Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina: Women in Green Hydrogen

Deputy Minister, Department of Electricity and Energy, Ms. Samantha Graham-Maré
Deputy Minister, Department of Higher Education and Training, Ms. Mimmy Martha Gondwe.
Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission, Her Excellency, Lerato Mataboge.
Project Preparation Specialist, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Ms. Nicoleen Meeding.
CEO of Energy & Water Sector Education Training Authority (EWSETA), Mpho Mookapele.
Director of External Capacity Building and Internships, Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Ms. Bongiwe Moni.
Distinguished leaders from government, academia, business and civil society;
And most importantly, the formidable women driving Africa’s Green Hydrogen’s future,

It gives me great pleasure to join you at this pivotal gathering, the Women’s Breakfast hosted as part of the 2025 African Green Hydrogen Summit.

It is truly a moment for reflection, for inspiration, and for bold commitments as we engage under the theme “Investing in a Regional Just Energy Transition: A Focus on Green Hydrogen.”

Today’s breakfast is far more than a ceremonial occasion. It is a strategic dialogue, a platform designed to bring together women leaders, policymakers, investors and partners around one critical question: how do we ensure that Africa’s transition to a green hydrogen economy is not only effective and competitive, but also inclusive, equitable, and regionally coordinated?

As we meet this morning, the global energy landscape is undergoing a major shift. Green hydrogen is being positioned as a cornerstone of future energy systems, capable of transforming how we produce, store, and distribute clean power. Africa, with its immense solar and wind resources, stands on the brink of becoming a global powerhouse in green hydrogen and Power-to-X technologies. Yet, as we pursue this opportunity, we must do so with a clear-eyed focus on justice. We must ask: who is included in this transition? Who benefits? And critically, who leads?

As government, we believe our role is to create an enabling environment that allows for inclusive participation across the energy value chain. Through instruments such as the Hydrogen Society Roadmap, the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, and the Just Transition Framework, South Africa has laid the policy groundwork for building a green hydrogen economy that is globally competitive and locally empowering. Policy is a start, but real transformation depends on inclusive, intentional implementation.

This is why, as government, we always position ourselves in structures that will enhance women’s participation in the green hydrogen industry.

South Africa, represented by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), has participated as a member country at the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) since 2009. The IPHE is an international inter-governmental partnership whose objective is to facilitate and accelerate the transition to clean and efficient energy and mobility systems using Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH) technologies.

With a strong focus on implementing South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM), the country leveraged the hosting of the 39th IPHE Steering Committee and associated events to learn from international best practices on building an enabling hydrogen ecosystem.
But we know that transformation requires investment. Investing in women is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. Women are already shaping renewable energy innovation. By backing them, we amplify innovation, increase resilience, and ensure that the solutions we build are grounded in community realities.

Recognising the importance of transformation, especially women's inclusion in the green hydrogen sector, the DSTI, in partnership with the DHET and the Energy and Water SETA, initiated the development of a mentorship platform as part of South Africa’s chairship deliverables.

This platform is aimed at co-creating and strengthening skills, with a strong focus on empowering women and building an inclusive talent pipeline to support the growth of the green hydrogen economy.

The Hydrogen Skills Mentoring Platform is a strategic initiative designed to build a strong, inclusive talent pipeline to support the development of the green hydrogen economy. It will serve as a structured, multi-stakeholder platform that connects experienced professionals, researchers, and industry leaders with emerging talent across South Africa, the continent, and beyond. This mentorship platform fills a critical gap and aligns with South Africa’s chairship priorities. Therefore, I am pleased to announce the launch of this collaborative work, the Green Hydrogen Mentorship Platform.

The DSTI has already laid important groundwork through several women-led and women-focused initiatives that we actively support; these include the Women in Technology and Innovation Programme, the South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA),
the National Youth Service Programme, and the Youth Science Camps and STEM Olympiads. These are not symbolic gestures but strategic platforms reflecting our ongoing commitment to transformation, access, and equity in the science and innovation ecosystem.

From these existing initiatives, mentors and mentees can already begin to be identified and connected. Going forward, these platforms will serve as the backbone through which we will strengthen and align the skills development programme being advanced in partnership with EWSETA, the DSTI, and DHET.

Already, this platform has gained interest from around the world, with the announcement made at the World Hydrogen Summit held in Germany.

I therefore urge all of you to take advantage of this opportunity and use it as a stepping stone towards growing your talent within the hydrogen sector. I also encourage all the experienced women in the audience to make time in order to support the up-and-coming talent by becoming mentors.

It is no secret that women remain underrepresented in the energy and STEM sectors across the continent. In South Africa, women make up only 23% of STEM professionals, and fewer than 17% hold leadership roles. Across Africa, the figures are no better. These gaps stem from systemic barriers, not a lack of talent or ambition. If we do not act intentionally, the green hydrogen revolution will repeat the exclusions of the past. But we can choose a different path. We can choose to build a transition that is just, that uplifts, and that opens doors to all women.

This breakfast session is also a call to collaboration. Think about what it would take to build a green hydrogen economy where women lead not only in labs and boardrooms, but in infrastructure planning, policy formulation, value chain ownership, and community development.

To all the women in this room: you are the energy leaders Africa has been waiting for. You are not only part of the transition, you are defining its future. I thank you for your leadership, your innovation, and your unwavering commitment to building an Africa that is green, just, and inclusive.

Let us walk this journey together, with courage and gaps collaboration.

I thank you.