Umbane Energy Investments

Who are we?

Umbane Energy Investments exists to turn Africa’s sustainability challenges into opportunities for growth. We develop clean infrastructure that powers industries, strengthens communities, and protects the environment. We believe Africa’s future will be built on clean energy that empowers people, drives industries, and restores balance with the environment. Our work is to make that future real by developing renewable energy solutions, from solar farms on land and water to hybrid and off-grid systems, that light up communities and unlock opportunity across Africa.

Our Vision

To power Africa’s rise through clean energy that drives prosperity, restores dignity, and creates lasting transformation.

Our Mission

Our mission is to strengthen the foundations of Africa’s growth and be a catalyst to Africa’s elevation by focusing on industries that multiply opportunity, create dignity, and uplift society. We turn Africa’s sustainability challenges into opportunities for inclusive growth. By focusing on the Sustainable Agriculture, Water and Energy (SAWE) nexus, we design and deliver renewable energy solutions that multiply economic opportunity, empower communities, and protect the environment.

Our Mandate

Umbane Energy Investments is committed to:-Developing clean infrastructure that powers industries and communities across Southern Africa.
-Investing in the SAWE nexus to unlock economic multipliers that address poverty, inequality, and unemployment.
-Creating partnerships that deliver bankable, scalable, and socially impactful energy solutions.
-Driving inclusive growth by ensuring our projects uplift households, enable enterprises, and empower future generations.

Impact

We measure our success by the positive and tangible impact we create for communities and the planet, ensuring that our actions today contribute meaningfully to a brighter tomorrow.

Integrity

We act ethically in all business dealings, prioritizing the people and planet ahead of profit. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and responsibility

Innovation

We pioneer groundbreaking technologies and drive transformative advancements in energy generation and agrifood systems.

Excellence

We deliver outstanding quality work and consistently seek continuous improvement. We embrace innovation and learning to ensure we always exceed expectations

Chief Investments Officer

Alex Memela

Alex is an Energy Entrepreneur with a strong track record in renewable energy financing and project development, having held key roles across Nedbank, Standard Bank and ENGIE (with projects globally).Prior to joining ENGIE, Alex worked at Mazars Corporate Finance as a Project Finance Executive responsible for financial modelling, feasibility studies and advisory to several private clients, DFIs and state-owned entities.As a Transactor at Nedbank, he was responsible for structuring preference share funding offerings for Commercial & Industrial (C&I) clients, and handling all preference share pitches for REIPPP, BESS and private sector deals. At Engie, Alex worked on Round 5 REIPPP Projects, leading bids and financial
structures to ensure successful project closures. At Standard Bank, he played a pivotal role in theTronox/SOLA wheeling projects, the first utility-scale wheeling initiative in South Africa, and led the refinancing of Round 1 Solar PV projects. He was also a key team member in structuring Seriti Green's groundbreaking preference share funding - the first of its kind in the region.Alex’s experience extends beyond SA and traditional renewable energy projects, having worked on
international renewable energy projects, including biomass projects in collaboration with a global internationally listed company and providing bid strategy support for solar projects in India. He holds extensive expertise in structuring non-recourse funding, such as the first-ever non-recourse funding for a carbon credits entity, underscoring his ability to craft innovative financial solutions that align with Global decarbonisation goals. Alex holds a Bachelor of Business Science (with honours) in Finance and Economics from the University of Kwazulu-Natal

Chief Operations Officer

Mlingani Matiwane

Mlingani (they/them) is a South African behavioural economist, entrepreneur, and strategic operations leader. As Chief Operations Officer at Umbane Energy Investments, they oversee financial strategy, operations, and project delivery to drive sustainable infrastructure across Africa.They began their career in macroeconomic research at the University of Cape Town’s School of Economics before moving into corporate energy with Pele Natural Energy and Pele Green Energy. There, they led project development and chaired major bids, including Round 5 of the Renewable Energy IndependentPower Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP) and private deals with Glencore and Anglo American, all reaching financial close.Mlingani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Psychology from UCT, an Executive Certificate in Financial Modelling for Utility Tariff Settings (UCT GSB), and is completing a BSc in Finance and Accounting at the London School of Economics. They are also an Allan Gray Fellow and co-founder of both Umbane Energy Investments and the Young Black Infrastructure Corporation.Their work focuses on bridging finance, governance, and infrastructure in the Global South, with a passion for unlocking capital markets and shaping inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.Beyond their professional commitments, Mlingani is driven by a curiosity for the human condition and the forces shaping decision-making. Their interests span neuroscience, cognitive and social psychology, and philosophy. Outside of work, they play piano and are known for a voracious appetite for learning

