Yonela Phoswa | Co-founder & Director
Umbane Energy Investments

Yonela Poswa (they/them) has a Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering background from the University of Cape Town and a proven track record in renewable energy project development, financing, and technical leadership. Their expertise covers electrical distribution system maintenance, solar smart energy solutions, control systems, medium- and low-voltage networks, IoT-enabled technologies, and precision agri-tech. At Umbane, Yonela leads the delivery of a 50 MW grid-tied solar plant in Limpopo and 26 MW of
late-stage projects in Namibia, positioning the company as a competitive independent power producer. A co-founder of both Umbane Energy Investments and the Young Black Infrastructure Corporation, Yonela has driven projects ranging from ground-mounted and floating solar to agrivoltaics, waste-to-energy, and bioprocessing solutions. They were selected for the 2024 Innovate UK “Scaling Out For Impact” cohort, where they showcased Umbane’s vertical-bifacial agrivoltaic arrays and GAHT-enabled passive-solar
greenhouse concept. Yonela also spearheads Project Nkululeko, an agrivoltaic-led rural industrialisation model that couples energy generation with local agro-processing to create jobs and asset ownership in underserved communities.