Khwezi Sithole

Master's-qualified Urban and Regional Planner with practical experience supporting environmental authorisation processes, environmental assessments, renewable energy developments, and spatial analysis projects within South Africa. Skilled in environmental screening, technical report writing, GIS analysis, site assessments, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance. Experienced in multidisciplinary project environments involving environmental permitting, land use management, and infrastructure development.

Passionate about sustainable development, environmental governance, biodiversity protection, and water resource management. Currently pursuing professional growth within Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) and environmental consulting environments, with exposure to environmental legislation, permitting processes, and environmental management systems.

Project Development Intern at ENERTRAG South Africa (2025-04 – Present)

• Supported environmental and planning workstreams for utility-scale renewable energy projects including wind, solar PV, and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
• Assisted with environmental authorisation and permitting-related documentation processes
• Conducted environmental screening and constraint analysis including biodiversity, vegetation, land use, heritage, aviation, and zoning considerations
• Participated in field verification activities and environmental site assessments
• Assisted with environmental data collection, validation, interpretation, and reporting
• Contributed to the preparation of technical reports, environmental assessments, and compliance documentation
• Produced GIS-based spatial analysis, environmental mapping, and site layout support using ArcGIS and QGIS
• Supported multidisciplinary coordination between consultants, authorities, landowners, and project stakeholders
• Maintained accurate environmental project records, trackers, datasets, and supporting documentation
• Assisted with regulatory compliance processes aligned with South African environmental legislation and environmental management requirements

Urban Planning & Research Support (Multiple Roles) at Stellenbosch University & Municipal Exposure (2022 – 2025)

• Assisted with GIS teaching, marking, and academic support for undergraduate students
• Conducted environmental assessments and environmental risk analysis within urban and regional planning contexts
• Supported environmental and land use research projects related to urban development and sustainability challenges
• Assisted with GIS data processing, environmental mapping, and spatial analysis for academic and applied projects
• Participated in fieldwork, environmental site inspections, and data gathering exercises
• Developed technical reports and research outputs relating to environmental management and land use systems
• Gained exposure to South African environmental legislation, planning frameworks, and municipal land use management systems
• Assisted with land audits, planning support tasks, and informal settlement upgrading concepts
• Strengthened analytical, technical writing, research, and presentation capabilities

Master of Urban and Regional Planning in Urban and Regional Planning – Stellenbosch University

BA Honours in Geography & Environmental Studies – Stellenbosch University

Bachelor of Social Sciences in Geography & Environmental Management – University of KwaZulu-Natal