Ethiopia’s renewable energy sector has become one of the most transformative spaces in the country’s development story, with solar energy emerging as a lifeline for millions living off the grid. At the forefront of this transformation is Rekik Bekele, an electrical engineer and entrepreneur who has made it her mission to deliver sustainable power to underserved communities. As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Scene Energy PLC, Bekele is driving a new model of inclusive electrification that blends business innovation with social impact.
Her journey into energy began after earning a degree in electrical engineering from Addis Ababa University. Early in her career, she worked with Solar23, installing solar systems in rural communities. One experience that would shape her vision came during a project in Koda, where she saw nurses deliver babies in darkness due to the absence of electricity. As she later recalled in interviews, witnessing how power scarcity affected basic healthcare and livelihoods deepened her resolve to pursue renewable energy as both a profession and a purpose.
Bekele’s first entrepreneurial venture, RK Renew Lighting and Cooking PLC, was founded in 2014 and focused on solar lamps and clean cookstoves for refugee communities. Though the company faced early challenges, the experience provided her with the practical foundation to build her next enterprise. Two years later, she launched Green Scene Energy PLC with a mission to bring reliable solar power to rural households and small businesses. According to Africa Women Experts, Green Scene has since reached more than 20,000 households, benefiting over 100,000 people through solar home systems, water pumps, and productive-use installations that power farms and small enterprises.
Her work has not gone unnoticed. Rekik Bekele was named Most Influential Woman in Energy by the Ethiopian Women in Energy Network in 2021 and was recognized among the 25 Women Shaping the Future by ChangeNOW in 2023. She is also a board member of the Solar Energy Development Association Ethiopia (SEDA-E) and an Acumen Fellow, affiliations that highlight her influence in shaping the broader renewable energy landscape.
Bekele’s approach emphasizes not just technology deployment but also empowerment. She has worked to make solar systems affordable by partnering with microfinance institutions and training local women to manage solar kiosks in rural communities. According to the Ethiopian Women in Energy Network, this has created new income streams and improved maintenance of solar installations, ensuring long-term sustainability. Her leadership philosophy rests on the belief that clean energy must go hand in hand with local capacity building if communities are to thrive.
As Ethiopia accelerates its national electrification plan, Bekele envisions Green Scene playing a leading role in reaching households still living without power. Her ambition is to scale access to millions more, ensuring that renewable energy remains at the heart of the country’s growth and resilience.
Rekik Bekele’s story is one of vision, persistence, and purpose. By turning engineering expertise into social enterprise, she is not only lighting homes but also empowering people, proving that sustainable development begins with access to energy and with leaders who believe in its power to transform lives.
