The Department of Electrical Engineering at the Durban University of Technology proudly celebrated the achievement of their lecturer, Dr Thokozile Mazibuko, who obtained her Doctor of Engineering degree with groundbreaking research focused on sustainable and decentralised energy systems. She obtained her PhD at the DUT Autumn Graduation ceremony, held at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Friday, 22 May 2026.
Her doctoral thesis, titled Optimal Energy Management in Decentralised Systems, presents an innovative and optimised energy-sharing framework aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which advocates for affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Dr Mazibuko’s research addresses some of the most pressing global energy challenges by proposing intelligent and cost-effective renewable energy solutions capable of improving energy access while reducing environmental impact.
Sharing her excitement after graduation, Dr Mazibuko (42) from Lower Illovo said it was a great honour to graduate in front of her colleagues and students. She expressed her gratitude to her family, friends and colleagues who supported her throughout her journey.
Dr Mazibuko who joined DUT as a lecturer in 2021 shared that she was once a student at DUT and little did she know that in the future she would be listed among the DUT academics.
As part of the study, a hybrid renewable energy system integrating solar energy, wind energy, and battery storage technologies was simulated using HOMER Pro software to ensure efficient and affordable energy production. The research further incorporated advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to improve energy demand forecasting and system performance.
To enhance prediction accuracy, Dr Mazibuko developed a hybrid Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model. This data-driven approach enabled improved planning and significantly reduced supply-and-demand mismatches in decentralised energy systems.
The research also introduced a hybrid Genetic Algorithm Particle Swarm Optimization (GA-PSO) method to optimise system component sizing, reducing operational costs while enhancing overall efficiency and reliability.
In promoting fair and sustainable energy access, Dr Mazibuko designed an energy-sharing model based on Linear Programming (LP), which ensures equitable distribution of surplus renewable energy among consumers. The study further integrates Game Theory (GT) to encourage cooperative energy trading, improve equitable access to energy resources, and maximize cost savings for participating users.
Key outcomes of her research include reduced dependence on traditional power grids, increased renewable energy integration, lower energy costs, and decreased carbon emissions, all of which contribute meaningfully to sustainable development and climate resilience.
Dr Mazibuko’s achievement highlights the growing contribution of DUT’s researchers in developing innovative engineering solutions that respond to global sustainability challenges while addressing local energy needs.
Her work stands as a significant contribution to the advancement of smart energy systems and sustainable engineering research within South Africa and beyond.
Pictured: Dr Thokozile Mazibuko.
Photographer: Khulasande Tshayile.
Simangele Zuma
