My friend John Loxley, who has died aged 77, was a socialist economist who wanted to change the world for the better. He was a teacher and adviser to politicians in Canada and assisted African governments and international development agencies in negotiating with the World Bank and IMF. He advised Nelson Mandela and the ANC on post-apartheid alternative economic policy. Born in Sheffield, John was the seventh of 12 children of John Loxley, a steelworker, and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Antcliff), a seamstress. He went to King Edward VII school, then to Leeds University, graduating in economics in 1963. Three years later he was awarded a PhD for his thesis on the East African monetary and banking system, and during the period of his research he lectured at Makerere University in Uganda. In 1967, he moved to Tanzania as resident economist at the state-owned Commercial Bank. Two years later, he joined the University of Dar es Salaam, teaching the first generation of Tanzanian-trained economists. In 1972 he became the first director of Tanzania’s Institute of Finance Management, training public servants in socialist financial planning. He was influential at this time in implementing President Julius Nyerere’s socialist policies. In 1975 he emigrated to Canada to serve as deputy minister in Manitoba’s New Democratic party government, moving in 1977 to the University of Manitoba’s economics department, where he was a highly respected colleague and teacher, known for his support and mentorship to students. John was active in the anti-apartheid movement internationally and with his African experience was appointed a member of the 1991-95 missions requested by Nelson Mandela to report on economic policy for post-apartheid South Africa. Between 1991 and 1993 he participated in the work of the ANC’s macroeconomic research group, set up on the recommendation of the 1991 mission. In Canada, John advised Manitoba’s premier and several ministers. His extensive work for the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society on child welfare funding contributed to a landmark Human Rights tribunal decision, finding that there was discrimination against First Nation children in welfare provision and ordering the government to remedy this. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2005 and awarded the Galbraith prize in economics and social justice in 2010. John was also a community activist, coordinating numerous local initiatives and chairing the cooperative that rescued the local hardware store in his area of Winnipeg. He loved football, playing for Crescentwood Saturday, the community team he co-founded, coaching his children’s teams, and loyally supporting Sheffield Wednesday. He is survived by his partner, Aurelie Mogan, their children, Raina and Matthew, by his children, Salim and Camille, from his first marriage to Zeeba Dawood, which ended in divorce, his grandson, Peter, and seven of his siblings.