Ria Govender has over 25 years of policy, legal, and regulatory experience exclusively in the electricity industry as Government Official, Legal Advisor, Corporate Executive, Independent Consultant, Senior Transaction Advisor, and Policy and Institutional Advisor. Since 2011 she has focused on creating and enabling environments to attract private sector investment in renewable energy in select African countries (e.g., South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia).
She is currently the Senior Legal and Public Private Partnership Advisor for the USAID-funded Power Africa East Africa Energy Program implemented by RTI. Previously, she served as the Deputy Outcome 1 Lead for USAID’s Southern Africa Energy Program implemented by Deloitte. Prior to this, she was the Policy and Institutional Advisor for USAID’s Power Africa Transactions and Reforms Program.