2018 Top 35-under-35 Finalist: Tebogo Tshepo Movundlela

Tebogo Movundlela is a chief executive officer with over 10 years’ experience across varying sectors including renewable energy, defence, and audit and advisory. Her contribution towards ‘powering’ the development of Africa began in 2013 when she was intimately involved in the construction of a 94 MW renewable wind facility in the role of chief financial officer. She now leads the team responsible for the ongoing operations and asset management of the facility.

Effective stakeholder engagement is a core value for Tebogo. This has enabled her to successfully navigate a complex project finance structure in an emerging renewable energy market in South Africa, involving a diverse pool of stakeholders and thus be instrumental in the construction of the facility, under budget, ahead of schedule and without any significant health and safety incidents.

Through her experience, Tebogo has also played a pivotal role in the establishment of ENGIE (previously GDF Suez) Southern Africa’s finance department, as well as the financial close of Kathu Solar Park, a 100 MW concentrated solar plant.

In addition to her contribution towards providing clean and reliable energy to the South African grid, Tebogo is concerned with the socio-economic sustainability of the renewable energy sector and its impact on society.

She is involved in a number of corporate social investment initiatives that target the education trajectory from early childhood development to skills development of unemployed people. Two of these initiatives were recently recognised in the category of ‘Development of Skills of Marginalised People’ at the Saldanha Bay Municipality Awards.  She is also a board member of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and part of the current cohort of SciencePo’s Global Leaders for Africa’s Development programme.