- South Africa positions green hydrogen as a lever for industrial reindustrialisation and job creation.
- Wits-SAHLI facility combines research, localisation and enterprise development in a pilot hydrogen plant.
- Initiative aims to cultivate domestic manufacturing capacity and a skilled workforce by 2028.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has officially launched the R100 million Wits Strategic Hydrogen Localisation Investment Facility (Wits-SAHLI) at the University of the Witwatersrand’s West Campus, framing green hydrogen as central to South Africa’s industrial and economic revival.
Addressing stakeholders, Mashatile said the initiative represents more than a research milestone. “This moment marks not only the beginning of a ground-breaking project, but also the start of a shared national endeavour: to build a new industrial capability that drives innovation, creates quality jobs, and contributes to a just, inclusive and sustainable economy,” he said.
The Wits-SAHLI project is a partnership between Air Liquide South Africa, Wits University and the Localisation Support Fund. It forms part of South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap, which seeks to scale green hydrogen from pilot research to commercial application while deepening local value chains.
Reflecting on his own schooling, the Deputy President contrasted the advanced facility with the under-resourced classrooms of his youth. “Our science laboratory was nothing more than an ordinary classroom with a cracked chalkboard and wobbly desks… What we had was imagination,” he recalled. He said facilities such as Wits-SAHLI demonstrate the country’s progress and the potential for young South Africans to inherit opportunity rather than limitations.
The pilot plant features a 110 kilowatt electrolyser, 200 kilogram hydrogen storage capacity and a 200 kilowatt clean power output system. It is designed to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale research and industrial implementation. Mashatile emphasised localisation as a central pillar, noting that dependence on imported technologies is not sustainable in emerging sectors such as green hydrogen.
“Localisation generates jobs, enhances skill sets and supports small businesses. By reducing dependency on external supply chains, it empowers local researchers and industries to innovate,” he said. He highlighted the decline of manufacturing from more than 22% of GDP in the early 1990s to about 12–13% today, noting that each percentage point lost represents thousands of vanished opportunities.
Mashatile said initiatives like Wits-SAHLI are vital to reversing this trend by developing supplier ecosystems for SMMEs, retaining intellectual property and technical expertise within South Africa, and strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity.
He acknowledged the role of Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in enhancing policy certainty and integrating hydrogen development into the national energy transition. “Hydrogen development must not occur in isolation, but as part of an integrated national energy plan that includes grid expansion, renewable energy integration and industrial reform,” he said.
Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela also attended the launch. Mashatile underscored universities’ role in building the skills pipeline necessary to scale the hydrogen economy from pilot phase to commercial viability. “Universities and research facilities are the backbone of this initiative. The hydrogen economy will require new thinkers, new problem solvers, new technicians, new researchers and new entrepreneurs,” he said.
By 2028, the facility is expected to be fully operational, cultivating a vibrant ecosystem of locally manufactured hydrogen components, strengthening enterprise development pathways and enhancing South Africa’s competitiveness in global green markets.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
