Born in the rural villages of Eastern Cape, South Africa and shaped by a life split between rural simplicity and urban dynamism, Sandiswa Qayi has never been one to settle for the status quo. Now based in East London, she is a leading voice in clean tech innovation and energy advocacy across Africa.
As the founder of AET Africa, her journey from industrial sociology to clean energy innovation reveals a deep commitment to solving everyday problems rooted in lived experience, especially around energy poverty, affordability, and sustainable access to hot water in underserved communities.
A Life Shaped by Adaptability and Vision
“I’m a little bit rural township and a little bit suburbs,” Sandiswa says, reflecting on a life that took her from village life with her grandparents to Cape Town’s urban sprawl at the age of 11. “I like to think of myself as a flexible person who can adapt to different environments, someone who’s resilient, someone who’s a visionary.”
This adaptability would become one of her most powerful assets, not just in navigating personal challenges, but also in building an innovative business in one of the most regulated and complex sectors: energy.
Her academic path began with aspirations in engineering, supported by high school teachers who recognized her aptitude. But a school change rerouted her journey. “When I got to the new school, I ended up doing geography and maths, so the career I wanted in engineering or medicine wasn’t possible,” she explains.
She pivoted, inspired by her cousin studying psychology and sociology, and enrolled at Rhodes University to pursue a Bachelor of Social Science in industrial sociology and organisational psychology. Later, she deepened her expertise with a master’s in development studies, a foundation that gave her a systems-thinking perspective that would later shape her entrepreneurial journey.
From Development to Invention: The Birth of AET Africa
After university, Sandiswa entered the economic development sector, working in industrial parks and witnessing the daily struggles South Africans face with energy access and affordability. “We switch our water heaters on and off to manage costs, but if you forget, you either have no hot water or must wait for it. That pain point became a business idea.”
Through conversations with peers in the industrial park and friends, the idea of AET Africa took shape. Founded in July 2012, AET aimed to create locally engineered, energy-efficient solutions that reduce electricity consumption without compromising comfort.
“For the first three years, we were researching, prototyping, and building our concept,” she recalls. “I wasn’t the technical one, my co-founder handled the design, and I brought the development perspective.” By 2015, she committed full-time as Managing Director, and soon after, AET began manufacturing their flagship innovation: Hotspot geyser sleeve an energy-saving retrofits for water heaters.
Their product targeted a real, proven problem: water heating accounts for up to 40% of household electricity costs in South Africa. AET’s solution retrofitted existing systems to reduce energy usage while maintaining access to hot water, an elegant intersection of cost-saving, convenience, and sustainability.
Triumphs and Trials in the Manufacturing Landscape
For five years, AET Africa manufactured and sold their solution, employing up to 60 people and proving that township-born innovation could go from idea to industrial scale. But the deeper they progressed, the more they encountered structural barriers, especially in regulatory certification and market access.
“The biggest challenge was certification,” Sandiswa says bluntly. “The market wanted our product, but without the right South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) certification, we couldn’t scale. It took five years of chasing, applying, testing and we still couldn’t unlock it.”
She describes being blocked by the very institutions meant to support innovation: manufacturers refused to collaborate, suppliers stopped selling materials when they realised AET was commercialising, and installers wouldn’t touch uncertified units, despite the product’s clear demand and benefits.
The result was stagnation. Despite securing initial funding, support from local ecosystem and participating in global accelerator programmes, the inability to gain certification, and thus retail distribution and national installation, meant AET couldn’t grow sustainably. This was a journey of learning, making mistake and growth both personal and business.
“It was heartbreaking. Even international opportunities, in Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, hit the same wall. No SABS certification, no deal.”
Pivoting with Purpose
In 2023, Sandiswa made a tough call: AET would halt manufacturing. The team downsized over the years from 60 to just three full-time employees. But instead of seeing this as defeat, she reframed it as evolution.
“The manufacturing environment has so many barriers — high capital costs, complex regulations, supply chain issues. We realised we could still make an impact without manufacturing ourselves.”
Today, AET is transitioning into a technology licensing and intellectual property (IP) company, exploring partnerships for commercialisation that don’t rely on owning the factory floor.
This strategic pivot is guided by Sandiswa’s broader advocacy work. “Now I sit on the expert panel for the Technology Innovation Agency, and I work with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and UNIDO Global Cleantech Innovation Program (GCIP), advising on how to support innovators on the ground. Our story is part of the change.”
Policy Influence and Ecosystem Impact
While AET’s journey has been marred by regulatory hurdles, its ripple effect has been profound. Sandiswa has used her experience to shape policy conversations and advise global institutions.
“We showed that township innovators could build factories, create jobs, and lead in clean tech,” she says. “Because of AET’s story, some funders changed how they support businesses. Some now realise mentorship alone isn’t enough — you need to open doors to markets and remove structural barriers.”
Her influence now spans multiple platforms: she’s a global advisor for the IEA, an advocate in ministerial energy forums, and an ambassador for UNIDO’s clean energy programmes. Locally, she’s also supporting eco-industrial hubs and strategic partnerships to enable other entrepreneurs.
“We are not just another startup, we triggered reflection across the ecosystem.”
Innovation Beyond the Factory
Today, Sandiswa remains passionate about the clean tech space but with refined clarity.
“In the beginning, we believed innovation meant you had to manufacture and create jobs through factories. But now, we understand you can license, you can partner, and you can influence policy and still make an impact.”
Her next chapter: For Sandiswa, the road ahead is anchored in both consolidation and forward vision. “At this stage,” she shares, “one of the main focuses is finalising the licensing of our current technologies.” It’s a crucial step — solidifying the groundwork AET Africa has laid in energy efficiency before turning to new innovations.
Only once that foundation is fully secured will the next big chapter unfold. “That’s when we can start zooming in on the new project,” she says with quiet anticipation.
What’s clear is that the market she stepped into years ago still holds promise. “The energy efficiency market we chose is still a thriving one,” she reflects and Sandiswa is poised to keep leading within it, shaping solutions that respond to the continent’s needs with resilience, sustainability, and vision.
Final Words
Sandiswa Qayi’s story is one of vision, resilience, and transformation. From a village with electricity issues to boardrooms of global energy agencies, she has carried the torch of clean technology and local innovation with courage and clarity.
“Innovation is not just about the product, it’s about breaking down the systems that block access,” she says. “We’ve felt the pain, and now we’re using that experience to create change, not just for ourselves, but for the innovators coming after us.”
Sandiswa’s journey is grounded in a simple yet profound life philosophy: never stop learning. “You are never too old to learn,” she says, a reminder that growth doesn’t stop with age or experience. But with time, she’s also discovered the wisdom in stillness.
“I’ve learned there’s value in being quiet. Just be quiet, listen, absorb, learn. Because sometimes, we think we know but we don’t.”
And perhaps the deepest lesson of all, drawn from years of pushing boundaries and carrying vision:
“Take time to rest” she says, “because burnout is real.”
