which are presented across South Africa), published various articles in academic journals, acted as guest lecturer and served as an advisor and financial analyst in amongst other the investment, insurance and banking sectors. Together with his colleagues from the School of Economic Sciences, Dr Mellet also helped to vest the university as one of the top participating institutions in the annual Nedbank/Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition. The university excelled in both the undergraduate and postgraduate competition with candidates ranking in the Top 20 and Top 10 annually. In 2008 the School of Economics on the NWU’s campus in Vanderbijlpark made history when Lindokuhle Dingiswayo – then a postgraduate student, became the first-ever black female winner of the competition.
* Dr Mellet’s funeral will take place on Monday, 15 May 2017 at 11:00 from the Dutch Reformed Church, Meyertonpark. The School of Economic Sciences will also be hosting a memorial service for Dr Mellet on campus.
Dr Andre Mellet.
