Speakers
DeVilliers Botha
Chief Commercial Officer
Solareff
DeVilliers Botha, CCO of Solareff and Deputy Chairperson of the SAPVIA Governing Committee, is a former Advocate with deep expertise in legal, compliance, and financial aspects of energy projects. He champions the photovoltaic industry’s drive for enabling regulation and legislation, representing the sector across multiple industry forums and stakeholder engagement.
Elri Grobler
Business Developer
Herholdt’s Group
Elri Grobler is one of Herholdt’s Group’s Business Developers. Leveraging her skills in sales and business development, Elri focuses on driving growth and sustaining client relationships in the solar industry. With a solid grasp of industry dynamics and a commitment to excellence in the renewable energy sector, her approach is collaborative, always aiming to contribute to the team’s success and to the broader mission of advancing sustainable energy solutions.
Antoinette Gous
Manager
The Carbon Trust
Antoinette is responsible for the delivery of projects ranging from discrete advisory projects to large-scale implementation programmes, notably working on the delivery of the Market Intelligence business line of the African Development Bank’s Green Mini-Grid Market Development Programme. Antoinette also supports the UK FCDO Transforming Energy Access Programme and also undertakes Carbon Trust Standard certifications for a range of private sector organisations.
Kgomotso Jaca
Senior Manager, ESG
Bidvest Facilities Management
Kgomotso Jaca is a Senior ESG Manager with over 15 years of experience across sustainability within real estate, facilities management and services. She specialises in sustainability strategy, green building certifications, ESG reporting and large-scale ESG implementation across multi-sector portfolios. A Master’s candidate, Kgomotso combines academic insight with practical experience, focusing on translating ESG strategy into measurable environmental and business outcomes.
Rashveer Manilal
Head of Renewable Energy
Absa Business Bank
Rashveer Manilal is Head of Renewable Energy at Absa Business Bank, leading strategic transitions toward cleaner power while balancing commercial realities with sustainable ambition. He is deeply inspired by South Africa’s resilience and potential, believing its energy future reflects its people: complex, evolving, and ultimately defined by enduring shared optimism and possibility.
Dr. Rethabile Melamu
Chief Executive Officer
SAPVIA
Dr. Rethabile Bonang Melamu is a recognised leader in sustainability, shaping the future of renewable energy, water, sanitation, and the broader green economy. As Chief Executive Officer of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), she champions initiatives that accelerate South Africa’s transition to clean energy while influencing regional and global sustainability agendas. With a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from the University of Cape Town and nearly two decades of experience, Dr. Melamu has a deep expertise in clean energy, environmental sustainability, technology commercialization, and policy implementation.
Dejean Nicholson
Head of Sales
Red Rocket Energy
Dejean Nicholson is the Head of Sales at Red Rocket Energy, joining the Development team to elevate their renewable energy offering. In his role, Dejean is responsible for leading sales strategy, building strategic connections, and driving growth in line with Red Rocket’s ambitious objectives as they continue to expand and innovate for the future. He brings over a decade of experience as a sales leader, having worked in the chemical and adhesives industry before entering the renewable energy industry. With an objective to offer high-value solutions, he is driven to lead a team of passionate, like-minded Rocketeers to craft tailored, long-term solutions.
Nick Roche
Chief Product Officer
Rubicon
Nick’s career started in Industrial Automation and moved into the renewable energy space, with a particular focus on PV and BESS in small, medium, and large scale sectors. He has worked in various product-related roles in the industry and now runs Rubicon’s research and development division, Apex, which specialises in Microgrid control and inverter technology.
Khutso Sekgota
General Manager: Renewable Strategy & Business Development
Eskom Holdings
Khutso is a seasoned strategist and business leader with over 20 years’ experience driving growth, transformation, and innovation across the energy, resources, and manufacturing sectors. Currently serving as General Manager of Renewables Strategy and Business Development at Eskom Holdings, he plays a pivotal role in advancing South Africa’s energy transition by unlocking new opportunities in clean and sustainable power generation. Before joining Eskom, He served as Senior Principal at Hatch, heading the Strategy and Operational Excellence practice across Africa, with a focus on delivering measurable impact and sustainable performance improvements. His expertise sits at the intersection of engineering, strategy, and innovation—making him a compelling voice in the discourse on just energy transition.
Santosh Sookgrim
Senior Technical Advisor
SAWEA
Santosh Sookgrim is Senior Technical Advisor at SAWEA, with expertise in stakeholder engagement, member relations, and policy advocacy. His technical background in renewable energy and regulatory work drives wind energy adoption in South Africa through solutions-based thinking, collaborative partnerships, and policy innovation.
De Wet Taljaard
Technical Advisor
Investec Sustainable Solutions
De Wet Taljaard is a Technical Advisor at Investec Sustainable Solutions. With experience in energy systems engineering and solar PV project implementation he works closely with finance teams to advise private and commercial clients on integrated sustainable solutions, including renewable energy, resilient water infrastructure, and new energy vehicles. With a strong focus on practical implementation, De Wet supports businesses in navigating South Africa’s complex and evolving energy landscape. His work centers on enabling commercially viable decarbonization strategies, enhancing energy resilience, and unlocking long-term value through strategic adoption of sustainable technologies.
Anja Visagie
Chief Growth and Marketing Officer
Sustainable Power Solutions
Anja Visagie is the Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS), where she leads business development in the commercial and industrial renewable energy sector across Sub-Saharan Africa. With over 15 years of experience in the solar PV industry, Anja’s career journey began as a Design Engineer, progressing to Head of Project Development before taking up her current strategic role. She has deep expertise in solar and battery storage systems, having overseen the technical, commercial, and regulatory aspects of numerous C&I and Large Scale projects. Anja holds a MSc degrees in Mechatronic Engineering from Stellenbosch University and remains passionate about advancing clean energy adoption through innovative, client-centric solutions.
