Defining the characteristics of a decisive leader, advocating for accelerated participation of African Women and Youth in Africa’s Power and Energy Sector, Ms. Bertha Dlamini has set herself as a foresighted entrepreneur.
As the Founder & Group CEO of the Rito Group of Companies Pty Ltd, Bertha directs and delivers marketing communication strategies, stakeholder relations, and established centers of excellence for change management for clients in the public and private sectors.
Bertha has an impressive track record as Stakeholder Management Strategist with exceptional campaign design and execution since 1999.
Let us know more about her journey.
Making the Mark
Bertha is the founding President of African Women in Energy and Power (AWEaP) (www.aweap.africa), an organisation she founded to accelerate the participation of African women entrepreneurs in the entire value chain of power and energy in Africa and contribute towards addressing the continent’s energy poverty.
Bertha is leveraging her experience and vast network in Africa’s power and energy sector to mobilize global stakeholders to work together to remove barriers that prevent effective youth and women participation in Africa’s power and energy sector.
Bertha is an astute international public speaker, conference speaker, and moderator with a proven track record in such international events as the BRICS Business Council, PowerGen Africa Conferences, African Utility Week Conferences, ABB Customer World, International Energy and Environment Fair, and Conferences, Zambia Entrepreneurship Summit, South African Power Pool Conference, Energy Storage Conference, Standard Bank Employee Engagement seminars, and AMEU Conferences.
As the Founding Chairman of Gen X Theatre Africa (Gen X) (www.genxtheatre.africa), an initiative geared towards accelerating youth participation in Africa’s power and energy sector, she has enabled 60 young professionals and students to present abstracts of their academic papers to an esteemed team of adjudicators at international sector events.
Awards & Accolades
Bertha is currently the recipient of the following awards:
- The Inaugural South African Institute of Electrical Engineers 2019 Women in Engineering Award.
- African Queens in Energy – The Judges Award, supporting women entrepreneurs in energy and power 2021.
- Women of Stature: Finalist CEO of the Year 2022
She holds the following industry roles:
- BRICS Business Council, South African Chapter: Energy and Green Economy Working Group – BRICS Just Energy Transition Center of Excellence Lead
- University of South Africa (UNISA) Graduate School of Business Leadership: Advisory Board Member
- ABB Education Trust: Trustee
- SALGA’s Energy Reference Group (ERG): ERG Member
- South Africa, Office of the President, Women’s Economic Assembly: Energy Sector Workstream Lead
- Non-Executive Director: Energy Drive Pty LTD
Ms. Dlamini is a highly rated and trusted industry player in Africa’s energy sector.
In March 2021, at the WVL SADC Protocol@Work Summit held in Johannesburg, AWEaP won the WVL SADC Protocol@Work Climate Change 2021 Award in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the promotion of gender equity in Africa’s Energy and Power Sector.
She holds the following qualifications:
- Energy Transition Diploma: Skolkovo Moscow School of Management, Russia;
- MBA in Executive Management – Graduate School of Business – University of Cape
Town, South Africa, thesis awarded with a distinction.
- Programme for Management Development (PMD 37) Gordon Institute of Business
Science; South Africa
- Management Advancement Programme (MAP) at Wits Business School, South Africa
The Foundational Pillars
The Rito Group of Companies Pty Ltd is a holding company that comprises start-up consulting firms in management consulting and the energy sector. The group also houses two non-profit companies supporting Women in Energy and Youth in Energy. The company was created to accommodate companies and ventures that seek to make a difference in South Africa and Africa’s economy.
Rito Consulting Services is an integrated marketing communication company founded in 2006. It provides solutions for private and public sector companies. On the other hand, Rito Energy Solutions is an energy consulting company that supports utility operational performance and is interested in project development in the renewable energy sector.
African Women in Energy and Power (AWEaP) is one of the non-profit companies established by the Rito Group of Companies. It is based on the conviction that commercially viable, multi-stakeholder-driven initiatives are needed to eradicate energy poverty in Africa. AWEaP aims to ensure women’s meaningful economic participation in the energy and power sector. The organization has 11 chapters on the African continent and targets to increase this reach to 22 countries by 2024 and 45 countries by 2025. The organization constantly seeks leading women in Africa’s energy and power sector to join their growing number of Country Chairpersons to advance gender equity in their domestic markets.
Gen X theatre is another non-profit company established by the Rito Group of Companies. It creates a platform for students and young professionals to share abstracts of their academic papers at international sector conferences. This offers them a lifetime opportunity to interact with industry leaders.
Adhering to Fundamentals
Bertha believes women are strong and consistent collaborators who operate with empathy and often work from an ecosystem perspective. Bertha acknowledges that this approach fosters inclusion and drives success. She believes collaboration, compassion, and contextual appreciation of market conditions enable women to work with industry players to identify and implement superior solutions to socioeconomic challenges.
Bertha’s business motto is “Moving beyond boundaries.” She emphasizes the importance of collaboration to break boundaries and enable success in all endeavors.
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