Speakers
Dr Bethuel Sehlapelo
Executive Cluster Manager, Smart Places Cluster, CSIR
Diego Masera
Country Representative for Southern Africa, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Business Support Manager, NCPC
Julie Wells is a communication and business management specialist with almost 30 years of experience. She has been involved in driving the green industry agenda since 2012, as the communication and operations manager at the National Cleaner Production Centre, South Africa (NCPC-SA).
As part of the NCPC’s leadership team, Julie works with national and international partners to transform the way industry produces in South Africa.
Julie’s professional mission is to promote clarity of purpose and messaging around the sustainable development agenda – ensuring economic, social and environmental sustainability are included in the conversation, and practical action-driven projects.
Ndivhuho Raphulu
Director NCPC and Manager, Industry Support Programmes, CSIR
Ndivhuho Raphulu heads up the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA), the resource efficient and cleaner production (RECP) programme of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, hosted by the CSIR.
He plays a leading role in various national and international forums as well as on the African continent as President of the African Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP) and Chairman of the EU and African Union Partnership on Sustainable Consumption and Production. He also co-chairs the Steering Committee of the African Regional Eco-labelling Project, and serves on the Executive Committee of RECPnet, the worldwide UNIDO and UNEP resource efficiency and cleaner production forum.
Furthermore, Ndivhuho is a non-executive director of various social and sporting organisations, a trustee of Desmond Tutu Diversity Trust and founding member of the board of trustees of the Proclaiming Life Church in Centurion.
Executive Cluster Manager, Smart Places Cluster, CSIR
Coming soon
Chief Executive Officer, GreenCape and CSIR Board Member
Mike is the CEO of GreenCape. GreenCape is a not-for-profit and public benefit organization that works to accelerate the uptake of Green Economy solutions. Working at the intersection of Government, Business and Academia, GreenCape has a unique ability to understand key interventions that lead to growth in the Green Economy. Mike serves as the Chairman of the international cleantech network, a global network focusses on accelerating cleantech. Mike also serves on the board of the CSIR.
Country Representative for Southern Africa, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Diego Masera, serves as the UNIDO Representative for Southern Africa. He previously held the roles of Deputy Director of the Department of Programmes, Partnerships and Field Integration, and Chief of the Latin America and the Caribbean Division at UNIDO. Earlier in his career, Diego was the Chief of the Renewable Energy Division at UNIDO. His innovative contributions were pivotal in the conceptualization and development of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative, which laid the foundation for SDG7.
As the Regional Technical Advisor on Energy and Climate Change for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNDP, Diego played a key role in introducing renewable energy and energy efficiency policies. His career includes SME development in Africa, where he held various positions with international organizations based in Kenya. Diego holds a Ph.D. in renewable energy and bachelor degree in industrial design engineering, from Italy and England. Diego Masera has experience in inclusive and sustainable industrial development covering more than 50 countries and is the author of several publications.
Chief Executive Officer, National Business Initiative (NBI)
Shameela is the CEO of the National Business Initiative (NBI), an independent coalition of local and multinational businesses focusing on taking action to achieve social and environmental sustainability, underpinned by good governance.
Shameela, formerly Chief Sustainability Officer at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), led the Sustainability and Climate Change Disclosure Guidance initiative, which won the 2022 award for Thought Leadership in Sustainable Investing: Africa from Environmental Finance. Her notable contributions include advancing the JSE’s exploration of climate change, carbon credit trading, and sustainable finance frameworks.
She has served as chair of the World Federation of Exchange’s (global) Sustainability Working Group, a member of the Strategy Group of the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD), and chair of the Sustainable Finance Working Group of the National Treasury of South Africa.
Shameela is the winner of the SERAS Africa CSR/Sustainability Professional 2021 and the IRMSA ESG Sustainability Professional 2020 awards. She currently serves as a non-executive director for WWF South Africa and the Green Building Council South Africa.
Shameela holds a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). She is an alum of the Chevening and Mansion House scholarships.
Presidential Climate Change Commission
Mark Swilling is a Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Development and Co-Director of the Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST), Stellenbosch University. He is a Commissioner on the National Planning Commission (2021-2026), former Chairperson of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (until September 2023), Non-Executive Director of the National Transmission Company of South Africa (2024-2027) and a member of the United Nations-related International Resource Panel (2007-2023). His latest book is The Age of Sustainability: Just Transitions in a Complex World (London and New York: Routledge, 2020) and he was the co-lead author of Shadow State: Politics of State Capture (Johannesburg: WITS Press, 2018).
Head: Environmental Sustainability, Hulamin
Hendrik currently heads up the Hullamin Environmental Sustainability initiatives, which includes the Resources Efficiency team, focusing on gas, electricity and water efficiency improvement and sustainability initiatives. Hulamin operates the only aluminium rolling mill in South Africa, located in Pietermaritzburg KZN, and produces aluminium beverage can stock, aluminium plate, foil as well as heat exchanger materials for the automotive industry as some of it largest product ranges. Approximately 60% is for the export market. Hendrik leads the Hulamin initiatives aimed at navigating the challenges of the changing energy market and worldwide shifts taking place in terms of customer environmental demands, legislation and taxation, particularly aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to reduce global warming. Previously, Hendrik served as Engineering Manager for Hulamin for 9 years. He also served in the alluminium industry in the Middle East and formerly in the steel industry in South Africa. Hendrik holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Pretoria and a B.Com in Business Management.
