Dershin Govender is Arup’s Owner’s Engineer and Project Management Consultant Lead for Energy in Africa, based in Johannesburg. He has more than 16 years of experience in the transmission sector, spanning substation design, project development, and the delivery of large-scale energy infrastructure projects.
Prior to joining Arup, he held senior positions at Eskom and the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA), including serving as Portfolio Manager for Project Development.
In his current role, Govender is focused on expanding Arup’s Owner’s Engineer and project management consultancy capabilities across Africa, supporting complex energy projects and the development of transmission networks needed to drive the continent’s energy transition.
Govender is attending the ongoing Africa Energy Forum (AEF) in Cape Town. In this interview with Oke Peter, he shares his views on Africa’s energy challenges, the critical role of transmission infrastructure, the need for private-sector investment, and the solutions required to accelerate universal electricity access across the continent. Excerpts
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing Africa's transmission infrastructure today?
The development of renewable energy has moved faster than transmission infrastructure. This has created a gap where power can be generated but cannot always be delivered to where it is needed. Transmission projects are often more difficult to deliver than generation projects. Environmental approvals, permitting, land and servitude acquisition, and coordination with multiple stakeholders can take several years.
•Dershin Govender is Arup’s Owner’s Engineer and Project Management Consultant Lead for Energy in Africa
Generation is also more attractive to investors due to clearer revenue streams and simpler financing. Transmission has therefore received less attention, even though generation depends on it. The key challenge is to accelerate transmission expansion and create the conditions for private sector investment.
What is your company doing to support the achievement of universal electricity access across Africa?
Arup provides engineering and advisory services across the full lifecycle of energy projects in Africa. We support utilities, developers, and independent power producers with network planning, grid integration, transmission line and substation design, and system strengthening. As more renewable energy projects come online, strong transmission networks are essential to ensure electricity reaches businesses and communities reliably.
We also act as Owner's Engineer, providing independent technical advice across the project lifecycle. This includes feasibility studies, procurement support, design reviews, and construction oversight, helping improve delivery and reduce risk for clients. Through our Lender's Technical Advisor services, we support banks and investors by assessing technical risks. This is particularly important in markets where projects can be complex to structure and deliver, and where confidence is needed to unlock investment.
Arup is also supporting major transmission developments in South Africa, including work aligned with the Independent Transmission Projects Programme and NTCSA Transmission Development Plan. Our teams combine local expertise with international experience, including lessons from large-scale programmes such as the UK's Great Grid Upgrade.
What lessons from South Africa's transmission sector can other African countries adopt?
• Transmission planning must stay ahead of generation planning. Without enough grid capacity, projects become constrained.
•Regulatory reform matters. The creation of NTCSA and the Independent Transmission Projects Programme shows how structures can attract private investment while maintaining oversight.
• A transmission plan alone is not enough. The private sector needs a clear pipeline of projects, supported by regulatory certainty and defined procurement processes.
