Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina urges women to lead in energy sector

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation: Nomalungelo Gina on women to lead SA’s Just Energy Transition

The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina, has called on women to position themselves not only as participants but as leaders, innovators, and owners in South Africa’s evolving energy landscape.

Speaking at a Women in Energy Breakfast Session, held as part of the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) Annual Energy Conference in Johannesburg today, Deputy Minister Gina said South Africa’s just, green, and digital energy transition cannot succeed without deliberate gender inclusion across policy, research, and industrial participation.

The breakfast session formed part of the broader conference themed “Catalysing a Just, Green and Digital Energy Transition for Africa and Beyond”, with a dedicated focus on hydrogen and energy-related initiatives supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation through the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).

“Are we equipping ourselves with the skills, qualifications, and experience required not only to participate in the energy transition, but to lead it?” Deputy Minister Gina asked, challenging women in the sector to prepare for both the opportunities and the complexities of transformation.

Citing recent national data that shows that women account for less than a quarter of STEM professionals in South Africa, Dr Gina stressed that gender equality in energy is not a favour to women, but an economic, social, and developmental imperative.

“Transformation requires deliberate, sustained, and measurable action, not good intentions alone,” she said.

For its part, the DSTI intentionally embeds gender equality within energy research, development, and innovation (RDI) systems. For example, the DSTI’s Energy RDI Flagship Programmes have seen women scientists and engineers increasingly participating in and leading research in hydrogen technologies, battery innovation, and renewable energy integration.

In addition, the Ministry is advancing innovation-driven enterprise development to ensure that publicly-funded research translates into economic participation and ownership for women. This includes collaborating with companies such as HyPlat (Pty) Ltd and Bambili Energy, as well as supporting women-led energy-related SMMEs.

While acknowledging existing regulations aimed at improving health, safety, and equitable working conditions for women in energy, the Deputy Minister noted that implementation remains uneven. She called for stronger accountability, industry collaboration, and leadership progression across the sector.

Speaking in a panel discussion themed “Elevating Women in Energy in South Africa’s Energy Sector: Driving Innovation, Inclusion and Leadership in South Africa’s Energy Sector”, the CEO of Bambili Energy, Ms Zanele Mavuso-Mbatha, said South Africa’s women, in particular black women, have a chance to turn the page, to ensure their representation in the sector.

Ms Mavuso-Mbatha emphasised the sector's intensity, as it requires high skills from the basic technical level to a PhD level. As a result, Bambili was purposeful in consistently ensuring that women play a leading role in the organisation. In 2020, for example, a training programme focusing on fuel cell technologies and targeting students from the TVET sector was launched in partnership with the Energy and Water SETA and the DSTI.

Ms Bertha Dlamini, Founder and President of African Women in Energy and Power, said 58 percent of women in Africa were ready to participate in the energy sector, but lacked access to finance. As a result, African Women in Energy and Power offers a skills development programme to help women develop bankable projects, but has not yet succeeded in scaling the number of women accessing finance.

 “As an ecosystem, we need to collaborate to find ways to enable women to access finance in order for them to scale and participate equitably,” said Ms Dlamini.

 Deputy Board Chairperson at SANEDI, Ms Nonkosi Koranteng, said women across the energy ecosystem have been part of it for almost their entire lives, not just as consumers but as providers, innovators, and custodians of sustainability within households and communities.

As early as the age of 10, women had to fetch firewood, often over long distances, to keep the fire burning. At times, dried cow dung was used as a renewable energy source.

“Energy security is not only about infrastructure, megawatts and technology; it is about inclusivity, justice and the courage to build the future where no one is left behind,” said Ms Koranteng, lamenting the persistent male dominance in the sector.

The panel discussion, which also included the Acting CEO at Energy and Water SETA, Ms Robyn Vilakazi, and Ms Prudence Madiba, Head of Research at Eskom, agreed that while South Africa was turning the tide in ensuring increased women in the sector, more needs to be done to ensure women's participation in the entire value chain.

The session was followed by discussions on projects funded by the DSTI, led by Director-General, Dr Mlungisi Cele.

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