Guaranteeing stable power supply is a path to economic growth and prosperity in Africa. In 2022, it was estimated that Africa lost $24 billion due to power cuts. As South Africa begins its recovery from recurrent load shedding, the question is: What now?

Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa speaking at Enlit Africa says, “We are dealing with the energy trilemma, energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability. While the discourse is dominated by environmental issues and renewables, Africa, in my opinion, should focus on equity. There are 3 million people in South Africa without access to electricity, in Africa there are 600 million. We call it ‘Just’ Energy Transition, because the socio-economic aspect cannot be ignored.”

Solving the energy trilemma requires a multifaceted approach, rather than focusing on renewables alone, the focus is on how to make renewables accessible and secure. Dr Ramokgopa goes on to say:

“Africa is uniquely positioned in this chapter to be a key player in the renewable space. As a continent, Africa holds 60% of the world’s solar resources, yet only contributes 1% of the built solar capacity. If Africa unlocks investment, it could produce 310 GW by solar by 2030.” The minister adds that Africa’s position in the global demand for green hydrogen earmarks the continent as an equal at the discussion table.”

How South Africa will navigate equitable access to sustainable energy

The minister outlines the way forward as follows:

• Diversify the energy mix: Adding renewables to the grids and ensuring that these renewables are accessible.
• Coal as the backbone: While renewables are front and centre, coal is still the backbone of energy generation in South Africa. The role of coal in job creation, economic growth, and employment is too great to simply cut off.
• Nuclear: Nuclear is the most feasible way to replace coal’s baseload capacity. While nuclear power is seen as expensive, the success in small modular reactors proves promising in bringing nuclear to areas that need it most.
• Grid forming: As battery inverters gain traction, South Africa must look into grid forming as opposed to grid following inverters. Grid forming inverters can create and maintain their own voltage and frequency, even in the absence of a stable grid.

The minister also asks to take in lessons from the international community, “When we speak about home-grown solutions we do not mean turning a blind eye on what has been done. There are valuable lessons for us to take in, successes and failures alike.” The example he uses is that of Spain and Portugal, where the fluctuations in renewable energy can cause black outs, even if there appears to be enough power.

The minister ends with, “The Just Energy Transition is one that ensures access and emphasises the socio-economic aspects of energy, while still delivering on the sustainable solution to energy security. The advances in small modular nuclear energy, Africa’s solar potential, and the cleaning of coal power is our path forward.”