Chikuku Katebe: Board Secretary – Zambia Renewable Energy Association
The 10th anniversary edition of African Power & Energy Elites recognises the people shaping the continent’s future infrastructure
Chikuku Katebe is a renewable energy engineer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Adams Institute of Technology, focusing on technology, sustainability, and business innovation. She also serves as the Board Secretary for the Zambia Renewable Energy Association and developed Moneka, a burgeoning fashion brand.
Katebe is determined to strengthen quality, widen practical training, and ensure programmes correspond with evolving industry realities. This goal, she explains, is rooted in a desire to create an academic environment that genuinely equips young people for Zambia’s shifting economic opportunities.
Yet alongside this ambition lies a fear of “missing out on the extraordinary opportunities emerging across the country,” from technology and manufacturing to clean power and schooling.
To counter that worry, she keeps herself alert and involved, learning continuously and participating in national and regional initiatives so she remains positioned to contribute meaningfully. With a laugh, she shares the one fear she refuses to conquer: frogs. “I give them the entire room,” she says, until they choose to leave.”
A recent turning point in her professional thinking came with the mounting scarcity of specialised local skills in energy projects. She has seen how this shortage slows progress and heightens costs, ultimately reinforcing her commitment to creating spaces where people can gain the technical competencies the nation urgently needs. This gap, she notes, also shapes how she approaches planning, pushing her to prioritise hands-on learning and industry relevance.
Away from her formal responsibilities, she turns to fashion design as a grounding outlet. Sketching and sewing keep her balanced and inventive, offering a soothing balance to the complexities of the power sector. This creative pursuit, she says, helps her tackle technical challenges with a more people-centric and imaginative outlook.
Katebe’s vision for Zambia remains optimistic—a country where rural communities have clean, dependable power, where women helm flourishing energy ventures, and where young people build home-grown technologies.
Cover photo: Chikuku Katebe
