Watch Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s full address at the Africa Energy Indaba
- South Africa’s Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has called for a unified response from African leaders to a more independent, sustainable, and resilient energy future for the continent.
- He cited turbulent times ahead with Africa having an abundance of natural resources including oil and critical minerals to be a global energy transition leader, but these are under exploited and underfunded.
- Developing nations face exorbitant borrowing cost due to bias fundamentals.
- The minister was speaking at the 17th Africa Energy Indaba which is taking place this week at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
The Africa Energy Indaba continues to be the premier platform for shaping the continent’s energy transformation. This year’s focus on development finance underscores the event’s commitment to fostering collaboration and creating actionable solutions for Africa’s energy challenges.
“Trade policies are increasingly politicised and the commitments under the Paris Agreement remain largely unfulfilled” said Ramokgopa. He added that the weaponisation of trade and finance through protectionism to foster domestic interests first exacerbates existing disparities. “This makes it even more difficult for developing nations to access the resources necessary to transition for sustainable development,” said Ramokgopa.
“We’ve just been reminded now by some of the major superpowers that each and every country place front and centre their consideration of what is their sovereign interest … and I think it’s about time for Africa to define what is the sovereign interest of individual countries and what is in the interest of the continent.”
“It is in our collective interest as a continent if we can develop a coordinated response to these headwinds,” added Ramokgopa
More details in the full address in video form above.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Learn more: info@energyindaba.co.za | Enquiries: www.africaenergyindaba.com
