Celiwe Mabaso is a seasoned Communications and Social Performance practitioner specialising in community development and impact investment. Currently, Celiwe is the Head of Social Performance at EDF Renewables where she is responsible for leading strategy design and program implementation for Community Investment for EDF Renewables in South Africa.

In addition to her role at EDF, Celiwe is also the current Chairperson of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA)’s Social Impact Standing Committee, driving conversations around economic development and the sector’s contribution ensuring that the energy transition is indeed “Just”.

Prior to her role at EDF, Celiwe BTE she’s held similar roles at BTE, EIMS Africa and General Electric (GE) where she served as Senior Social Performance Manager, Community Operations Manager and CSR Leader for South Africa respectively.  

As recipient of the M&G 200 award in 2021, Celiwe is passionate about the development of youth in township, rural and remote communities having worked in the communities of the North West province, Saldanha Bay, and most recently Northern and Eastern Cape province. Her approach to community development is centred around co-creation allowing communities to part own the interventions to ensure buy-in and long-term sustainability.

Since 2020, Sunette is responsible for business development, transaction, implementation and operational management of Reatile Group’s renewable energy portfolio. Sunette sits on the operating board of Reatile Renewables investments as well as a number of Reatile Renewables’ investment holding companies. She assumes the role of chairperson, member and/or invitee to board sub-committees throughout the Reatile Renewables’ portfolio which includes the Social & Ethics Committee, Audit & Risk Committees and Construction Committees. In May 2021, Sunette was elected to the Management Board of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) and served as Treasured for 1 year and vice-chairperson for 1 year.

In 2016 Sunette joined Reatile Group as Executive Group Compliance Officer where she was the custodian of the Group’s compliance, governance, risk and financial management, including Tax, B-BBEE and NERSA compliance.

Prior to Reatile Group, Sunette worked in the Construction Industry as a Commercial & Financial Director for over 8 years at Murray & Roberts Limited in various disciplines including Mining, SMPP (Structural, Mechanical, Platework and Piping), and Electrical & Instrumentation, which operated throughout Africa including Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Ghana, Botswana, and Namibia. Sunette joined Capital Star Steel, a WBHO subsidiary, with Mozambique manufacturing operations of high frequency welded steel pipes and serviced the international oil & gas industry and the mining industry across Africa.

Currently, Sunette serves as the Chairperson of the SAWEA Board.

An experienced leader and specialist in the fields of Renewable Energy, Financial Management, and Business Improvement. Currently the CEO of Dorper Wind Farm – a 100MW Independent Power Producer.

Her passion is to contribute to our country’s transformation obligations – with a particular interest in shifting the experience of rural economies through targeted and purposeful economic intervention; while fulfilling her professional mandate of growing and sustaining her organisation.

Keneilwe is the Principal in the Audit division at ED Platform.

Over her 5-year stint at ED platform Keneilwe has taken on multiple roles and has grown to become an expert and leader in Economic Development within the renewable energy space. She has worked across the industry and led the delivery of major bids, liaised with industry stakeholders and has been an ambassador of the ED Platform brand.

Keneilwe also plays a broader strategic role in the streamlining of strategic and operational activities of the business. She provides strategic insight for the internal organisational processes and the development of protocols for the various business units of the company. Her role is driven by collaboration with teams to ensure efficiency, growth and future-focused ways of work.

Prior to joining ED Platform, Keneilwe served as a management consultant for a boutique consultancy, servicing clientele across different industries where she developed a strong problem solving and client handling toolkit.

Economic Development remains a key area of interest to Keneilwe due to its importance in South Africa’s unique economic context, which is characterised by the inequitable distribution of wealth. Energy, and more specifically clean energy, will be a key driver of growth in the foreseeable future. As an economist by training, her goal is to positively and sustainably influence SA’s Gini Coefficient by playing a role in the equitable distribution of wealth in high growth areas such as clean energy.

Keneilwe holds an undergraduate and postgraduate Economics degrees as well as an MBA degree.

Nontokozo has recently assumed the role of Director of Project Development at AMEA Power South Africa. Her primary mandate is to orchestrate and implement market strategies, oversee intricate negotiations, conduct meticulous risk assessments, and propel the progression of initiatives within the company’s project pipeline. Her aim is to facilitate the commercialization of these endeavours, accomplished through competitive tender processes or bilateral negotiations for Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
Nontokozo plays a pivotal role in fostering the expansion of AMEA Power South Africa’s project portfolio, adeptly navigating project acquisition endeavours. Collaborating seamlessly with both internal and external teams, ensuring a sustained organic growth trajectory for the organization.

Preceding her tenure at AMEA Power South Africa, Nontokozo held a leadership position as Head of Commercial Office at Enel Green Power South Africa. As the Head of this office, her responsibilities spanned the identification and origination of novel business prospects. This multifaceted role encompassed prospecting, contract structuring, and pricing determinations for enduring Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) across diverse geographic spheres, tailored to cater to commercial and industrial entities. Nontokozo also assumed roles as a board member for EGP South African Project Companies and the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA).

With a wealth of experience in the domain of utility-scale renewable energy development, Nontokozo has been actively engaged in South Africa’s renewable energy sector since the inception of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Programme (REIPPP). Her participation has spanned various stages of the project lifecycle, from initial ideation to operational phases. Of notable significance, she was an integral part of the development team that achieved success in REIPPP BW1 and BW2, in collaboration with Scatec. In recent years, she has channeled her expertise into the cultivation of renewable projects, with a particular emphasis on the commercial and industrial landscape. Nontokozo boasts an extensive comprehension of South Africa’s renewable energy panorama, encompassing the regulatory framework, attendant challenges, and the spectrum of opportunities intrinsic to the sector.

Mrs Nxumalo has a Master of Engineering in Engineering and Economics & Management from the University of Oxford. She also has undergraduate degrees in French and International Politics & Sociology of Race and Ethnicity.


Chanda is a professional engineer with a track record of delivery across the renewable and energy sector. Working across technical, business development and in an executive capacity, she has a track record of identifying and successfully converting new business opportunities in both developed and emerging markets. Chanda has supported financial close for a 150 MW wind farm in Senegal and served as transaction advisory on 3 75 MW solar PV projects and a 100 MW wind project for Old Mutual Investment Group. Chanda has assisted in the development, negotiations, and review of EPC and O&M contractual arrangements for wind and solar projects across African, American, and European markets. She also provides investor due diligence and market entry support.

Ms Nomawethu Qase (Noma) is a director responsible for renewable energy at the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy (DMRE). Her primary responsibility is to ensure the integration of renewable energy into the mainstream energy supply by identifying, planning and co-ordinating strategic interventions. She is currently leading the development of the Renewable Energy Masterplan at the DMRE, which is a project that is co-created in partnership with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Department of Science and Innovation, Public Private Growth Initiative, Labour, Industry and Civil society to promote industrialization and job creation throughout the renewable energy and battery storage value chains.

Lungile L. Tom is the Head of the Project Finance unit at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), specifically focused on Project Financed infrastructure projects across various infrastructure sectors (Energy, ICT, Water, Transport, Health) in South Africa and the rest Sub-Saharan Africa. She is an experienced finance and investment professional with over 15 years of experience in infrastructure investments, project finance, corporate finance, project development and auditing in South Africa and the rest of the African continent. She is a chartered accountant (CA (SA)) and a 2020/2021 Harvard South Africa Fellow. Her educational background also includes Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Development Finance from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and a General Management Program from Harvard Business School.