Women in Charge: Linda Mabhena-Olagunju on Leadership, Empowerment, and Impact

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju’s career trajectory is a testament to resilience, innovation, and purpose. From law to entrepreneurship, she has seamlessly navigated multiple industries—founding DLO Energy Resources Group, one of Africa’s largest 100% black female-owned renewable energy companies, and expanding her influence to advocate for women in leadership.

As the founder and CEO of DLO Energy Resources Group, she’s not only building the future of renewable energy but also reshaping what leadership looks like—particularly for women across Africa. From creating pathways for black-owned businesses to upskilling youth for the green and digital economies, Linda’s work extends far beyond the boardroom. Here, she opens up about her unconventional journey, the power of mentorship, and her unwavering commitment to making tangible impacts for women and communities across South Africa and beyond.

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Glamour: Your career journey is both inspiring and multifaceted – from law and energy to entrepreneurship and impact leadership. Can you take us through your trajectory and what’s shaped your path along the way?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: I began my career in law, completing my LLB at UCT and then an LLM in International Commercial Law in Scotland, graduating with distinction. My entry into renewable energy came when South Africa started opening its energy mix. I saw that while law equips you to structure deals, entrepreneurship lets you shape industries. That led me to found DLO Energy Resources Group, which has grown into one of Africa’s largest 100% black female-owned renewable energy companies. Over time, my purpose expanded beyond building power plants to funding entrepreneurs, upskilling the labour force, and developing enabling infrastructure. I’ve evolved from operator to funder, mentor, and ecosystem builder.

Glamour: As the founder and CEO of DLO Energy Resources Group, how would you describe your leadership style and vision for the company in this current phase?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: Adaptive and inclusive. I hold a clear vision and empower the team to co-create the path. DLO today is more than an IPP—it’s a platform for economic empowerment. This phase is about funding entrepreneurs, upskilling talent, and investing in infrastructure. Through the Abadali Fund, I’m actively backing black-owned businesses. Through the DLO Skills Initiative, we’re equipping young people, women, and township entrepreneurs for the green and digital economies. And through strategic moves—including our investment in Access Bank South Africa—I’m focused on building long-term systems that expand inclusion. My vision is to keep driving Africa’s energy transition while building an ecosystem where capital, skills, and infrastructure intersect to unlock opportunity.

Glamour: DLO isn’t just an energy company – it’s become a platform for driving powerful conversations, especially around women in leadership. What inspired you to extend DLO’s influence into spaces like the DLO African Women in Leadership Summit?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: Business should deliver impact, not just profit. The DLO African Women in Leadership Summit was born from a frustration with the under-representation of African women in rooms where strategy and capital are decided. We built a convening where women connect capital to opportunity, exchange real playbooks, and hold space for each other’s growth. If DLO can power industries, it can also power dialogue and inclusion.

Glamour: The DLO African Women in Leadership Summit was more than an event – it was a movement of minds and hearts. What were some of the most meaningful moments for you as a host and participant?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: Hearing women—from C-suite leaders to township entrepreneurs—share their journeys with honesty and courage. The intergenerational dialogue stood out: young women asking direct questions and receiving practical, unvarnished guidance. Those exchanges captured why the Summit exists.

Glamour: What were some of the key conversations or themes that emerged from the Summit that you believe need to be sustained beyond August?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: Three, consistently: access (to funding, networks, opportunities), supplier diversity (moving corporates from rhetoric to real inclusion of black women-owned businesses), and collaboration (women supporting women through actual deals and partnerships). These must live far beyond a calendar month.

Glamour: You’ve consistently championed the arts and creative industries – why is this space important to you, and how does it intersect with your work in business and development?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: I studied drama at the National School of the Arts before law. The arts shaped my confidence, storytelling, and imagination—skills I use in boardrooms daily. Creatives fuel identity, jobs, and new ways of thinking. Backing the arts is about building a holistic economy where culture and commerce reinforce each other.

Glamour: As a woman leading across multiple sectors – energy, business, social impact – how do you stay grounded while navigating such high-stakes, high-impact spaces?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: Faith, family, and purpose. My children remind me that legacy outlives accolades. I rely on strong support systems and intentional rest. Grounding isn’t perfect balance—it’s remembering why the work matters.

Glamour: What kind of conversations are you passionate about leading right now – whether in boardrooms, creative spaces, or community gatherings?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: Conversations that connect capital to opportunity: financing the green transition, scaling women-owned enterprises, and supporting creatives. I’m also focused on Africa’s voice in the global climate agenda—our context must shape the story and the solutions.

Glamour: How do you use your platform to create opportunities for collaboration and upliftment, particularly among women and young professionals?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: I act as a bridge. The DLO Skills Initiative trains and certifies people for the energy transition. The Abadali Fund invests in black-owned businesses. And the DLO African Women in Leadership Summit convenes investors, operators, and founders. Often the gap is access—I work to close it.

Glamour: What’s your personal message to the women of South Africa this Women’s Month – especially those forging their own paths in unconventional or challenging spaces?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: Your path is valid—even when it doesn’t resemble anyone else’s. Don’t shrink to fit old moulds; build new ones. Curate your support system, back your vision with discipline, and know you’re not walking alone.

Glamour: How do you envision the legacy of the DLO African Women in Leadership Summit growing in the years to come?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: A continental platform where women don’t just convene—they convert conversations into partnerships, capital, and measurable outcomes. I want the legacy to be counted in businesses launched, jobs created, and markets opened because of connections made at the Summit.

Glamour: If you could see one major shift for women in South Africa within the next decade, what would you hope it to be?

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju: From symbolic celebration to material inclusion: real procurement for women-owned firms, equal representation in decision-making, and equal access for young women in townships and rural areas. In short—from rhetoric to results.