Lindiwe Chola Dlamini is a certified expert in climate change and renewable energy finance with 18 years’ experience in sustainable energy policy, resource mobilization, partnership development, and program management. Her career includes leadership, resource mobilization, and implementation roles for sustainable energy in Eswatini. She has provided expert technical advisory support for public-private partnership negotiations in energy infrastructure and team leadership for Eswatini's Programme for Affordable Renewable Energy. She has worked with start-up social enterprises and with development programs funded by the U.S. and EU government, African Development Bank, United Nations organizations, World Bank, and African Legal Support Facility.
As a Chief of Party for the Power Africa Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA), Dlamini leads country-level work to improve community health by drawing on private sector capacity and resources to provide rural and semi-rural health facilities with clean, reliable electricity generation and Internet connectivity. In Eswatini, she oversees HETA’s collaboration with USAID, the Ministry of Health, The Luke Commission, and other partners to provide health facilities with enhanced solar power and battery storage. Under her leadership, HETA is designing market-based approaches to contribute to Eswatini’s energy self-reliance and USAID’s global health and climate strategies.
Before joining HETA, Dlamini’s was Environment Focal Point for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Eswatini. In that role, she developed and maintained strategic partnerships with government, civil society, United Nations agencies, communities, and the private sector to mobilize resources for energy, climate change, environment, and disaster resilience. Her successes include leadership for solar for health projects, mini-grid development, and leading the development of projects for the Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, and other sources of climate and development finance. Prior to that, she served as chief energy officer of Eswatini’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy.
Expertise:
- Sustainable energy technologies and practices
- Renewable energy and climate finance
- Resource mobilization and partnerships
- Social and environment safeguards
- Strategic leadership
Key Projects:
- Power Africa Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance
Countries Served In:
- Eswatini, Kenya
Education
- MBA, The Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
- M.S., geography, archaeology, and environmental studies, University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- B.S. (honors), environmental science, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- B.S., chemical engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Awards/Honors
- Selected for first cohort of Young African Leader's Initiative Mandela Fellowship and Internship Programme