MEET THE TEAM

Dr Steven Mathetsa is a Senior Lecturer at the African Energy Leadership Centre, Wits Business School. He is a registered Professional Natural Scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientists Profession (SACNASP and has over 18 years’ experience in the fields of sustainable development, environmental management, climate change, water, and energy resources management. He has occupied junior and specialist positions at the Department of Water and Sanitation, Sappi Pulp and Paper, Anglo American – Coal, Eskom (Generation, Technology, and Research, Testing & Development), and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). Having worked for both private and state-owned entities, Dr. Mathetsa has accumulated wealth of experience in the operational processes, ESG, policy development and implementation, ISO management systems, strategy and business development, technological advancements, project management, and research & development of water and energy resources. He is currently serving as a board member of Nkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency and a member of Enlit Africa Advisory Board for 2025. He holds BSc (UJ), BSc Hons and MSc-Environmental Management (UNISA), PhD and postgraduate Diploma in Energy Leadership (Wits University). 
 

Ntitiseng is a Project Engineer in the renewable energy sector, where she contributes to the development, construction, and operation of utility-scale renewable energy facilities. She holds a Master of Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, along with several certifications relevant to her field. 

Her expertise also extends to the international standardization of renewable energy technologies. She previously served as a member of the South African committee to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which focuses on standards for solar and wind energy generation systems. 

Her work has earned her several accolades, including being named one of the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans in 2024, in recognition of her impact on the country’s energy sector. 

Dr. Tshifhiwa Maphala currently serves as the Localisation and Industrialisation Manager for Siemens Energy South Africa. In this role, Dr. Maphala ensures compliance with NIPP localisation and industrialisation obligations. Before joining Siemens Energy, Dr. Maphala was the New Business Development and Country Energy Transition Lead for Shell South Africa, where he was responsible for developing and implementing Shell SA's energy transition strategy. Prior to Shell, Dr. Maphala worked as a Scientist for Sasol. He is a Certified Supply Chain Professional and holds a PhD in Engineering from the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Wits University. 

Outside of his professional career, he is a non-executive director of an Internet Service Provider business which he co-owns with his brother, is a board member at the Broadacres Country Estate and trustee for an education NPC, FundaSizwe Foundation.  

Dr Goitsione Emily Olifant is a Lecturer at the Wits Business School’s African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC), with research expertise spanning across green hydrogen economy, the just energy transition, and critical minerals within Africa’s energy sector. She holds a Doctor of Technology in Biotechnology from the University of Johannesburg and is a registered member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

Dr Olifant has a strong interdisciplinary background which bridges science, technology, policy and leadership. She is passionate about translating academic research into industry practice which supports the development of future leaders in Africa’s renewable energy landscape. Dr Olifant actively mentors postgraduate students and she engages with public and private stakeholders to promote sustainable development in the African continent. She has participated in regional and internal platforms which reflects her commitment to advancing Africa’s renewable energy capacity through collaboration, knowledge exchange, and skills development.

Omie has over 14 years of experience within the bank, having joined FNB in 2011, where he started out as an Accounting Support Specialist for the Instant Solutions products, before moving to Merchant Services, where he has been since 2013. In his time in Merchant Services, he has gained a lot of exposure to the specialised Acquiring environment within the Payments space. He spent time as a Corporate Relationship Manager looking after the acquiring side of corporate clients. He soon after, headed up the Enterprise portfolio nationally for Merchant services, before changing hats to take up the responsibility of Growth Manager, where he carried both the responsibilities of Regional Manager as well as National Sales Optimization manager. He was then later appointed as the Executive of Growth, with a specific focus on the SME and Fuel Sector strategy for Merchant Services. He is now in the strategic role of Head of Development for the Platinum sub-segment within the SME space, where he carries the responsibility of solving an SME business’s holistic needs.

Thobekile Gambu is an Environmental Scientist and Sustainability Strategist whose work focuses on developing and implementing sustainability strategies, aligning operations with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, managing environmental and climate risks, and driving initiatives that advance resource efficiency, resilience, and climate adaptation.
She is the Co-founder of the Ukusimama Foundation, where she leads a mentorship program that supports young women in energy and sustainability, expanding access and cultivating future leaders in Africa’s green transition. With over 13 years of experience, Thobekile holds a Master of Science in Chemistry, a Master’s in Environmental Management, and a Diploma from the Copenhagen Business School, and is pursuing a PhD in Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Beyond her foundation work, previous and current influential roles, include the Enlit Africa Municipal Forum Advisory Board, Women Economic Assembly Energy Sector in KwaZulu-Natal, the South African Youth Parliament for Water as Vice President, Green Building Council of South Africa Task Force, Water Security Africa Advisory Board and DEVAC Invest Africa Advisory Board. An accomplished international speaker, Thobekile has addressed global forums such as the United
Nations 2023 Water Conference (New York), the Global Energy Transition Congress (Italy), and the 3rd Energy Transformation Summit (Germany), where she contributes to shaping global dialogues on energy transformation, water security, and Africa’s Just Energy Transition.

George Lebese is a professionally registered Electrical Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). He holds an Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and brings over 11 years of engineering expertise spanning design, maintenance, project execution, and operations management.

He currently serves as Head of Operations & Maintenance at Journey2Green, a renewable energy company, where he leads the performance, reliability, and lifecycle management of solar assets. Prior to this, George built a strong engineering foundation at Transnet Engineering, where he progressed through several technical and leadership roles including Lead Engineer, Project Engineer, Design Engineer, and Maintenance Engineer.

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His career is defined by a combination of strong technical acumen, leadership capability, and a proven track record in driving operational excellence within the energy and engineering sectors.