Kobile and Anene Won Green Building Award
The 2026 Women in Green Building competition winners were selected for their sustainable development leadership.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Remote Work
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Tshepiso Kobile and Refiner Anene have been named winners of the fifth annual Women in Green Building Competition. The program recognizes female leaders who are actively shaping a sustainable built environment across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Why it matters
The competition aims to equip women with the necessary skills to drive environmental sustainability and green standards within the construction and property sectors. It highlights the critical role of female professionals in developing resilient infrastructure.
The competition, now in its fifth year, evaluated 10 finalists based on their performance in EDGE green building standard assessments. Winners were selected from this cohort after rigorous examination results.
The players
Tshepiso Kobile
She is a Non-Executive Director at the National Housing Finance Corporation and Communicare NPC.
Refiner Anene
She is a finance professional recognized for managing significant investment pipelines and green housing transactions.
Green Building Council South Africa
This organization co-manages the annual competition to promote sustainable building practices.
International Finance Corporation
This global institution co-runs the program to encourage sustainable development and EDGE standards.
The details
Tshepiso Kobile is a Non-Executive Director for both the National Housing Finance Corporation and Communicare NPC. Refiner Anene notably managed an investment pipeline exceeding $100 million and led a $12.5 million green housing transaction that supported over 1,000 homes.
Timeline
The winners were announced in 2026.
Market Landscape
This program aligns with the global shift toward standardized environmental metrics, specifically the EDGE green building certification system. By incentivizing these standards, the industry is increasingly prioritizing sustainable capital allocation over traditional development models.
The professional recognition of these leaders signals a broader push for green housing standards that could influence future property development costs and sustainability requirements for residential projects. Consumers may see more sustainable, energy-efficient housing options as these standards become institutionalized.
The takeaway
This competition demonstrates that specialized sustainability training is becoming a vital credential for executive-level success in the construction sector. Professionals looking to advance in this field should prioritize technical certifications like EDGE to stay competitive in the evolving market.
Further reading
Learn more about evolving standards in the Remote Work sector.
Source note: This article includes information reported by To Build Magazine.
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Do you believe professional sustainability training effectively improves the quality of new building projects?
