Nelisiwe Magubane (55)
Independent Non-Executive Director
Pr.Eng, BSc, MBA
Appointed:
1 January 2020
Board committee memberships:
- Social, Ethics and Sustainability Committee
Ms Magubane has extensive experience in the energy sector, having started her career in Eskom. After a stint in the private sector as a consulting electrical engineer, she joined the Department of Minerals and Energy as the chief director responsible for the restructuring of the electricity sector, planning and implementation of the electrification programme. She was later appointed as the deputy director general responsible for the development of the policies that govern electricity, nuclear and clean energy in South Africa.
In 2009, Neli was appointed as director general of energy, responsible for, amongst other things, the development of the integrated resource plan and improved access to electricity for over a million households in four years. She was responsible for the regulatory framework and policies that govern the liquid fuels and gas sectors. She was also responsible for oversight of the State-Owned Companies (SOC) that operate in the energy sector, namely CEF SOC LTD, NECSA SOC LTD, and the Regulatory Authorities that govern the energy sector. She established the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Program.
More recently, she has been appointed to the current board of Eskom Holdings SOC Limited as a non-executive director. Neli has been named one of the top 50 most influential figures in the Southern African Power sector by the ESI Africa Magazine. In 2019, she was awarded a Big 5 Energy Award by Africa Oil and Power Conference for outstanding contribution in shaping energy policy in Sub Saharan Africa. As an entrepreneur, she has established Matleng Energy Solutions, a 70% women-owned company that provides energy solutions.