Gracia Mbwese Munganga

Gracia is the DRC Development Director at CrossBoundary Energy, where she leads the company’s operations in one of Africa’s most dynamic and challenging markets. A trained chemical engineer from the University of Cape Town (UCT), she has over 13 years of experience spanning renewable energy, green economy, energy access, circular economy and waste-to-energy, specifically biogas across Africa.

She is part of the team that delivered the Kamoa-Kakula solar and battery storage project in the DRC, one of the largest renewable energy project, comprising 233 MWp of solar PV and 526 MWh of battery storage which has been a career highlight. The project is a landmark example of how renewable energy can support both industrial growth and the decarbonization of Africa’s mining sector.

Prior to joining CrossBoundary Energy, Gracia held leadership and advisory roles with Abt Associates, SustainSolar, the Carbon Trust, Climate and Innovation Centre South Africa (CICSA), and GreenCape where she started her sustainability career. At SustainSolar, she led the delivery of renewable energy projects across 11 African countries, with a particular focus on off-grid solar, battery energy storage, and commercial and industrial energy solutions. Her experience spans operations, stakeholder engagement, design and delivery of green economy donor funded programmes, cleantech incubation and innovation as well as policy advisory across both the public and private sectors.

Beyond her professional role, Gracia serves on the executive team of the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), supporting partnerships and initiatives that reshaping Africa’s economic landscape through the circular economy.