Niel Swanepoel

Niel Swanepoel is Research Associate at Crowell Global Advisors, focusing on international trade and technology policy analysis.

Prior to CGA, Niel was a Global Policy Fellow at the Semiconductor Industry Association, where he conducted research and provided advocacy support on U.S. supply chain security and export controls. Before that, he was a Researcher at the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy, where he built an interactive dashboard mapping the frontier AI supply chain and worked on industrial policy analysis. As a 2025 pro bono Paragon Policy Fellow, he led the development of a unified Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan for a U.S. state capital.

Earlier in his career, Niel worked in digital strategy development roles in Southern Africa, notably serving as project lead for Namibia’s National Digital Strategy.

He holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, specializing in technology policy, and a B.A. (Honors) in Economics and Politics from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.