How Clean Energy Powers African Industrialization: Sovereignty, Partnership, and the New Value Chain - 10 Big Ideas to Transform Supply Chains for a Regenerative Future
- S1E87
- 33:20
- January 30th 2026
"Be careful about trying to solve 2050 problems with 2025 technology," says James Mnyupe, former Namibia Senior Economic Advisor and Green Hydrogen Commissioner. Join Sheri Hinish, the Supply Chain Queen®, and co-host James George for Big Idea 9 of the Supply Chain Revolution podcast exploring how clean energy actually powers industrialization in practice.
This episode is part of the 10 Big Ideas to Transform Supply Chains for a Regenerative Future series and reveals the structural choices, systems thinking, and policy frameworks that determine how African nations own the value chains they create in clean industrialization revolution happening now in the global south.
Featuring James Mnyupe, Senior Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa at ThyssenKrupp Uhde. James brings rare perspective having architected Namibia's green industrialization blueprint from the government side and now scaling the model across 49 African nations through a European industrial platform. His work spans everything from fertilizer and food security to mineral beneficiation, mobilizing fit-for-purpose capital while ensuring African ownership of technology, data, and manufacturing capacity. His TED Talk on economic diplomacy and industrial policy has inspired leaders globally to rethink development partnerships.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Clean Energy and Industrialization
00:15 - Navigating Geopolitical Tensions in Clean Energy
06:45 - Blueprint for African-Led Clean Industrialization
14:19 - Redefining Bankability in African Terms
25:22 - African Sovereignty and Global Partnerships
29:11 - Looking Ahead: The Future of African Industrialization
Connect with the Supply Chain Revolution
Subscribe for the full "10 Big Ideas" series exploring how to transform supply chains for a regenerative future. Follow the Supply Chain Queen on LinkedIn for additional insights and resources.
Supply Chain Revolution
The Supply Chain Revolution Podcast is where global leaders in sustainability, AI, and supply chain reimagine the future of business. Hosted by Sheri Hinish, the Supply Chain Queen, this award-winning show explores bold ideas at the intersection of supply chain, circular economy, innovation, technology, ESG, and leadership.
Each episode features candid conversations with C-suite executives, investors, academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs who are shaping how organizations create value in a rapidly changing world. From decarbonization and digital transformation to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we unpack strategies that accelerate progress and challenge the status quo.
Listeners gain:
- Actionable insights on AI, data, blockchain, robotics, and sustainable finance
- Big ideas in circularity, climate tech, and responsible compute
- Inspiration from stories of leaders driving transformation across industries
The Supply Chain Revolution podcast host has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Forbes, The Economist, and ESG Today, and recognized as a Top 100 Leadership Podcast. It is the go-to resource for professionals and change makers looking to stay ahead of the curve, strengthen leadership, and shape a more sustainable future.
Sheri Hinish, known globally as the Supply Chain Queen, is an executive strategist, board advisor, and award-winning sustainability leader. She has been named among the Top 100 Women in Supply Chain, a multi-year “Pro to Know”, and one of the Top 250 Global Leaders in Sustainability.
Join the revolution—because supply chains can save the planet, save lives, and build a better world.
Learn more at www.supplychainqueen.com
Keywords: supply chain podcast, sustainability podcast, circular economy, climate tech, AI, ESG, innovation, leadership, digital transformation, diversity and inclusion
Learn more at supplychainqueen.com
My purpose is to make a meaningful impact for the clients, colleagues, partners, and communities I serve. I have spent my career at the intersection of supply chain, sustainability and innovation in large-scale transformation. I’d love to walk with you on your journey.
I'm the Founder and Host of the Supply Chain Revolution podcast. In my day role, I currently serve as the Global Consulting Sustainability Services, Technology + Ecosystems Leader at EY serving across sectors, alliances, sustainability solutions, and digital ventures. I formerly led Sustainability Services + Alliances at IBM with a passion for sustainable supply chain, circularity, and hardening emerging sustainability tech use cases.
Colleagues and clients affectionately call me the nickname “Supply Chain Queen.” I'm recognized as a trusted partner that F500 companies consistently leverage for connected transformation, end-to-end digital supply chain, purpose-driven leadership, and disruptive thinking in embedding sustainability and emerging innovation in transformations.
Recent awards include: Top 250 leaders in Sustainability (2025), Leaders in Excellence, Supply & Demand Chain Executive (2025), Top 100 Women in Sustainability and Supply Chain (2024), Top 50 influencer in Sustainability by Onalytica (2023), 100 Women in 2023 by March8 Magazine, the 2021 #1 Supply Chain Leader by Supply Chain Digital, a 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019 Supply & Demand Chain Executive "Pro to Know," the "People's Choice 2020 Global Woman in Supply Chain Leader,” and a Corporate Vision Excellence award in 2020.
I’m a Rebel who loves creating, building, and bringing out the best in people, helping to grow high-performance teams. I've made a career in turn-around and scaling high growth opportunities (product, solutions, infrastructure for practice areas and alliances), simplifying the complex, rethinking paradigms for F500 clients, mainly in CPG, Financial Services, Retail, Advanced Manufacturing, Chemicals and Energy.
I am a graduate lecturer in Sustainability at the University of Arkansas and have a Masters from Harvard University with emphasis in Sustainability + Liberal Arts. I hold 2 credentials from Rutgers University with highest distinction (Beta Gamma Sigma), an MS in Supply Chain Management, and a Mini-MBA in Digital Supply Chain. I also have a BS in Business, Supply Chain Management (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Maryland. I hold an IBM Industry Academy Expert designation (in Consumer), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt.
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