Lighting Futures: How Refilwe Sebothoma Built Hakem Energies into a Breakthrough in Clean Cooking
Lighting Futures: How Refilwe Sebothoma Built Hakem Energies into a Breakthrough in Clean Cooking. When Refilwe Sebothoma saw how her grandmother risked her life searching for firewood, she knew something had to change. Growing up in Marikana, energy poverty was more than an inconvenience, it was a daily threat. Today, through Hakem Energies, Refilwe is turning that painful reality into a platform for transformation. Her mission? Make clean, affordable, safe cooking energy accessible to South Africa’s most underserved communities. Here’s how she turned purpose into enterprise and what every entrepreneur can learn from her journey.
From Firewood Fear to Energy Activism
Refilwe’s early life shaped her mission. Watching women walk into danger just to fetch firewood, and children fall ill from paraffin poisoning, seeded her urgency to act. She founded Hakem Energies in December 2022, but operations only began in February 2024, after months spent navigating regulations and crafting solutions that could actually serve communities that had been overlooked.
Designing Energy That Meets Where It Hurts
The first big breakthrough was designing energy delivery around scarcity. Hakem introduced containerized refilling stations and portable 5-kg LPG cylinders that users could pay for as they consume it. No upfront barrier. No risk. It was a life-changing model for households without refrigeration or reliable income. Technology and education followed, refilling became safe, transparent, empowering. Every cylinder became a story of independence.
Key Milestones That Marked the Movement
- 2022 Founding: Hakem launched with a mission to address energy inequality directly.
- 2024 Trading Begins: After completing strategy, compliance and logistics, Hakem started serving communities with dignity.
- Bold Future Award Nomination: Refilwe was named a finalist for the 2024 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award, recognizing her impact and leadership.
- LPG Week Stage: Speaking at LPG Week 2024 in Cape Town, Refilwe amplified the role of clean cooking in energy transitions across Africa.
- African Energy Week Spotlight: In 2025 she was selected to spotlight LPG’s role in economies at a major continental energy event.
Overcoming Obstacles with Strategic Compassion
Refilwe began with self-funding, keeping control tight but also risks personal. She leveraged her network and CSI partnerships to supply equipment and bootstrap distribution. She faced skepticism in a monopolized energy market, but she persisted, step by step, building trust through community partnerships, safety training, and consistent service.
Actionable Lessons for Aspiring Changemakers
1. Build from lived experience
Refilwe did not set out with abstraction. Her solutions were born from firsthand pain.
2. Design for inclusion, not just profit
Pay-as-you-use LPG made energy within reach for low-income households.
3. Validate your mission through action
Starting trading, speaking at conventions, earning awards, these milestones turned mission into movement.
4. Invest in education, not just delivery
Teaching communities about LPG safety amplified trust and adoption.
5. Use visibility to amplify access
Speaking platforms and visibility at industry events have elevated the conversation and funding possibilities, for clean energy.
6. Value partnership and empowerment
Hakem’s model includes local service providers and job creation, so impact flows outward, not just upward.
What Comes Next for Hakem Energies
Refilwe envisions a continent where every woman returns from cooking energy free and safe. Hakem is doubling down on infrastructure, training female entrepreneurs, and exploring partnerships with rural women across Africa, for Refilwe the brand is not about cylinders sold. It is about lives transformed, one refill at a time.
