Qhakazile Mathebula | Senior Manager: Project Management Office
City Power

Qhakazile is well-acquainted with the electrical & energy landscape, having worked at City Power for 16 years, Transnet Freight Rail for 3 years and Highveld Steel for 2 years.  Qhakazile joined City Power’s SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquistion) department as a Load Management Technician, where she was responsible for Demand Side Management (DSM), utilizing residential ripple control, substation transmitters & controllers to manage the morning & evening peak energy demand effectively.  She occupied this role from September 2018 to December 2011. She later worked as Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) Technician, being responsible for ensuring the availability & reliability of RTUs to monitor & control substation switchgear equipment, ensuring the safe & efficient operation of the power network, until December 2012. She was then appointed to Senior Technician, where she was responsible for monitoring telecommunication systems to reduce network failures & enhance visibility across the City Power network.  She occupied this role from January 2013 to January 2018. In February 2018, Qhakazile was appointed as Project Manager, Secondary Plant Capital Projects, which included SCADA, Telecommunications, Protection, Integrated Security Systems and Metering. In this capacity, she also served as Acting General Manager, Capex Projects, where she oversaw the entire capital program, which comprised five key areas: Secondary Plant, Bulk Infrastructure, Minor Projects, Upgrade of Distribution Network and Electrification & Public Lighting. From October 2023 to April 2024, she was as Project Director leading the Gauteng Energy Emergency Crisis Response Plan, where City Power was appointed as the Implementing Agent by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA). In this portfolio, she directed the Replacement of Transformers in Gauteng local municipalities, namely Emfuleni, Lesedi, Merafong, Mogale & Randwest. Additionally, she led the implementation of the Amarasta Microgrid in Alexandra Township, along with Network Visibility in Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) & Network Strengthening for Rand Water. In her current role, which she assumed in May 2024, as Senior Manager in the Project Management Office (PMO) she is responsible for overseeing large-scale energy infrastructure projects that are essential to ensuring energy access, security & sustainability. She also leads efforts to drive City Power’s contributions to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition.  Prior to joining City Power, she worked for Transnet Freight Rail as a Signal Engineering Technician for three years, where she was instrumental in maintaining a safe, efficient & reliable rail network in Ladysmith. Qhakazile completed her in-service training at Highveld Steel, where she focused on optimizing processes in the plant. Her responsibilities included monitoring temperature, weight, flow, pressure, level & programming Programable Logic Controller (PLC), SCADA & Human Machine Interface (HMI) systems. She holds a BTech Degree Electrical Engineering from Tshwane University of Technology, a BTech Degree Business Administration (cum laude) from University of South Africa, a Diploma Project Management from Intec College.  She is a Project Management Professional (PMP), certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI).  She holds multiple certificates in the field of engineering, project management, Just Energy Transition and Leadership Training. Qhakazile is a visionary leader & mentor dedicated to uplifting & empowering black women in the male-dominated field of engineering. She firmly believes that black individuals, especially black women, must support each other on their journeys to success. She emphasizes the importance of passing the baton to those who are ready to take on new challenges. She asserts that the time of "Pull Her Down Syndrome" has passed & that women must become each other's keepers. 

• She is professionally registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
• She is a member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE), the Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Électriques (CIGRE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) & the Black Management Forum (BMF).
• She serves on the executive committee of the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities (AMEU), specifically with Women in Electricity (WIE).
• She sits on the Enlit Africa 2025 Municipal Forum Advisory Board.
• She is the Awardee of Australia Awards Africa 2025.