- President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the billions of euros pledged to accelerate Africa’s renewable energy transition, while warning that the true measure of success will be how quickly and fairly the money is turned into real projects that benefit African communities.
- Speaking at the Global Citizen “Scaling Up Renewables in Africa” event in Johannesburg – held on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit – Ramaphosa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed a total of €15.5 billion in commitments, expected to generate nearly 27 gigawatts of clean power and expand electricity access to millions of households across the continent.
Ramaphosa praised the scale of the commitments but stressed that implementation is paramount, saying pledges alone do not build power plants or connect homes to the grid. He called for the funds to be directed to “the right people” and insisted that Africa’s clean energy shift must be rooted in community ownership, with local households, workers and young entrepreneurs seeing tangible benefits. South Africa, he noted, has already installed more than 17 gigawatts of renewable capacity and aims to reach 45 GW by 2035, guided by its Just Energy Transition Investment Plan and Renewable Energy Masterplan.
Von der Leyen announced a landmark €7 billion “Team Europe” pledge as part of the broader campaign, describing it as Europe standing with Africa “now and in future” and highlighting that the overall €15.5 billion package is expected to bring renewable electricity to 17.5 million households. She said the campaign’s results show that “the world has stepped up for Africa”, framing the new investment as not just funding but “power for millions of people, fuel for progress, and hope for the future.” The pledges form one of the largest collective commitments yet to Africa’s clean-power rollout, spanning solar, wind and grid-strengthening projects across the continent.
Global Citizen CEO and co‑founder Hugh Evans said the level of support represents a turning point for Africa’s energy transition, noting that the campaign’s commitments will double the continent’s current renewable energy capacity and already amount to about one-sixth of the total investment needed for Africa to hit its 2030 energy and climate goals. Evans described the initiative as “partnership grounded in ambition and focused on impact” and argued that the results show what is possible when millions of people demand a cleaner, more just energy future. He also stressed that the campaign is only a beginning, urging continued global engagement to help end extreme poverty and echoing Nelson Mandela’s belief that poverty can be overcome through human action.
Both leaders framed the Johannesburg gathering as the culmination of a year‑long drive under South Africa’s G20 Presidency to place Africa’s energy priorities at the centre of global debate. Ramaphosa said the extraordinary scale of the commitments underlined the relevance of South Africa’s G20 theme of solidarity, equality and sustainability, and emphasised that Africa’s clean energy future will only succeed if investment strengthens local skills, manufacturing and innovation. Closing on an optimistic note, he thanked all those who had made pledges and declared that “Africa is on the rise”, inviting partners around the world to join in powering the continent’s just and inclusive renewable energy revolution.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
