Kirsten Francis | Coach | Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika | Co-Founder | Jade-Sky Holdings | mail me |
South Africa is transitioning from fossil fuels toward renewable energy. The government aims to add at least 19 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. By 2050, the country targets as much as 190 GW.
These targets are critical for climate resilience and energy security. Yet, the social design of this transition is dangerously overlooked.
More than 40% of South Africans still live in energy poverty. Women make up just 14% of the renewable energy workforce. Ownership and procurement remain concentrated and locked in by structural inequality.
To meet South Africa’s energy future with resilience and innovation, this transition must actively include diverse voices. Especially women. Only then can we design and drive solutions that serve all communities. Reimagining the energy sector therefore requires a shift in mindset that prioritizes inclusion alongside capacity building.
From wild idea to 1,414 MW portfolio
My sister and I entered this sector with no background in engineering or finance. We had no roadmap, only a wild idea: to own a wind turbine. That idea was so bold, I only shared it with her. But we believed it was easier to ground a wild idea in reality than to turn a boring one into something exciting.
This belief stems from the Design Thinking mindset I teach: “Yes, and?” Instead of overanalysing or discarding bold ideas, we kept saying yes. We kept looking for opportunities that would move us closer to that one turbine. By managing Windaba, Africa’s largest wind conference, we incrementally built networks and sector knowledge. We researched, learned and positioned ourselves strategically.
In 2020, policy shifted to require women-led business participation in procurement. By then, we were ready. Not by accident, but because we had been designing our way into the industry for years.
Our journey from that single wild idea now encompasses equity in 1,414 MW of solar PV and onshore wind projects. This scale demonstrates that non-traditional pathways can achieve transformational impact. Success emerges when strategic positioning meets opportunity created by policy shifts. Reimagining the energy sector proves that even unconventional beginnings can shape national outcomes.
The strategic value of inclusion
As a women-led family business, we understand that energy sits at the nexus of everything.
Access to energy drives economic growth. This is why our 20-year operational view focuses on early childhood development, healthcare and sport in host communities. This is not corporate social responsibility. It is an investment in the ecosystems where our projects operate.
The necessity for women to participate actively in the sector allows us to be strategic about investments and partnerships. We always revisit our core values. Inclusion is not just ethical. It is a business imperative that creates competitive advantages through diverse perspectives and community-rooted approaches. Reimagining the energy sector must therefore link business sustainability with social transformation.
Breaking down the barriers
The sector’s greatest barriers are not technical. They are cultural and institutional. We have been consistently underestimated. Our qualifications in communication science, political science, gender advocacy and project management are often dismissed in favor of traditional hard skills.
The industry uses jargon as gatekeeping, creating artificial barriers that shut out capable contributors. We had to overcome imposter syndrome by embracing authenticity. It is okay to admit you do not know something. People want to help if you ask genuinely. This authenticity has opened doors that credentials alone might not have.
For women and entrepreneurs from non-traditional backgrounds, success requires building values-aligned networks and surrounding yourself with willing mentors. It also requires committing doggedly to learning. The sector offers multiple entry points. But confidence is essential to understanding all the moving parts.
Design thinking as a navigation tool
Design thinking is more than a methodology for us. It is how we navigate uncertainty in a world that demands certainty. Traditional business operates with rigid mindsets. In contrast, Design Thinking provides frameworks for embracing ambiguity and turning it into a competitive advantage.
This approach allowed us to identify real needs in the energy sector. It also enabled us to remain agile through the complex Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment investment landscape. We constantly iterate on who we are as a business.
Our role has diversified from project managers to equity holders while we maintain a values-based foundation.
Change requires new mindsets
South Africa’s energy future will not be shaped by individual success stories alone. It depends on how we rethink the systems that determine access, ownership, and participation.
Steps like the 2021 procurement requirements for women-led businesses have opened doors. Yet, broader transformation is still needed.
Progress comes from equipping more people across sectors and backgrounds with the mindsets to challenge the status quo. We must design inclusive solutions and build systems that reflect the needs of all South Africans.
Lighting the way forward
Entrepreneurship is often a lonely, long road. Yet, understanding your responsibility to craft pathways for others helps you push through challenges. Leadership requires constant revisiting of first principles. You must interrogate your why, iterate through complexity, and design solutions that work for everyone.
As the country accelerates its energy transition, we must move beyond asking how much power we can generate. We must ask who we generate it for, and with. The success of our transition depends not just on technical capacity. It depends on whether we design it to serve all South Africans.
It takes audacity to dream big, but tenacity to remain at the table. The future of South Africa’s energy sector, and the communities it serves, depends on both.
