As head of engineering at Eskom Green, Grace Olukune is at the forefront of the fastest-growing areas in the energy sector and she is determined to take more women along with her into this exciting new chapter.
Inspired by her father, an engineer, Olukune spent much of her childhood accompanying him to sites, where she watched him solve problems and create meaningful impact. Those early experiences sparked her passion for engineering, with her parents instilling in her the confidence to pursue her ambitions.
When she was at Kusile Power Station — one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the world — she was awarded the power station’s Manager of the Year Award in 2025.
Moments such as these have shaped Olukune’s philosophy on life, which is that strong leadership is built on character as much as it is by capability.
“I define integrity as who I am and what I do when no one is watching,” Olukune says.
She credits her success to early international exposure, supportive managers and mentors, excellence, resilience, authenticity and continuous learning.
Olukune leads a team that supports the acceleration of renewable project deployment.
Eskom Green is targeting 2GW of construction-ready renewable projects in 2026, expanding to 6GW by 2030 and ultimately reaching 32GW by 2040.
One of her biggest challenges in moving from traditional baseload technologies to renewable energy has been the required shift in mindset.
For Olukune, the transition is not simply about adopting new technologies; it is about understanding and helping shape a new energy system. The shift has also required her to upskill and help others make the same transition.
Coming from a conventional-generation environment, she has had to deepen her understanding of renewable technologies, battery energy storage, hybrid systems, market dynamics and the technical requirements needed to integrate the solutions safely and reliably into the grid.
Another key challenge is balancing urgency with technical discipline. While South Africa needs renewable energy at scale and Eskom Green has ambitious deployment targets, Olukune believes speed must never come at the expense of safety, reliability or long-term asset performance.
Her role is to help ensure that as renewable project delivery accelerates, the solutions being developed remain technically sound, commercially viable and fit for future energy systems.
Olukune believes women play an integral role in the transformation of the energy sector by bringing diversity of thought, inclusive leadership and new perspectives to complex challenges.
For her, growing opportunities for women in renewable energy in Eskom starts with intentional access, exposure and development.
“Women must not only be included but actively positioned to lead in this transition. This includes mentoring young professionals, creating opportunities for technical exposure, encouraging women to take on complex projects and ensuring that succession planning deliberately includes female engineering talent.
“My role is not only to lead with excellence, but to open doors, share knowledge, build confidence and create an environment where women and young professionals can thrive.
“The goal is to leave a stronger pipeline of women who are technically competent, commercially aware and ready to shape South Africa’s clean energy future.”
Olukune’s legacy is anchored in a simple question that guides her life and leadership: “Will the world be different because I lived?”
Through mentoring, developing talent and creating opportunities for others, Olukune hopes to inspire more women and young professionals to lead with confidence and leave a lasting impact on the future of the energy industry.
- Grace Olukune, head of engineering at Eskom Green, leads a team accelerating renewable project deployment with targets of 2GW by 2026, 6GW by 2030, and 32GW by 2040.
- Olukune won the Manager of the Year Award at Kusile Power Station in 2025 and credits her success to early international exposure, mentorship, resilience, and continuous learning.
- Transitioning from traditional baseload technologies to renewables has required Olukune to upskill in renewable tech, battery storage, hybrid systems, and grid integration.
- She emphasizes that renewable energy deployment must balance urgency with safety, reliability, and long-term asset performance, ensuring solutions are technically sound and commercially viable.
- Olukune advocates for women's active leadership in the energy sector through mentoring, technical exposure, and deliberate succession planning to build a strong pipeline of female engineers.
As head of engineering at Eskom Green, Grace Olukune is at the forefront of the fastest-growing areas in the energy sector and she is determined to take more women along with her into this exciting new chapter.
Inspired by her father, an engineer, Olukune spent much of her childhood accompanying him to sites, where she watched him solve problems and create meaningful impact.
When she was at Kusile Power Station — one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the world — she was awarded the power station’s Manager of the Year Award in 2025.
Moments such as these have shaped Olukune’s philosophy on life, which is that strong leadership is built on character as much as it is by capability.
“I define integrity as who I am and what I do when no one is watching,” Olukune says.
Olukune leads a team that supports the acceleration of renewable project deployment.
Eskom Green is targeting 2GW of construction-ready renewable projects in 2026, expanding to 6GW by 2030 and ultimately reaching 32GW by 2040.
One of her biggest challenges in moving from traditional baseload technologies to renewable energy has been the required shift in mindset.
For Olukune, the transition is not simply about adopting new technologies; it is about understanding and helping shape a new energy system.
Her role is to help ensure that as renewable project delivery accelerates, the solutions being developed remain technically sound, commercially viable and fit for future energy systems.
Olukune believes women play an integral role in the transformation of the energy sector by bringing diversity of thought, inclusive leadership and new perspectives to complex challenges.
For her, growing opportunities for women in renewable energy in Eskom starts with intentional access, exposure and development.
“Women must not only be included but actively positioned to lead in this transition.
“My role is not only to lead with excellence, but to open doors, share knowledge, build confidence and create an environment where women and young professionals can thrive.
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Olukune’s legacy is anchored in a simple question that guides her life and leadership: “Will the world be different because I lived?”
