Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, is reinforcing its commitment to Southern Africa’s energies and chemicals sector’s growth with the appointment of Prevashen Naicker as the Segment Director for the region.

This move comes at a strategic moment for the region, as countries across Southern Africa continue to modernise their energy and industrial infrastructure while advancing long-term sustainability goals.   

Globally, the drive for sustainable energy solutions has placed green hydrogen (GH2) as a critical component of clean energy initiatives. With its abundant renewable resources, the region is well-positioned to utilise GH2to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

And already there is investment in GH2 and green ammonia in countries like Namibia, Angola and South Africa, which highlights Southern Africa’s potential to play a meaningful role in the global energy transition.

“Southern Africa has a unique opportunity to modernise its energy and chemicals landscape in a way that balances reliability, competitiveness and sustainability,” says Naicker. “Across the region, we are seeing a clear commitment from industry to embrace digitalisation, improve efficiency, and prepare for a lower-carbon future.”

Schneider Electric’s enhanced focus builds on its global expertise in electrification, automation and digital transformation, combined with local know-how and execution capabilities. The company is supporting operators across refineries, petrochemical facilities and gas infrastructure to unlock greater value from existing assets while preparing for future growth.

In many cases, this begins with practical, targeted interventions that deliver measurable results. Digital retrofits, advanced energy monitoring and real-time analytics provide operators with improved visibility into their operations, enabling smarter decision-making and more efficient use of resources.

“Our approach is to meet customers where they are; this means establishing a clear understanding of energy use and operational performance. We can then identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce waste and strengthen reliability through incremental steps that build towards broader transformation.”

A key advantage of Schneider Electric’s strategy is its ability to connect power and process systems, creating a complete view of industrial operations. This integration supports improved performance across the value chain, helping organisations optimise production, enhance safety and reduce environmental impact.

Furthermore, central to Schneider Electric’s approach is collaboration, which sees the company working closely with customers to develop tailored digital roadmaps. This includes engaging stakeholders across all levels of an organisation – from the plant floor to executive leadership – to drive meaningful and lasting impact.

“At Schneider Electric we endeavour to establish operations that allow both our partners and customers to derive measurable progress on their sustainability journeys. The energies and chemicals sector is poised to play a vital role in Southern Africa’s economies, and we are excited to support its continued growth,” concludes Naicker.