Zimbabwean renewable energy engineer and Australia Awards alumna Nomathemba Ndlovu is using her expertise to help drive a more sustainable and inclusive energy future across Africa. Since completing a Master of Engineering (Renewable Energy) at UNSW Sydney as an Australia Awards scholar, Nomathemba has earned recognition as an emerging leader in the sector, contributing to international climate and energy initiatives while mentoring the next generation of engineers. From serving as an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Expert Reviewer and Open Global Power Fellow to a double nomination for Emerging Leader in Australia-Africa Diplomacy, her achievements reflect a commitment to advancing clean energy solutions that create lasting impact. In this personal reflection, Nomathemba shares how a determination to address energy poverty in Zimbabwe inspired her journey from student to renewable energy advocate and leader.
“I still remember finishing my final year undergraduate thesis by the glow of a solar street light in Zimbabwe. The irony stayed with me. I was writing about progress while so much of my country sat in darkness. That night I decided energy poverty would not simply be something I studied. It would be something I helped to solve.
“That decision led me into renewable energy, a field that was new to me but one I felt drawn to with real conviction. It also led me to Australia Awards and to a Master of Engineering in Renewable Energy at UNSW Sydney. I arrived knowing very little, so much so that I jokingly called myself the SolarKid, always the youngest voice in rooms full of solar veterans. I learned everything I could, in lecture halls, in high level discussions, through travel, training and volunteering, and by contributing to clean energy as a young person, including as a Director at the Youth Climate Policy Centre Australia. Through all of it, I held onto one goal: to gather the skills, knowledge and networks that Africa needs, and to carry them home.
“Two years later, the SolarKid became the SolarQueen, a name that stuck after my nomination for the Africa Queen of Energy Awards in December 2025. To study renewable energy, contribute in the field, and then be recognised among the Pan African Female Leaders in Energy 2026 is a real honour, and a reward for my hard work in the energy sector.
“Now that I have returned home, my focus is the energy transition, making sure no one is left behind and preparing Africa for a more reliable modern grid. I am part of the prestigious Open Global Power program for energy professionals across the Global South, where I represent the Africa track, working to turn ambition into practical change for the communities that need it most.”
