Energy Conversations Podcast

Dr Phindile Masangane's career has taken her from a chemistry lab in rural Eswatini to executive roles across South Africa's energy sector, and now to the Development Bank of Southern Africa.  
In this episode of Energy Conversations, she walks through the real version of that journey: the opportunities she didn't plan for, building a career and a family at the same time, and what it actually takes to rise in an industry that's still overwhelmingly male. This isn't the LinkedIn version. It's the turns, the doubts, and the doors.

Every substation, wind farm, and power line in South Africa gets built because someone took on the risk first. In this episode of Energy Conversations, host Thokozile Zambane sits down with Dr. Phindile Masangane, Group Executive: Programs at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), to unpack how South Africa's energy infrastructure gets funded.
Energy Conversations is powered by Kani Development Solutions and the African Energy Leadership Centre at Wits Business School. Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.#EnergyConversations #DBSA #JustEnergyTransition #SouthAfrica #WomenInEnergy

Loyiso Tyabashe, Group CEO of Nexa (the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation), traces his path from a village outside Mthatha to leading one of South Africa's key energy institutions. He talks through the chance detour from automotive engineering into nuclear at Koeberg, the "nuclearisation" training that reshaped how he makes decisions, and the toughest transition of his life — not a professional setback, but adjusting to city life and a new language as a first-year engineering student. He also shares how listening to staff, not top-down strategy, turned Nexa's finances and governance around after 2021, and closes with advice for young people starting their own energy careers: stay disciplined, and don't be afraid to ask for help.What questions do you want answered this season? Share them in the comments. Energy Conversations is powered by Kani Development Solutions in partnership with the African Energy Leadership Centre at the Wits Business School. Where to find us: LinkedIn: energyconvosInstagram: energyconvosTikTok: energyconvos#EnergyConversations #Necsa #NuclearEnergy #SouthAfrica #Koeberg #EnergySector #CareerJourney #EnergyLeadership #NuclearPower #STEM #EngineeringCareers #WomenInEnergy #AfricaEnergy #EskomEskom #EasternCape #PowerSector #CleanEnergy #EnergyLeaders #CareerAdvice

Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe says a nuclear plant's biggest workforce need isn't just physicists, it's artisans.
In this episode, host Thokozile Zambane sits down with Tyabashe to unpack South Africa's nuclear roadmap: the revival of the PBMR, the IRP's 5,200MW target, and what it actually takes in skills, training and investment to get there.
Covered in this episode:
Why PBMR was taken out of care and maintenance, and what its move from Eskom to Necsa means
What a Small Modular Reactor is, and how it differs from Koeberg
The skills South Africa has, and the ones it needs to rebuild or bring home
What success looks like for the programme over the next decade
Energy Conversations is powered by Kani Development Solutions and the African Energy Leadership Centre at Wits Business School. Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
#NECSA #NuclearSA #SkillsDevelopment #EnergyConversations

In this episode, we sit down with EWSETA to unpack the new energy careers emerging in South Africa  and how South Africans can get in early.
From solar PV technicians and wind turbine operators to battery storage specialists and green hydrogen roles to entrepreneurs in law, finance and more, the Just Energy Transition is opening up career paths that didn't exist a decade ago. The catch? The skills gap is real and closing it is the difference between South Africans participating in this shift or being left behind.
As one of South Africa's 21 SETAs, EWSETA (the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority) funds learnerships, bursaries, apprenticeships, and skills programmes designed to prepare South Africans for the jobs the energy transition is creating right now.
In this conversation we cover:
The fastest-growing energy careers in South Africa in 2026

Why solar PV, wind, and green hydrogen are creating thousands of new roles

How EWSETA's learnerships and bursaries work — and who qualifies

What young job seekers should be studying or training in today

The Just Energy Transition and what it really means for SA's workforce

How TVET colleges, employers, and EWSETA are working together to close the skills gap

Whether you're a student, an unemployed youth, a career changer, or just trying to understand where South Africa's energy economy is headed, this episode is for you.
🔗 Learn more about EWSETA: https://ewseta.org.za 
🔗 EWSETA Careers Portal: https://ewsetacareers.org.za
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