South Africa’s Energy Minister Commits to Accelerated Renewable Energy Transition

Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has pledged to expedite South Africa’s transition from coal to renewable energy, marking a significant shift from his predecessor’s stance on decarbonization. Ramokgopa, who now heads the newly established Ministry of Energy & Electricity, made this announcement while addressing journalists, celebrating over 100 days without power cuts—a notable achievement in the country’s history of frequent blackouts.

“I am going to be ultra-aggressive on renewable energy. You are going to see an exponential share,” Ramokgopa declared at a press conference in Pretoria. He emphasized his commitment to signalling to investors the country’s strong intention to pursue renewable energy.

South Africa, heavily reliant on coal-fired power stations operated by Eskom, ranks among the world’s top 15 greenhouse gas emitters. It emits more greenhouse gases than countries like the UK, Turkey, or France and has the highest carbon intensity among the G20 economies, according to Climate Transparency.

“We are going to be the leaders on this continent in relation to renewables,” Ramokgopa stated, presenting a stark contrast to his predecessor, Gwede Mantashe. Mantashe had consistently advocated for resisting international pressure to rapidly transition to green energy, questioning its feasibility.

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed his new cabinet at the end of last month, following extensive negotiations with other parties after the ANC’s unprecedented majority loss in the May 29 election. Previously, the energy portfolio was combined with mining under Mantashe. However, Ramaphosa separated the two, merging the energy portfolio with Ramokgopa’s electricity ministry in a strategic move to decouple energy from coal.

South Africa boasts significant renewable energy potential, with 400,000 square kilometres of semi-desert and a vast coastline subjected to strong winds. Despite this, policy uncertainty has hindered investment, and last year’s government decision to delay the decommissioning of several coal-fired power stations until well into 2030, citing energy security, was met with criticism from activists.

Ramokgopa acknowledged that South Africa’s shift to green energy had “taken a bit longer than what is necessary.” He prioritized engaging with business leaders to address the “hurdles that undermined their appetite to participate” in the renewable energy sector.