Mr. Thabo Kekana is a qualified Chemical Engineer and accomplished energy executive with over 20 years of experience spanning the energy, industrial, and public sectors. He has held senior technical and strategic roles at Sasol, UOP (USA), Natref, and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and currently serves in a high-level leadership role within South Africa’s Department of Electricity and Energy.
Mr. Kekana is central to the implementation of the Department’s strategic vision to eradicate energy poverty and achieve Universal Access to Electricity by 2030. He plays a leading role in shaping and executing national policy frameworks, including the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP),
Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, and the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM).
A firm advocate for inclusive development, he champions public-private partnerships, localisation, and the meaningful participation of youth, women, and persons with disabilities in the energy value chain. Guided by the mantra “People, Planet, Progress,” Mr. Kekana brings a values-driven, results-oriented approach to programme delivery, leveraging Africa’s natural endowments and a diversified energy mix to drive industrialisation, sustainable growth, and socio-economic transformation.