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By Johnathan Paoli
Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina has led a call for gender inclusivity in the emerging green hydrogen economy.
Addressing a diverse audience of women leaders at the Women in Green Hydrogen (WiGH) breakfast at the 2025 Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town, she launched the Green Hydrogen Mentorship Platform, which is aimed at building an inclusive, gender-responsive energy sector.
“Fundamental change depends on deliberate and inclusive implementation. We must ensure that women are not excluded from this energy transition,” she said.
Themed “Investing in a Regional Just Energy Transition: A Focus on Green Hydrogen”, the event brought together trailblazing women from government, academia, business and civil society.
The mentorship platform, developed through collaboration between the departments of Science, Technology and Innovation, Higher Education and Training, and the Energy and Water Sector Education Training Authority, seeks to connect emerging talent with seasoned professionals to advance equitable growth in the hydrogen sector.
The platform, first introduced at the 2023 World Hydrogen Summit in Germany, has already garnered strong international support.
Gina stressed that South Africa’s hydrogen policy frameworks, including the Hydrogen Society Roadmap, the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, and the Just Transition Framework, must deliver real transformation.
Gina noted that women accounted for only 23% of STEM professionals in South Africa, and fewer than 17% held leadership roles.
She said the country could not afford to replicate the exclusionary patterns of the past, urging participants to commit to mentorship and collaborative leadership.
Her sentiments were echoed by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe, who described the mentorship platform as a “strategic lever for change”.
She highlighted the platform’s potential to bridge gaps in knowledge and opportunity for women and youth, especially in remote or underserved areas.
Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré launched her department’s new gender guide at the event.
In her keynote address, she underscored the urgency of gender mainstreaming.
“Africa’s abundant renewable resources, expansive land and access to critical minerals put us in a globally competitive position for hydrogen development. But economic growth without gender equality is fragile,” she warned.
African Union Commission infrastructure and energy commissioner Lerato Mataboge called for gender equity to be embedded across Africa’s green hydrogen value chain.
“If we are to get green hydrogen right, then gender equality must be part of the equation. This is not a nice-to-have, it is a necessity,” Mataboge declared.
She outlined critical actions, namely expanding energy access for women and communities, channelling support for women and youth entrepreneurship, investing in STEM education, creating gender-responsive policies and workplaces, and showcasing African women’s leadership.
The breakfast concluded with a panel discussion led by Charles Dos Santos, who presented methods for hydrogen transport, and energy experts from Japan and Korea who shared international hydrogen policy insights and affirmed commitment to collaboration with Africa.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Department described the event as marking a strategic turning point for women in Africa’s green hydrogen future, calling for the continent’s energy transition to be just, inclusive and led by all.
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