Meet our Associates
AWEaP Associate
Dr. Nthabiseng Mohlakoana

Nthabiseng Mohlakoana holds a Doctorate in Innovation and Governance for Sustainable Developmentfrom the University of Twente’s Department of Governance and Technology for Sustainability (CSTM) in The Netherlands. She has more than 15 years of experience in research focusing on energy access and use, gender and development in the low-income urban and rural areas, mainly in Southern Africa. Most of her research in recent years emphasizes the importance of gender equality in planning and implementation of energy and other basic services interventions dictated by policies. Her work aims at finding solutions that address and lead to the eradication of energy poverty experienced by women and men in low-income urban and rural areas in the global south.
For four years since 2015 she was working as a key Researcher and Project Coordinator on DFID funded four-year multiple-partner project titled: ‘Productive Uses of Energy and Gender in the Informal Food Sector’ with a focus on three African countries namely Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.
In the past few years her professional activities have included research in energy and gender topics, guest lecturing in development studies as well as supervision and co-supervision of graduate, masters and doctoral student’s projects. She also has experience in various methods of applying gender a lens and using different gender approaches in the energy sector in households as well as gender mainstreaming of energy and climate change projects and programs.
AWEaP Associate
Mr. Hloni Motloung

Hloni Motloung started his career in 2001. He gained valuable experience in Reputation Management, Stakeholder Management, Corporate Communications, Internal Communication, Media Relations, Crisis Communications, Issues Management and Sports Management.
Hloni is a qualified Public Relations Practitioner with a National Diploma in Public Relations from the University of Johannesburg (formerly Wits Technikon).
He believes that Media Relations cannot be isolated from Reputation Management and building reputation is far more than having an effective Media Relations strategy. He is passionate about driving internal and external campaigns that positively impact both the organization and its key stakeholders.
Throughout his public relations career, Hloni serviced clients such as SAIEE, City Power, The Association of Municipality Electricity Utilities (AMEU), Business Against Crime, DBSA, PPC Cement, Saab Grintek, Pikitup, City Of Joburg, British Airways, Putco, Nike, Tshwane Fifa Fan Fest, My Acre of Africa, Consumer Financial Vulnerability Index, Unilever and ACSA.
He spent the past five year working with the MD of City Power as stakeholder and Reputation Management consultant on a contract basis.
He also has extensive writing experience in corporate, consumer and sports experience.
AWEaP Associate
Ms. Keneilwe Mmutlana

“Social Media Super Hero”
Keneilwe is born and breed in Johannesburg. She graduated from Varsity College with a Diploma in Advertising, since then her interest in the industry has grown vastly. She has spent the past 5years solidifying her knowledge in digital marketing using social media and data driven analytics to establish a lasting presence in new markets and identifying new opportunities to learn. Keneilwe is a marketing professional who is detail oriented, a team player, quick learner who is willing to serve with poise and professionalism.
Her interest in Energy and Power started a few years ago , when she was introduced to Women In Energy- (WIE) by Matleng Energy Solutions, having being exposed to such great calibre of women she could not help but grow the love of such initiative’s. Having been exposed to the harsh realities of gender in-equality within the working space, this was just is step in the door. She also realised how a lot of our female engineers had little interest or nothing when it comes to Social Media, she then took it upon herself the help make them more visible on Social platforms, she also encourages them not to shy away from them. Keneilwe feel’s the youth and women’s expression’s , however tend to be subject to much criticism and are hardly ever allowed in the established social media platforms as much as It should be, the culture has long been associated with social protests, if this changes it promises a new life and social change. She says these platforms gives both the youth and women the ability to unearth deep hidden issues within the engineering discipline and the contradictions it comes with, this is one way to help release them from shackles of conventional and outmoded structures.
Keneilwe has been involved in a few initiatives within the engineering space, not only involving women but the youth also. She is part of Consulting Engineers South Africa Young Professionals Forum –CESA YPF, these are young professionals who are passionate about the engineering industry and formed collective to ensure the sustainability of engineering skills for South Africa. Here she gets to engage, network and share best practice required for improved service delivery within built environment. 2017 she was part of GenX Theatre Africa, this is a corporate social responsibility initiative and non-profit organisation with the goal of supporting students and emerging entrepreneurs in the power sector, by providing them with an opportunity to address and interact with an international audience I the energy field. This is not all she just recently joined a dynamic programme called AWEaP- African Women in Energy and Power, this is a movement of men and women working together to ensure that women entrepreneurs participate in the full value chain of electricity generation, transmission and distribution
Keneilwe’s other interest is in the Public Speaking space. She has been an active participant in Toastmasters, she just recently served as a President for The Woodlands Toastmasters Club. She says that Toastmasters has not only helped her to become a competent speaker but has also empowered her in her leadership skills. “Joining Toastmasters was just not for perfecting my public speaking but it has been a journey that has greatly improved my life” she says.