African Rainbow Energy
Board of directors and management team
African Rainbow Energy upholds the highest standards of governance which includes the concepts of ethical leadership, the oganisation in society, corporate citizenship, sustainable development, stakeholder inclusivity, integrated thinking and integrated reporting.
African Rainbow Energy has a diversified and majority independent Board of Directors who are supported by Sub-Committees.
Board of Directors
Dr Patrice Motsepe
Non Executive Chairperson BA (Legal), LLB, D.Com (Honoris Causa), Doctorate of Management and Commerce.
Dr Motsepe is the founder and Chairperson of UBI, ARC and African Rainbow Energy and Power (AREP). He is also Executive Chairperson of African Rainbow Minerals, Chairperson of Harmony and Deputy Chairperson of Sanlam. His past business responsibilities include being the Founding President of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), and Chairperson of the BRICS Council for 2013.
Dr Motsepe is also President of Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.
He plays an active role in the international business arena where he is a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, which is made up of 100 of the most highly respected and influential chief executives from all industries.
Brian Dames
Chief Executive Officer Bsc(Hons), MBA
Mr Dames is Chief Executive of African Rainbow Energy and previously served as the Chief Executive of Eskom Holdings SOC Limited. He has over 30 years of experience in the energy and power sector.
Brian serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Governors of the Electricity Industry, a trustee of the WWF Trust SA, and as a non-executive director of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa.
Nakedi Ramaphakela
Tom Boardman
Non Executive Director Bcom, CA(SA)
Tom Boardman was chief executive of Nedbank Group Limited from 2003 to 2010. Before that, he was chief executive and executive director of BoE Limited, which was acquired by Nedbank in 2002. He was the founding shareholder and managing director of retail housewares chain, Boardmans.
He was also previously managing director of Sam Newman Limited and worked for the Anglo American Corporation. He served his articles at Deloitte. He was a non-executive director of Nedbank Limited from 2010 to 2017, chairing the credit and capital and risk committees.
He was a director of listed Swedish investment company, Kinnevik, from 2011 to 2018, and chairman for the last two years. He was also a non-executive director and chairman of Millicom International Cellular, one of the major mobile and cable network operators in Central and South America listed on the NASDAQ and Swedish stock exchanges.
He is currently a non-executive director of Royal Bafokeng Holdings, Ubuntu-Botho Investments, African Rainbow Capital Proprietary Limited, African Rainbow Energy and Power Proprietary Limited and TymeBank Proprietary Limited. He is a director of The Peace Parks Foundation and trustee for a number of charitable foundations.
Dr Rejoice Simelane
Rejoice has been with Ubuntu-Botho Investments since 2004 when she assumed the position of CEO.
Prior to this she spent several years in government, culminating in serving as a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Panel under President Thabo Mbeki.
Dr Johan van Zyl
Johan is the co-CEO of African Rainbow Capital as well as the CEO of UbuntuBotho Investments. He previously served as group CEO of Sanlam for a period of 12 years
David Renwick
David is the Head of Investment Banking Division at Absa Corporate & Investment Banking which includes the following areas of responsibility: advisory, capital raising and financing solutions to targeted Pan African corporates and government entities. He drives business with local, regional, and international investors supporting many of Africa’s high growth sectors including Renewable Energy, Technology Media Telecom, Natural Resources and Consumer.
Snenhlanhla Dlamini
Chartered Accountant (SA)
Snenhlanhla Dlamini is a CA(SA) with over a decade of experience in auditing, assurance, and financial services. She began her career at PwC in the Energy, Utilities and Resources (EU&R) Division where she served her articles and stayed on as an Audit Manager before joining Absa Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) Finance team.
Snenhlanhla is currently the Head of Financial Decision Support for CIB Africa at Absa, where she leads strategic financial planning, performance management and reporting within the Absa CIB business.
Management team
Brian Dames
Chief Executive Officer Bsc(Hons), MBA
Mr Dames is Chief Executive of African Rainbow Energy and previously served as the Chief Executive of Eskom Holdings SOC Limited. He has over 30 years of experience in the energy and power sector.
