Bathandwa Vazi

Bathandwa Vazi is a policy advisor for IISD’s Energy Team. Based in South Africa, she is an established professional with 12 years of experience advising local and provincial governments across South Africa on best practices in mitigation planning and response measures, as well as environmental information management. This also includes strategy and action plan development.

Bathandwa’s expertise broadly ranges across sustainable energy, just transition, and climate action responses in urban development, including the areas of local-level energy data and policy development, energy efficiency, renewable energy, informal sector electrification, and related local government structures, mandates, and project implementation.

Bathandwa holds a national diploma in town and regional planning from the Durban University of Technology, a post-graduate certificate in project management, an honours degree in public administration, and a master of business administration. She has built a network of contacts over the years and has strong community and political engagement skills.