Women play vital role in renewable energy sector
Women are fulfilling key roles in South Africa’s renewable energy sector, spearheading innovation, strategy and transformation in an industry that is poised to change the energy landscape in the country.
One of these women is Mantwa Mathebula, head of Sustainability for Enel Green Power Southern Africa. With a postgraduate degree in Natural Science and years of experience in the environmental and regulatory space, she joined the business as a permitting specialist in 2011 when the industry had started to boom.
When asked about barriers to entry for women in renewable energy, Mathebula says inequality forms part of South Africa’s legacy issues, which are not confined to the renewable energy sector.
“Instead of just looking at the sector or the here and now in isolation, we need to consider the inherent inequality in the different layers of society, for example, the middle class versus people living in rural areas, some who have never heard about renewable energy.
“Within this context, one of the greatest issues, specifically for women, is a lack of financial support in the areas of education, training and entrepreneurship. Another significant issue, especially for black women in South Africa, relates to cultural barriers.
“As much as we’d like to think we’ve moved away from the perception that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, many communities, and especially in the remote areas we work in, are still inclined to a certain way of thinking,” she adds.
That said, Mathebula has witnessed great strides made in terms of equality, women and transformation agendas in the renewable energy sector over the past 10 years. “I’ve seen the emergence of several associations, such as the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, which are actively promoting these agendas.
“SAWEA, for example, partnered with Wits University to create a management development programme that caters specifically for the renewable energy sector and women in the renewable energy space,” she notes.
Over the past few years, many of these associations have appointed women in top leadership roles. “If you have women in the leadership spaces, they are more likely to drive the women agenda, with policy driving the inclusion agenda,” says Mathebula.
As part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), which forms part of the government’s response to the country’s electricity challenges, renewable energy companies are obliged to meet specific objectives to address inequality and promote transformation and empowerment of black women and youth.
“Policy dictates that the sector responds by promoting entrepreneurship, upskilling SMEs, boosting industrialisation and facilitating socio-economic development and enterprise development projects in the renewable energy space,” adds Mathebula.
She says the sector can benefit from greater investment in training. “For example, Enel Green Power SA (EGP SA) partnered with the Res4Africa Foundation, which works to support Africa’s energy transition and has garnered empirical data on women in energy. This data can then be translated into tangible change efforts such as training initiatives aimed at developing skills that are needed in the renewable energy value chain.”
EGP SA’s own efforts include awarding bursaries to qualifying recipients and delivering enterprise development programmes aimed at emerging SMMEs, with the focus largely on women-owned enterprises.
To enhance the work environment for women, the company offers its workforce the opportunity to work from home a few days a week. This is especially helpful for mothers trying to achieve a work-life balance.
“The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that employees are capable of working from home and still deliver results. It proved that work and home life can co-exist. Obviously, this model doesn’t work for everyone, or even for all sectors, but we now know it is possible in some contexts,” says Mathebula.
In addition, EGP SA has established a control room that allows it to manage its plants around the country from Johannesburg. Several female professionals work in the control room, which means instead of travelling to the remote sites, they are now able to spend more time with their families and achieve greater balance in their lives.
“These are just some of the initiatives we have in place to promote a more equitable work environment. As a relatively new industry in the country, I believe the renewable energy sector is uniquely placed to promote forward-thinking and transformative agendas, underpinned by both government policy and deliberate business efforts,” says Mathebula.
She adds, however, that the impact of these measures needs to be properly monitored and evaluated. “We can have the greatest intent in the world and think we are making great strides in pursuing equality and gender equity, but if we don’t have monitoring and evaluation measures in place, we won’t be able to quantify their true impact.”