Brian serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Governors of the Electricity Industry, a trustee of the WWF Trust SA, and as a non-executive director of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa.
André Dippenaar
Chief Investment Officer CA(SA)
André Dippenaar is the Chief Investment Officer of African Rainbow Energy He is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of management, financial reporting, commercial and project related management experience, predominantly focused in the energy and mining sector.
He was previously employed by BioTherm Energy, an African focused Independent Power Producer and has over 17 years of dedicated project finance and renewable energy development and investment experience. Before BioTherm Energy he worked at Barrick Gold and PwC in the capacity of Regional Controller for Africa and Assistant Manager, respectively.
Nakedi Ramaphakela
Lena Chirwa
Head of Legal and Company Secretary
Qualified attorney with 17 years post qualification experience and 14 years experience in the renewable energy and infrastructure sector. Expertise in full scale inhouse legal management of renewable energy projects and structured finance transactions.
Previously worked at Enel Green Power South Africa as Head of Legal & Corporate Affairs and at Absa Bank and Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa as legal counsel in project and structured finance.
Investment Committee
Dr Johan van Zyl
Johan is the co-CEO of African Rainbow Capital as well as the CEO of UbuntuBotho Investments. He previously served as group CEO of Sanlam for a period of 12 years
Brian Dames
Chief Executive Officer Bsc(Hons), MBA
Mr Dames is Chief Executive of African Rainbow Energy and previously served as the Chief Executive of Eskom Holdings SOC Limited. He has over 30 years of experience in the energy and power sector.
Brian serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Governors of the Electricity Industry, a trustee of the WWF Trust SA, and as a non-executive director of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa.
Nakedi Ramaphakela
Tom Boardman
Non Executive Director Bcom, CA(SA)
Tom Boardman was chief executive of Nedbank Group Limited from 2003 to 2010. Before that, he was chief executive and executive director of BoE Limited, which was acquired by Nedbank in 2002. He was the founding shareholder and managing director of retail housewares chain, Boardmans.
He was also previously managing director of Sam Newman Limited and worked for the Anglo American Corporation. He served his articles at Deloitte. He was a non-executive director of Nedbank Limited from 2010 to 2017, chairing the credit and capital and risk committees.
He was a director of listed Swedish investment company, Kinnevik, from 2011 to 2018, and chairman for the last two years. He was also a non-executive director and chairman of Millicom International Cellular, one of the major mobile and cable network operators in Central and South America listed on the NASDAQ and Swedish stock exchanges.
He is currently a non-executive director of Royal Bafokeng Holdings, Ubuntu-Botho Investments, African Rainbow Capital Proprietary Limited, African Rainbow Energy and Power Proprietary Limited and TymeBank Proprietary Limited. He is a director of The Peace Parks Foundation and trustee for a number of charitable foundations.
David Renwick
David is the Head of Investment Banking Division at Absa Corporate & Investment Banking which includes the following areas of responsibility: advisory, capital raising and financing solutions to targeted Pan African corporates and government entities. He drives business with local, regional, and international investors supporting many of Africa’s high growth sectors including Renewable Energy, Technology Media Telecom, Natural Resources and Consumer.
Happy-Girl Buthelezi
Investment Committee Member
Happy-Girl Buthelezi is an accomplished investment executive with over two decades of experience across infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, and financial services in emerging markets.
She serves as an Investment Committee Member at African Rainbow Energy, contributing to investment oversight, capital allocation, and strategic guidance across the platform’s energy and infrastructure portfolio.
Happy-Girl has held senior roles at British International Investment and Absa Corporate and Investment Banking, where she led complex cross-border transactions and investment strategies across Africa. Her experience spans equity, structured credit, and hybrid capital solutions.
She also serves on investment committees in private equity, DFI and impact investment platforms, strengthening her expertise in investment governance, risk management, and value creation.