Meshendri Padayachy

Current Designation: Deputy Director for Intellectual Property Law and Policy at the Department of Trade and Industry.

Highest Qualification: LLB (University of Pretoria)

Admitted Attorney of the High Court.

Certificates completed in the following disciplines:

• Arbitration Certificate with WITS (2018)
• Patents in the WTO (2016)
• Advanced Management Development Programme. (2015)
• World Trade Organization: Trade related aspects of Intellectual Property (2015)
• World Trade Organization: Introduction to the World Trade Organization (2014)
• Mentoring and Coaching (2014)
• Legislative Drafting (2014)
• Training of the Trainers with the World Intellectual Property Organization (2013)
• Africa Legal International Certificate in Investment Treaty Law and Arbitration (2012)

I am currently in my 8th year of employment with the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). I started off in the area of International Trade Law and Investment whereby I participated in several key areas of negotiation for the dti at forums such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). I am currently working with policy and legislation in the domain of Intellectual Property, I played a role with the Draft IP Policy 2013 however the highlight of my career is the role I am currently serving in terms of the amendment of the copyright and related rights legislation in South Africa. I am responsible for policy and legislative development in the domain of Copyright and related rights. I have been involved in every key stage from policy development to the Bills (Copyright and Performers Protection) currently being before the President of South Africa. I am part of the SA delegation to WIPO on several WIPO committee meetings.

I serve on several committees including the Bio prospecting forum of the Department of Environmental Affairs, the 5G Committee of the Department of Communications and the Support for Industrial Innovation Programme of the dti.

I am extremely passionate about Intellectual Property and pride myself on my stakeholder management.