The South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) has named Eskom’s Dr Nhlanhla Mbuli as its Engineer of the Year.

The award is given to a member of the SAIEE who has “energetically and voluntary” worked towards promoting electrical science and its applications to the benefit of the SAIEE, members and the Southern African community through their involvement in the institute’s affairs.

The award also extends to working and mentoring young engineers as a practising practitioner, as well as an academic, supervising postgraduate engineering students among other contributions made to the profession.

With more than two decades of experience as an electrical engineer and being an active member of SAIEE, Mbuli also holds a number of engineering qualifications including a Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Johannesburg.

In 2009, he was appointed Eskom corporate consultant (specialist) for grid planning. In this role, he also provided consultation to transmission and distribution grid planning activities. Earlier on, Mbuli worked as a distribution network planner and later as a transmission network planner.

Mbuli’s work involves conducting and leading applied research that supports planning; providing internal consulting services to distribution and transmission departments in Eskom; developing training material and running training courses on various aspects of network planning, and actively mentoring junior and mid-career engineers.

Mbuli has also served as council member of SAIEE for four consecutive terms from 2008 to 2011. He has also served as a member of the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC): electrical and is a reviewer of candidates for registration as professional engineers, conducting the required interviews on behalf of the PAC.

Further, he participates in interviews of candidates for evaluation of qualifications for the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). He was elected and served as ECSA council member for the 2009 to 2012 term.