Technical Lead

Yonela Poswa

Yonela Poswa (they/them) has a Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering background from the University of Cape Town and a proven track record in renewable energy project development, financing, and technical leadership. Their expertise covers electrical distribution system maintenance, solar smart energy solutions, control systems, medium- and low-voltage networks, IoT-enabled technologies, and precision agri-tech. At Umbane, Yonela leads the delivery of a 50 MW grid-tied solar plant in Limpopo and 26 MW of
late-stage projects in Namibia, positioning the company as a competitive independent power producer.A co-founder of both Umbane Energy Investments and the Young Black Infrastructure Corporation, Yonela has driven projects ranging from ground-mounted and floating solar to agrivoltaics, waste-to-energy, and bioprocessing solutions. They were selected for the 2024 Innovate UK “Scaling Out For Impact” cohort, where they showcased Umbane’s vertical-bifacial agrivoltaic arrays and GAHT-enabled passive-solar
greenhouse concept. Yonela also spearheads Project Nkululeko, an agrivoltaic-led rural industrialisation model that couples energy generation with local agro-processing to create jobs and asset ownership in underserved communities.An Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Candidate Fellow and Entrepreneurial Academy alumnus, Yonela has earned recognition as an awardee of the E-Squared Investments Start-Up Founders Pitch, winner of the Best Sub-Saharan Project Proposal at the Umoja Incubator, and participant in the Private Finance Advisory Network H2 Cohort. Their commitment to scaling technology innovations for Africa’s just energy transition, combined with strong governance insight and a focus on socio-economic impact, ensures that Umbane’s projects deliver both commercial value and lasting community benefit.

Chief Relationships Officer

Sihlangule Siwisa

Sihlangule is a seasoned strategist in insight-driven communication and stakeholder engagementSihlangule has led high-stakes relationship portfolios at the highest levels of government and business. As Chief Director in The Presidency, seconded to former President Kgalema Motlanthe, he shaped national outreach programmes and cultivated cross-sector partnerships. He previously sharpened his analytical and advisory skills as a Management Consultant at EY.A published author and respected thought leader, Sihlangule couples reputational acumen with energy-sector fluency. He holds an MBA in Reputation Management, a Master’s in Renewable Energy from TECH Technological Universidad in Spain, and a BA in Economics and Statistics from Rhodes University.He now drives Umbane’s external relations, building trust, unlocking collaboration and amplifying the
company’s brand across funders, partners and communities. His ability to merge reputation strategy with technical understanding makes him a vital bridge between Umbane’s vision and the ecosystems it seeks to transform.Across his career, Sihlangule has navigated diverse industries with consistent impact, from aerospace and defence technology markets to policy research, infrastructure development, and creative entrepreneurship. His leadership at Civil and Power Generation Projects (CPGP) advanced the company’s renewable energy ambitions across Africa, while at TseboTech he positioned high-tech solutions on global platforms such as the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo.

Lead Engineer

Liz Mubari

Liz Mubari is an electrical engineer specializing in renewable energy generation, with a passion for accelerating universal access to sustainable energy. She has a proven track record in designing power projects across solar, wind, and battery energy storage technologies. Her expertise spans the entire project lifecycle, from pre-feasibility studies to technical due diligence, with a strong focus on designing grid-tied and off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.Currently, she is Umbane's lead engineer overseeing a 620 MW renewable energy portfolio while pioneering agrivoltaic projects that integrate sustainable food systems with clean energy solutions. Her vision is to drive climate-resilient innovations that foster economic empowerment and enable communities and businesses to thrive.

Project Manager

Nqabakazi Mbiko

Nqabakazi Mbiko is a project management leader and venture builder with a proven record of turning bold ideas into bankable, high-impact ventures across cooperative development and digital innovation.Previously, as Strategic Operations and Business Development Lead at Phanda Mzansi Co-operative, she co-designed an incubation framework that supported 26 early-stage start-ups and delivered hands-on market positioning advice to help founders unlock scalable growth. From inception, she led the organisation’s business development efforts and built its operational systems, covering everything from events to stakeholder management, while steadily growing the company’s portfolio and market presence.Her entrepreneurial skills were honed earlier at Campus Life Technologies, Africa’s first digital campus-experience platform, which she co-founded and scaled to more than 57,000 student users while building institutional partnerships and managing cross-functional teams. She has successfully navigated multistakeholder environments, balancing the needs of funders, partners and communities while safeguarding project objectives. Her skills extend to building operational frameworks from the ground up, optimising team performance and embedding systems that support long-term scalability.Her perspective is shaped by experience that spans corporate, cooperative and grassroots contexts. She combines agile methodologies, data-driven decision-making and stakeholder diplomacy to keep complex initiatives on time, on budget and on purpose. She holds a Project Management and Operations Management Certification and is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of East London, building on a Bachelor of Social Science in English Language and Literature and Politics and Governance from the University of Cape Town.

Our Why

We do what we do because we believe in building change that lasts. We chose industries at the very foundation of Africa’s growth. These industries create ripple effects that uplift communities, unlock opportunity, and bring us closer to overcoming poverty, inequality, and unemployment.The foundation of our vision lies in the Sustainable Agriculture, Water and Energy (SAWE) nexus. These are the base industries that feed life into every other part of the economy. Agriculture ensures food security and creates livelihoods. Water sustains both people and production, while energy powers every step of progress. When strengthened together, they unlock a powerful economic multiplier one that creates jobs, stimulates enterprise, and attracts further investment.This is how the SAWE nexus uplifts society: it not only drives economic growth but also ensures that growth is inclusive. Farmers gain stable markets, households gain access to resources, young people gain opportunities for work, and communities gain the dignity of self-reliance. By multiplying value across sectors, the nexus reduces poverty, narrows inequality, and provides a pathway out of unemployment. In this way, the SAWE nexus becomes more than infrastructure—it becomes a foundation for transformation.

Contact Us

Reach us via: [email protected]