A Liswati engineer, Tenele Habangaan, has been appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for Gender and Youth Empowerment at the Southern African Development Community Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE).
Headquartered in Windhoek, Namibia, SACREEE was established to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures across the 16 SADC Member States. The centre’s mandate is to promote energy security, sustainable development and economic transformation through clean energy.
Goodwill Ambassadors, such as Habangaan, play an advocacy role by raising awareness, influencing policy direction and creating opportunities for groups often excluded from high-level decision-making processes.
In her case, this involves ensuring women and youth are not left behind as the region transitions to greener and more resilient energy systems.
At the heart of power management
Habangaan currently serves as a Systems Control Engineer at the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC), where she oversees national power system security, coordinates 24/7 dispatch centre teams, and manages safety at voltage levels of up to 400kV.
Her responsibilities extend to energy trading and system balancing, ensuring the country’s electricity supply remains stable and reliable.
She described her new responsibilities as both humbling and purposeful:
“Personally, this role means I get to serve women and youth and by extension the entire society in the SADC region. Professionally, it allows me to bridge technical expertise with social impact.”
Her vision is to champion a gender- and youth-inclusive energy future, lobby for gender-responsive policies, encourage youth participation, and foster stronger links between academia and industry to prepare the next generation for energy jobs.
Recognised across Africa
In addition to her ambassadorial appointment, Habangaan was recently named among the Top 50 Pan-African Female Leaders in Energy Power List.
She said the recognition goes beyond her individual achievements:
“It signifies recognition not just of my personal efforts, but of the collective work done to elevate the role of women in a sector that has historically been male-dominated.”
She emphasised the importance of visibility, role models and challenging stereotypes in technical professions to inspire young women to pursue careers in STEM and energy.
Role models and inspiration
Locally, Habangaan draws inspiration from women such as Winile Lukhele of Kukhanya Ngekonga Cooperative, who produces solar-powered torches for rural communities, and from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy’s Women in Energy catalogue, which profiled 20 Swazi women making a difference in the sector.
Encouraged early by her mother, who recognised her talent for mathematics and physical sciences, Habangaan pursued engineering with the vision of transforming communities.
Though she faced challenges in a male-dominated field, she says resilience and perseverance were key:
“Every success I achieve is an opportunity to make the path smoother for the young women who will come after me.”
Advocacy for inclusion
Central to Habangaan’s advocacy is her conviction that women and youth are crucial to transforming Africa’s energy landscape.
She believes that energy challenges are not just technical but also deeply social, requiring women’s unique perspectives for inclusivity and equity.
“The energy system of the future cannot be built without women and youth. They are crucial for holistic solutions that address community needs, social equity and economic empowerment.”
For young girls pursuing STEM, her message is direct:
“Be brave, be bold and remember that you aren’t just building a career, but a sustainable future. You belong in this space, and the sector needs you.”
She further urged governments to integrate youth into policymaking, support youth-led businesses in energy, and create advisory councils to amplify their voices.
A platform with purpose
Habangaan said her SACREEE ambassadorship is both a platform and a responsibility:
“It offers me a chance to combine my technical background with my passion for advocacy, influencing policies that can reshape opportunities for generations to come.”
She concluded that her mission is to leave a lasting imprint on the region’s development by uplifting women and youth.
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