In honour of Nelson Mandela Day Africa’s premier power industry event will give South African students an opportunity to showcase their work and engage with leaders in the power field this month.

The Gen-X Theatre pioneered by POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa advisory board member Bertha Dlamini three years ago, gives the next generation of power sector professionals a unique opportunity to present their ideas and engage with industry leaders and VIPs from around the world.

The event also creates a setting where aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators can be discovered by prospective funders and financiers.

This year, the organisers have secured a partnership with European Utility Week taking place later this year, to enrol the top three Gen-X presenters in their Initiate! Young Talent Programme in Vienna. “This will be a lifetime experience for our young stars in energy,” says Dlamini.

An expanding initiative                                                                       

Since inception in 2015, Gen-X has received support from SAIEE, ABB South Africa, City Power and Matleng Energy Solutions. It has supported 20 students from South Africa and Swaziland.

“Gen-X seeks to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the power sector, and with support from the power sector, we would like to expand the initiative to include students from across Africa,” notes Dlamini.

The Gen-X Theatre will run from 12:45 to 14:30 in the exhibition area on all three days of POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa. It will include talks by African industry leaders and presentations by young electrical engineers and post-graduate students from South Africa. The presentations will be adjudicated and awards presented for the best papers.

In support of Nelson Mandela Day, POWER-GEN & DistribuTECHAfrica has sponsored R 30 000.00 to this important initiative.

POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa 2018 will take place from 17 – 19 July at the Sandton Convention Centre.