Linda Mabhena-Olagunju is one of the most powerful women in Africa according to Oprah’s power list and Forbes Women in Africa and a influential thought leader in the renewable energy sector.

She is only 37 years old and the founder and CEO of DLO Energy Resources Group – one of the largest wind farms in the continent of Africa and a wholly black-female owned independent power producer in South Africa.

“I got into the energy sector when I was a student at the University of Aberdeen, I went there to study oil and gas law”.

Speaking to The Voice from her home in Johannesburg, South Africa, she said: “As part of my research I saw that there was a direct link between the economic performance of the country and access to power,”

We ought to be growing our own economies, employing our own people, and ensuring that we are innovating rather than empowering foregin economies at the expense of our people

At the time when Linda was undertaking her studies, South Africa was experiencing rolling black outs and load shedding. Load shedding is when power companies switch off power supplies to groups of customers in order to reduce electricity.  South Africans have been living with load shedding since 2007 and according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in 2020 load shedding occurred for 859 hours of the year (9.8%). 

Linda explained: “We have a wealth of resources on this continent but our economies are constantly underperforming and one of the key challenges is around power supply.  Only 50% of businesses in Africa have access to reliable, stable power and that obviously impacts on performance,”.

Better representation

One of the ongoing challenges for women in Africa is representation in the sector.

According to the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transitions’s (GWNET) recent report, women only make up 27% of the traditional energy sector workforce and 32% of the renewable energy workforce in that sector. In the UK, black, asian and minority ethnic groups make up just 5% of the current off-shore wind sector. 

“I didn’t see representation of people that look like me in the sector, so whenever you hear about climate change, you are always hearing European voices, and seldom African voices.  I think it’s important that we are part of the conversation,” Linda explained. 

“I think building a school or a health facility or a church, as part of your social economic development is not enough,” Linda tells The Voice. 

“If you see Africa as a true partner and black people as true partners, you ought to empower or give them the access to be empowered to create and own their own technology and be in a position to replace foreign engineers in this space,” 

Linda questioned the emphasis on forgein products in African which is perhaps the most resource rich continent in the world. 

“We ought to be growing our own economies, employing our own people, and ensuring that we are innovating rather than empowering foregin economies at the expense of our people.

“It’s a cycle of poverty that continues on the African continent, we need to be a continent of makers, doers, innovators in order to break this chain of poverty.”

Impact of the Paris Agreement 

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change that came into force on 4th November 2016. The agreement aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and the long term goal is net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“Given that the continent generates most of its revenue from what are called hydrocarbon resources, like oil and gas, which are so called big polluters, it was important for me to lend my voice to what Africans feel about climate change.

“We are only responsible for 2% of the world’s global emissions yet, with the Paris Agreement, we are going to have to pay a heavy price.”

Addressing climate change is a well welcomed conversation however some are disappointed in the way the conversation has been handled so far. 

“Europe and the industrialised West have been using dirty energy sources and now they are imposing  punitive measures on Africa where it’s meant to be zero emissions by 2050. Without having consulted the continent in a way on how they can practically get to that stage,” Linda explained. 

I would like to see us attracting more capital from black investors, my dream actually is to create a pan African investment arm in the sector.

Development in Africa

Linda had what she describes as a ‘colourful’ childhood, growing up in South Africa towards the end of the aparthied regime.  In 1994 when the apatheid regime formally ended, Linda transitioned to an all white school and experienced racism attacks which she says fuelled her motivation for economic reform and representative wealth. 

For her company, DLO energy which celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year, she wants to keep pushing for the change that she would like to see. 

“I would like to see us attracting more capital from black investors, my dream actually is to create a pan African investment arm in the sector. If we can get more black people investing in renewable energy and power, at least then we have more black participation -that’s the dream I have.”

Linda, like many, is skeptical of the intentions of some foregin investors and wants governments within the continent to work together to create policies that empower and increase the capacity for trading across the African continent . 

“Africa has the answers and solutions to its power and power security issues.

“Nigeria could look to South Africa for a model that works. South Africa could look to Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe, for engineers”.

“We’ve got everything that we need to make it work here, We’ve even got the raw materials that are required here in this continent, we need more intra African trade

“I think it’s time for us to stop waiting for someone to save us on this continent, we have to do that ourselves and that starts from a government level,” Linda says.

Linda was listed amongst the 20 Most Powerful women in Africa featured on Oprah’s Power List, the Best Emerging Entrepreneur by Forbes Woman Africa in 2017 and was recognised as the 2018 Youngest Board Member on the University of Oxford’s International Advisory Board. She is the mother of three girls, an innovator and thought leader.

“Amongst honest people, they like my ideas, but amongst those who want to exploit this continent and continue to do so my views may be viewed as controversial, but I don’t think anyone can say that they’re not factual. They’re based on facts.”

Listen to the interview on The Voice YouTube Channel here

You can follow Linda on Linkedin and Instagram @lindamabhena_olagunju